Chapter 7 - The Brew That is True
(...an undisclosed location...minutes later...)
Helga is sitting in a chair at a small round table in a faintly lit room. She's carrying on a conversation with a person shrouded in darkness.
"...and so I took a walk to try and straighten things out."
"Mm-hmm."
"And that's when I came upon this place."
"Mm-hmm."
"It's just so weird talking to you. Now, don't get me wrong; I appreciate what you did for me all those years ago; helping me gain perspective on life, but I never thought I'd see you again."
"Life is quite surprising, but the important thing is making the most of the time you have.", the voice replied in an European accent.
"Y'know, we've been over this before; you don't have to put on the whole 'mystic gypsy' act."
"Hey, I gotta have some mystery to me", the European accent soon replaced with a Brooklynese one.
The woman stepped out of the darkness. It was Madame Blanche, who once gave Helga a potion to help her forget about Arnold, but in the end, it was just a placebo.
But the Madame Blanche with whom Helga was conversing didn't, in any way, resemble the woman she met as a nine-year-old. The strange thing is that she looked a lot younger!
Her dark hair was fuller, her skin was smooth, and her eyes were blue. In fact, she bore a striking resemblance to Esmerelda from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Helga is aghast at the "new" Madame Blanche.
"Holy crap! Is that really you?"
"In the flesh", she says, striking a pose.
"How did this happen?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes!"
(...Arnold's house...minutes later...)
Arnold is in his office working on designs for a new restaurant when he hears the ringing of the doorbell.
He rushes down the stairs and opens the door. His jaw drops when he sees who is on the other side of it: Lila.
"Well, are you going to stand there catching fireflies or are you going to let me in?", she said, surprisingly forward.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Please come in."
Lila walks in and stands beside Arnold's couch, her arms folded.
"So, um, what brings you here?"
Lila's brazen facade slips away as she gives her answer.
"You."
"Me?"
Lila runs to Arnold and puts his arms around her.
"Yes, you."
Arnold tightens his grip around Lila, who is almost on the verge of tears.
"Oh, Arnold. I missed you so much that night at the hotel. And I felt so embarrassed in the hospital...when I was awake, at least. I'd go right to pieces without you."
"I didn't know how much I meant to you. I'm sorry, Lila."
"I forgive you, Arnold, but I don't hold you responsible."
"Well, then, who do you hold responsible?"
(...Madame Blanche's shop...minutes later...)
Helga is looking at a vial of pink liquid sitting in front of her on the table. Madame Blanche is sitting across from her.
"So...this is the stuff that made you young, huh?"
"Young-looking and healthier."
Helga picks up the vial and shakes it a bit.
"Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"Yes, I do."
"Because I remember a certain (making air quotes) 'out-of-love potion' you gave me that was nothing more than grape soda and chamomile. How do I know that this isn't diluted Pepto-Bismol?!"
"How do you know it is?"
Helga puts the vial down.
"Many..."
Madame Blanche clears her throat, then speaks with her European accent.
"Many years ago, I was clearing out some items from my old shop. Business had slowed to a crawl, so I decided to relocate. I had dropped one of my vials in the sink and out spilled a potion..."
"...that didn't work."
"Please do not interrupt. I used a sponge to soak up the potion as best I could. I drained the remnants into what I thought was an empty vial, but it turned out that there was already a clear liquid within it."
Madame Blanche picks up the vial.
"The new concoction gave off a pungent aroma. I took a sip and, moments later, I saw that was younger, almost as if time were reversed and halted for me."
"And that's how you ended up like this?"
"Yes, it is."
"I must say that that story is absolutely..."
(...Arnold's house...minutes later...)
"...unbelievable!"
"Come again?"
"That's unbelievable. Helga wrote those letters?"
"That's what I'm telling you."
"I know that Helga's done stuff like this in the past, but she outgrew it."
"That's what she'd want you to believe."
Lila pulls out her letter and a copy of "Love in the Time of Apathy" from her purse. She opens the book to page 146 and lays the book and letter side by side.
"Amazing."
"Isn't it?"
"Yeah. You'd think a fine author like Helga would be above self-plagiarism."
"Yeah, and she sent us the letters. She can't get away with this."
"But what can we do about it?"
"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something", a sly smirk appearing on Lila's face.
(...Madame Blanche's shop...minutes later...)
"Why are you passing judgment on something you haven't even tried?"
"Historical precedent."
"Good one, but how do you explain me?"
"We're standing in the plastic surgery capital of the world."
"Look around. Does this look like the business of someone with money to burn on surgery?"
Helga looks around and sees her point. Madame Blanche hands her the vial.
"Try it."
Helga hesitantly takes the vial, opens it and takes a sip. She takes a couple of steps before stumbling over. She wraps her arms around her stomach and groans.
"It feels like an eternity before the pain is over, but it's over in a few seconds."
With those words, Helga stands up and dusts herself off. She looks at her hands, which have become smoother. She runs to a mirror and sees that, among other things, her blonde hair is bouncier, her face is softer and her lips are fuller.
"Wow", Helga says, feeling her face.
She looks down at herself.
"This is incredible."
"But I must warn you..."
"Warn me? About what? What warning?!"
"Take care of yourself. You and your body are going to be together for a long time."
Helga walks toward the exit, then turns suddenly.
"Wait, what do I owe you?"
"Consider it a gift."
As Helga ventured into the night, she reflected on Madame Blanche's words:
"Take care of yourself. You and your body are going to be together for a long time..."
"Now, why does that sound familiar?"