The home that the door led me to was in desperate need of some care. It was tiny, run down, and completely filthy. Yet it was home to me. Despite the lackluster appearance, I knew that I belonged in that two room house. I would make it my own.
A single bed rested up against the far wall with a small nightstand beside it. Across the room was a basic kitchen that was even simpler than the one in my previous apartment. It had the essentials and nothing more. A cramped bathroom existed just beyond the kitchen. In the middle of the room was a low round table with one hard looking wooden chair. I could not help but smile.
"Sure, it's simple. But I can make this work," I declared to myself. I put my suitcase on the bed and opened up the pale green curtains to let in the late morning sun. The shining rays revealed more dust than I imagined there to be, but in that moment nothing could waive my resolve. I rolled up my sleeves and found some old rags under the sink in the bathroom and began to clean my new home.
Time escaped me and before long I realized I was starving. I had nearly cleaned the entire house when I heard a low knocking on my front door. I set down my rags, wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my arm, and slowly opened the door.
Standing before me was an elderly woman. The way she wore her smile on her round face made her small eyes look closed behind her round glasses. Silky grey hair framed her face and was pulled back into an old style white bonnet. She wore an earthy dress of greens and light browns with a floral apron tied around her waist. What I noticed more than anything, though, was the large pot she held in her wrinkled hands. The smell coming from it made my stomach growl loudly. I couldn't help but blush.
"Good afternoon, dear. I'm Eda, your next door neighbour. In fact, I'm your only neighbour up here on the mountain," she introduced herself with a chuckle. I smiled at her and opened the door wider.
"It is nice to meet you, Eda. I'm Selene. Please, come in and sit down," I said, inviting the old woman in. She graciously nodded and walked in, setting the pot down on my table and sitting in the only chair I had.
"I beg your pardon, but these bones aren't as young as they used to be. I'll just rest a moment before serving us some soup," Eda sighed, rubbing the knuckles of her wrinkled hands. I picked up the rather heavy pot and placed it on my small, one burner stove. I set it to a simmer and dug through the cupboards to find bowls for us to use.
A few times I stole glances over my shoulder to peek at the old woman. Her breathing was laboured and her eyes seemed heavy. But there was still a sparkle of life in her that shone in the way Eda presented herself. I smiled as I served us each a portion of the vegetable soup and set it on the table. I sat down on my knees across from Eda.
"Thank you, dear. I'm embarrassed, sitting over here on a break and forcing my guest to serve the food. What have I become?" she mused to herself.
"Nonsense, Eda. I am extremely grateful for you bringing some lunch over. And, if you didn't notice, you are actually in my house. You are my guest now. So please, relax," I insisted, smiling at the elder. She chuckled a warm laugh and began to eat her soup.
There was something uniquely different about the soup I tasted. Sure, I had eaten soup before. Canned meals were my livelihood during my college life. The times I had eaten vegetable soup were immeasurable. Yet the soup I tasted then seemed like a totally different food. Flavour beyond comprehension danced on my tongue. Smoothness slid down my throat every time I swallowed. As silly as it made me feel, I was simply in awe of the dish. Eda chuckled again.
"If I may ask, what is in this soup? It is nothing like I have ever tasted before," I confessed. Eda smiled at me.
"Oh, there's nothing special, really. Turnips, potatoes, a bit of cabbage mostly. Perhaps since I harvested them only yesterday that the taste seems spectacular to you," Eda explained. Then she let out an even bigger laugh after taking another spoonful. "I have to admit this isn't my finest."
I looked at the woman with a sense of wonderment. "You grew the vegetables in this soup?"
Eda looked at me with a puzzled expression before once again bursting into uncontrollable laughter. After she regained her breath, the woman pointed her spoon at me.
"Of course I did. And you will be too, once I'm through with teaching you."
The rest of lunch consisted of a crash course on hand farming. Eda explained that I would be able to buy seeds from the general store and the occasional vendor. She explained how to use the old hoe, sickle, and watering can in the run down shed behind my house. Everything was in such great detail that it overwhelmed me completely. My brain started to shut down.
It was then that I heard the voice of a young man shouting through my fields. I gave Eda a puzzled look as she continued telling me what season crops grew best in. I heard the voice again but much louder.
"I beg your pardon, Eda, but someone is calling for you," I interrupted. The old woman stopped mid-sentence with her mouth wide open. At that moment, the door to my home flew open and in stumbled the source of the voice.
The man was definitely young. His brown pants were patched just as his white shirt was. He used a yellowed vest to pull it all together. An orange scarf dangled from his long neck. A mop of reddish brown hair dangled in front of his large brown eyes. He wore a grin of triumph. I could not help but notice the bandage on his cheek.
"There you are, grandma!" he exclaimed, walking into my house. He instantly grabbed a bowl, dished himself some of the soup, and sat on the floor at my table. He then proceeded to eat faster than humanly possible.
Eda sighed, reached out a wrinkled hand, and smacked the man on the back of the head. His hair flopped with the motion. He reached a green fingerless gloved hand to where he was struck and rubbed.
"What was that for?" he whined. Eda crossed her arms.
"Were you raised in a pasture? Show some manners. Especially to this fine young woman," Eda barked. It was then that the man noticed me.
He gave me a peculiar look, almost as if he didn't truly believe that I was there. His eyes widened and his cheeks blushed a light pink. I suddenly found myself conscious of my appearance. Was my hair messy? Were there bags under my eyes? Why didn't I put make up on before cleaning?
"This is Fritz, my grandson," Eda announced, resting a tired hand on his shoulder. I managed a smile.
"It's nice to meet you, Fritz. My name is Selene," I said in a voice quieter than normal. My face grew hotter as I realized that I too was blushing. I cleared my throat and smiled at Eda. Her grin was so wide that her narrow eyes were completely closed.
"Why don't you two go take a dip in the river? It's a beautiful day for it," Eda suggested. I glanced over at Fritz. He was fumbling with his spoon.
"I'm not a great swimmer," I confessed, standing up from the table and collecting the empty dishes. Eda grabbed the bowls from me.
"Fritz is excellent. I'm sure he can teach you. I'll clean up here. It's the least I can do," Eda insisted. Fritz jumped up almost a little too enthusiastically.
"Let's do it!" he shouted, grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the door. I heard Eda chuckle behind us. What was I getting myself into?
