Alie’s Simmering Pot

I was finishing a busy week. Although I loved my job, the stress of the tasks that needed to be completed sometimes reached an overwhelming level. However, my team and I had successfully completed a long and challenging project, so we deserved to have a lot of fun that Friday evening.

I decided to take them to one of my favorite nightclubs. I guess Serona's bath ritual had greatly inspired me. This venue, located a bit away from the city, attracted me the most because of its atmosphere. Its high ceiling adorned with small LED bulbs was illuminated with star and nebula patterns, making the scene as real as a miniature night sky. Every hour, a full moon would appear from one corner of the hall and slowly move across to disappear into the other corner. Among the walls filled with trees and tropical plants, one could see holographic birds and sometimes a snake or butterfly. This venue, mimicking nature, provided an opportunity for entertainment in a mystical atmosphere.

As the night progressed and I went to the bar to get a drink, I saw him. Our encounter couldn't have happened at a more perfect time, both at the moment I had been waiting for and entirely by chance...

After this third coincidence, we decided to stop leaving our meetings to chance and started planning and chatting. Life was bringing us together, and due to my intense emotions, I constantly kept this intention in my mind.

When I woke up on Sunday, idly wandering in bed, one eye was on my phone. I wanted to talk to him. We had been talking for two days already, but our eagerness to get to know each other on any new topic never faded... Still, before pausing for a moment to check for messages on the phone, I decided to call Alie.

I asked her to save me some of the bagels she always baked without fail every Sunday and to wait for me for breakfast. Laughing, she said the table had already been set.

It was a sunny day, and the snow had slowed down. Alie had indeed set up the table freshly, lined up the fragrant bagels, and was brewing coffee. I immediately settled at the table and told her about my recent encounter with the man I met at the café. At that moment, I remembered the magnificent bath tea she had gifted me the other day. The magical touch of this incredible blend was the reason behind the new coincidences in my life. As I tried to take a bite of the freshly baked bagel, I explained that it was more than just a coincidence.

She then asked me if I was ready to listen to the rest of the tale. I quickly grabbed my coffee and plate and settled into my favorite chair in the winter garden. Alie went to fetch the embers she had been keeping in the fireplace to light the fire.

It felt like every aspect was tailor-made for me, and I eagerly awaited what awaited Serona at the end of this journey, the end of the tale, which brought new excitement into my life. Alie took a sip of her coffee and began to tell the story.

By the fire, under the star-studded sky, Serona appeared before Ezra, completely confident. For her, it had become a heart ache that needed to be resolved, one she could no longer bear alone. However, she was struggling with how to broach the subject.

Ezra, on the other hand, delighted in her confident demeanor and her novice approach to relationships, rejoicing in having encountered such a unique woman. Thus, they chatted all night. While Serona couldn't fully express what was in her heart, she believed she managed to convey her feelings somehow. Ezra, not hiding his interest, continued to ask questions to get to know Serona better, yet he still didn't give a clear answer.

Thus, the meeting ended for these two young people with joy, sailing into new excitements, and the happiness of warming love in their hearts. When Serona returned home, she mentioned Ezra to her mother for the first time. The elderly woman, unable to contain her joy, thanked God for this development. Still, she was sure that the elderly man who owned the greenhouse didn't have a son. However, it was entirely possible that Ezra, who worked for the king, had been away for many years and had only recently returned home.

Thinking about Ezra all night, Serona couldn't fall asleep, so she finally got up and went to her study. She began to sift through her notebooks to prepare the third and final blend for her mysterious client. She had already thought of candles for the fire element and bath teas for the water element; now it was time for the air.

For this final stage, she decided to create a pot. The simmering pot would not only spread its scent throughout the area but also release its energy, strengthening her client as he completed his ritual, providing a truly powerful closure.

The vessel in which the boiling ingredients would be contained was just as important as the ingredients themselves. The strongest material to carry a feeling like love with passion could be silver. Due to its association with the moon and its feminine properties, this silver pot would enhance the mixture she was about to create. She took one of the silver pots she kept in the pantry. Since the full moon was waning and starting to decrease, she decided to take advantage of its supportive energy and first clean the pot. She always saved intentions like cleaning and purifying for the waning moon phase.

She opened the window and let the slightly cooling breeze in. Then she entrusted the pot to the moonlight and returned to her counter filled with plants.

She had exactly four days ahead of her. Then the messenger of her wealthy client would come to collect the prepared materials. She had to have everything ready on time, and her final blend had to be as effective as the first two. So, she began to think carefully, focusing all her attention. First and foremost, she centered lavender, her favorite ingredient and the base of all her blends.

Before continuing with the plants, she decided to add some rose quartz stones. These stones represented intense emotions and the subconscious. To cleanse them as well, she placed them next to the bowl under the moonlight for a while. She always utilized the power, conductivity, and influence of the stones in her blends. Then she paused for a moment and looked at the materials on her counter. As she progressed, calculating and defining, she felt not just the strength but also the quality of the blend. However, when she surrendered herself to the flow, to her instincts, a different power awakened within her. She refocused her intention and, just like in the bathhouse, trusted her inner voice, relinquishing control to her heart and hands. She knew the plants, flowers, metals, salts, and stones very well. She carefully selected each ingredient she stored in her pantry. Therefore, she could trust the quality of each material. All that was left was to combine them correctly.

She first added a few small cinnamon branches, followed by some dried roses and ginger. However, she wanted to add something more special, something with a powerful memory but wouldn't disrupt the balance of the mixture...

She began rummaging through her mother's old cabinets, where she saw a sack of jasmine flowers she had collected and stored years ago. There used to be a large jasmine vine in her parents' garden. Her father had brought this vine from distant lands while trading and had gifted it to her mother when proposing. This unique plant, whose scent could be smelled from a block away, was the pride of the garden, and her mother had taken great care of it. She had collected its flowers over the years, making oil and perfume from them. However, the flowers in this sack were from the first harvest and were very precious. Serona added the jasmine flowers to the mixture, gently blending them with her hands, which stirred a song in her heart. Strengthening the mixture with her voice and energy as she poured her essence into it through her palms.

Meanwhile, dawn was breaking, and the moon had retreated from the sky. Content with the outcome, Serona filled her materials into three separate bags and packaged them with the silver pot. Then, she lay down on the chair next to her counter to rest and soon drifted off to sleep. When she heard the doorbell, her mother had already arrived, greeting her first customer. It was Ezra. He held a large bouquet of daisies in his hand.

He said he had brought the first harvest from his father's garden and, upon entering, saw Serona. Her hair and dress were covered in leaves. It was evident that she had just woken up and had been working all night, but she looked surprised and happy at this visit. Despite being tired, she was still very beautiful. He handed the flowers to Serona's mother and sat down on the couch. As they chatted, he glanced around the room and examined the counter.

As her mother took the flowers inside, she casually approached the counter and, without revealing her intentions, took one of the bags prepared by Serona and disappeared. This seasoned healer understood the purpose of the blend her daughter had prepared for her mysterious client immediately. Thanks to these orders, Ezra had entered their lives and made her daughter happy. Now it was time to make the closing touch, and only a blend prepared by her daughter's own hands could do that.

She untied the ribbon of the pouch sewn from fabric, embroidered with enchantments in red thread, and filled one of the silver bowls with clean water, setting it to boil. First, she brought a cup of hot milk to Ezra and her daughter, then lit a small fire in the fireplace before returning to the kitchen.

Accustomed to her mother boiling something and wandering around the shop, Serona didn't find the situation unusual. After a while, her mother returned and hung the small pot over the fire before leaving them alone.

The scent filled the room without hesitation. The soothing breeze of rose and lavender enveloped them. It was then that Serona understood what her mother was doing and smiled to herself without revealing it. She was confident that the remaining two pouches would satisfy the customer. Moreover, she would like to feel and be sure about the effect of the blend she had prepared.

Though Ezra didn't initially grasp it, after a while, he felt the need to ask Serona what the scent was. Serona explained that it was the closing blend she had prepared for a customer. It was designed to awaken emotions and promote balance.

Seeing the satisfaction and admiration on Ezra's face, Serona felt a sense of pride. Then an unexpected conversation unfolded. Ezra revealed that he knew Serona's mysterious client and would be the one to collect the blends she had prepared. Serona was taken aback and fell silent for a moment. Then, with astonishment, she mentioned that she was expecting a messenger and asked Ezra what his involvement was. Ezra struggled to gather his words for a while. There was a strict order from King Solomon, and it was forbidden to reveal that the customer was himself. Unable to provide much explanation and feeling blue because of the position he found himself in, the young man finally settled for merely stating that he was the messenger himself without elaborating on the situation.

Serona was shaken. So, all this time, Ezra's only task was to follow her. How could she have been so blind? As she struggled to swallow her emotions, it felt like she was forcing down a large lump, and she managed to offer only a smile in the end. Seeing that he had hurt Serona, Ezra's heart ached, but he couldn't offer a genuine explanation to ease the mind of the woman he loved. When Serona asked about the man who had stayed with him and introduced himself as his father, Ezra looked away and sadly admitted that he had no relatives in this town and had paid the owner of the greenhouse for this task.

Realizing she couldn't remain indifferent any longer, Serona decided she wanted to be alone. She quickly resolved to handover her preparations to Ezra and send him on his way. Rising silently from her chair, she moved to her workstation. She packed all the notes she had written for the blends, along with the teas, sachets, bowl, and candles into a bag. She tried to remain calm. Her hands were shaking.

For a moment, she pondered... What had propelled her into this adventure? She had only known Ezra for ten days. Blaming him for deceiving her seemed pointless, but her emotions were so strong that they pained her heart and troubled her. She blamed herself; this was precisely why she hadn't wanted to fall in love. She had known from the start it would end up like this!

When the bag was ready, Ezra approached the workstation and took Serona's hand. In that brief moment when their eyes met, Serona felt deep down that their feelings were mutual. But there was nothing she could do; her trust had been shaken, and beyond that, Ezra would go far away, back to his master. He would probably forget about her.

Before leaving, Ezra handed Serona a small envelope and managed to say that if he succeeded in his mission, he could earn his freedom. Then he opened the door, stepped out on to the sun-scorched street, and walked away without looking back.

Freedom... This man's freedom depended on the success of her blends. Although she was confident in each one, living her life relying on possibilities and hope was feeble in Serona's eyes. She didn't believe she could live with that feeling. The idea of helplessness only made her furious.

As much as she tried to deny it, this separation deeply affected Serona. Her first experience of love had ended in a way she didn't like, leaving behind broken pieces. The following week, she gathered her courage and visited the greenhouse, even though she knew Ezra was no longer there. As the sun set, she opened the envelope he had given her again. Inside was written, "Will you wait for me?" Would she really wait? What would happen if it took too long or if he didn't come back? Saying yes to this question meant years of sorrow with this pain in her heart.

She returned home and resumed her routine. She ate hardly and went to bed early. Although her mother was deeply saddened by the situation, she tried not to stress her daughter and attempted to understand her pain. After a month had passed, Serona had become thinner and quieter. Sometimes, she entrusted the shop to her mother and went on long walks, disappearing for hours. One of her favorite places was the olive grove, where she listened to the wind rustling through the leaves and closed her eyes, perhaps hoping for some news to come.

Eventually, she decided to lose hope and get rid of the small envelope she hadn't parted with. She would throw it into a river, letting it be carried away by the healing waters and severing her connection to Ezra. The river lay beyond the city limits, and she couldn't walk there, so she took her father's horse and set out early in the morning. She rode with the wind at her back through the quiet of the barren valley, galloping her horse. Around noon, she spotted an watering hole and took a break. Then, beneath the sun burning like a ball of fire in the sky, she looked at the endless line of melting and evaporating earth. As she prepared to set off again, she saw a silhouette approaching on the horizon and remembered her father's warning about bandits, so she hid behind the nearest hill.

Fortunately, the rider didn't see her and swiftly rode off into the distance. Serona hastened her horse towards the river, eager to reach it. She was exhausted by the time she arrived a few hours later. First, she watched the strong and serene flow of the river. Then, she reached into her pocket, tears in her eyes, and let go of the envelope into the river's waters, watching it quickly drift away and disappear. This ritual was the most painful she had ever performed, yet it felt like the right thing to do. She felt like she had finally severed her ties with Ezra.

She lay by the water's edge for a while, resting her feet in its coolness and purifying herself. She hadn't noticed the passage of time or when evening fell. Realizing she would lose daylight on the way back, she quickly mounted her horse and set off for home. She needed to hurry; the road was uncanny, but she had no strength left. Crushed under the weight of her emotions and devoid of fear, she rode home.

Meanwhile, King Solomon had received the candles, teas, and blends from Serona and incorporated them into his rituals. Ezra, on the other hand, lingered in the palace, waiting for news and hoping for a successful outcome. The magnificent garden adorned with unique plants, lake where swans swam, the grand palace with its gold-gilded ceilings and precious artifacts now felt confining to him. Almost every day, he would take his horse out, spending time amidst the crowd and noise, trying to drown out the voices in his head with other sounds.

The King had tasked Ezra with making the remaining payment, and if Serona succeeded, it would make him a freeman, able to return to the woman he loved. During the waiting period, Ezra had done enough thinking, and he was now sure of what he wanted. He had spent years in the service of the king, grown up in this palace, and lived in abundance. Yet, he had always felt something was missing until he met Serona. Now, he wasn't afraid to entrust his freedom and love to her talents. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into month...

Finally, when the good news arrived, Ezra expressed his eagerness and impatience to appear before the king. He had entered the magnificent chamber of King Solomon several times before, but this time, he felt nervous. The towering columns and marble walls of this epic room seemed to swallow him, evoking the chill of a tomb. His courage seemed small in the presence of this majestic figure. The King greeted him with a solemn and abstract expression.

He was often aware of everything, rumor had it that he possess various talents that bestowed upon him wisdom. He didn't believe in coincidences and always said that choices power life. He was generally a busy man, spending hours among his books, carefully preserving his notebooks, and not sharing his notes with anyone. People in the palace would often talk behind his back, saying he would take his secrets to the grave. When Ezra entered, it was evident that this was no surprise, and he quickly asked about the reason for his visit.

Having learned both the character and abilities of his ruler over the years, Ezra went straight to the point. He expressed his desire to leave and start a family to be free. The response was silence. As Ezra tried to read the King's expression, he became even more anxious. The King raised his eyebrows in what seemed like a questioning manner, then rolled his eyes before saying, "You have two options, Ezra. It will be entirely your choice, but I will tell you for your understanding. Serona has given up waiting for you and will embark on a journey to fulfil her intentions. The road will lead her to the nearest riverbank. If you can catch up with her, she won't fall into the hands of bandits on the way back, and who knows what other misfortunes may befall her. But for this, you must give up the gold and lighten the load on your horse to make it faster."

Just as Ezra was about to open his mouth in panic and fear to retreat from the presence of the king, King Solomon raised his hand to silence him. He approached the window overlooking the city from a high point, his expression thoughtful. "Of course, you can return for the gold, but they won't let you back into the palace, and they won't believe you're no longer under my command. You can't expect me to trust someone who leaves their duty like this. In fact, freeing a man with such sensitive information is quite risky."

After these words, the king remained silent for a while. The deep silence between them was filled with the distant hum of the city. Then, turning to look back at Ezra, he continued, "Besides all that, there is one more option, of course. You can stay here, continuing to work as a wealthy and important man in the king's service. You can also start a family here."

But this wasn't even an option for Ezra, as he had already made his decision. If the king didn't let him go, he couldn't live with Serona's pain and was ready to die. He expressed his desire to leave, for asking the gold. He would work for Serona and put in every effort to replace that money, but her life was at stake, and his only goal was to reach her as soon as possible.

The king respected his decision and suggested he consider the gold as compensation for his departure. As Ezra withdrew from the presence of King Solomon for the last time, he raised his head from where he had bowed and looked at him sincerely for the first time, thanking him. Without waiting for a breath, he set off on his way. King Solomon was never wrong in what he said, and if he was late, Ezra couldn't live with the loss of Serona.

In fact, Ezra had reached halfway when he caught up with Serona. However, because Serona had hidden behind a hill, neither of them saw each other, and thus they went in opposite directions. When her mother saw Ezra at the door, she was surprised and said she didn't know where her daughter was. But Ezra remembered the King had mentioned a river. Then nearest river from their location was at least half a day away. Nevertheless, he didn't give up and turned back, swiftly riding his horse towards the nearest river he knew. He didn't know how much time he had; even if he managed to reach Serona, there was still a possibility she wouldn't want him anymore. He didn't even want to consider the other probability.

As the sun began to set, he had covered half the distance, and as darkness fell, the fear of losing her now consumed his entire being. He stopped every person he saw on the road to make sure Serona wasn't among them. Then he saw a beam of light on the horizon. The light, growing closer, first turned into a gas lamp and then into a familiar figure traveling wrapped in silk. When Serona noticed Ezra, she couldn't believe her eyes at first and set back in fear. Then, realizing it wasn't a demon or a hallucination, her eyes filled with tears.

Without the need for words, they simply embraced. The weight of their pain and longing disappeared in an instant from their hearts. Thus, a tale was written, and a love was lived. Serona's blends became renowned for their healing properties, and they became the stuff of legends.

This tale and the blends filled your heart too!

After Alie finished her story, she smiled at me. When she mentioned that I could try the last blend Serona prepared for King Solomon, my eyes may have lit up.

I wanted to experience the blend with this new man I had met in one of our later encounters, so I decided to wait for the right time. After this heart warming tale, I decided to check my phone and, seeing the messages, bid farewell to Alie and returned home.

Love... It had unexpectedly begun to fill my life. I hope this tale warms the hearts of everyone who reads it and intends to do so.