Alcina fed her son for the first time and closed her eyes, feeling him against her skin. He was perfectly alright to her. He was weak but the ladies said that with proper care he would be fine. She just needed to take extra care of him. 

When her baby slept in his arms after his tummy was full, he was comfortably nestled in her arms. It was the best feeling in the world. And she couldn’t help God enough for gracing her with this moment. She handed her baby to the kind old lady after making sure that he was asleep and untied the necklace that she was still wearing and passed it to the daughter of the old lady. 

“This is the least I could do to repay what you did for me, “Alcina said in English because the girl could understand it. It was her luck that she came across few English speakers. Although it was heavily accented, it was still better than nothing. 

The older lady placed the baby back in her arms and waved her hands frantically. “No. No. No. No.”

“Mom says we can’t accept it. It’s gold and it’s expensive.” The girl translated it into English. 

“Didn’t your mom say we can’t leave the village until the roads are clear and it’s safe enough for us to leave?” Alcina said in a weak voice. ” I don’t know when that will be. There is no phone connection. No way to contact anyone. I can’t call home or send words to my husband.”

She didn’t know how long they would be stuck in this place as the outside world was not safe for her and her newly born. Even if these people were foreign, they were kind to her and her child. She didn’t want to exploit kind people. 

“Please take this. And help me save my little brother-in-law and son,” Alcina begged. “This is the least I can do to repay your kindness. Please. We can’t be a burden on you all.”

The old lady caressed her head and said something in her language. 

“Mom says she is taking your necklace to keep it safe. And when your husband comes, she will give him a number and he will repay you for the treatment of his family,” The girl translated the words. “She wouldn’t take a woman’s ornaments because in our culture they are a woman’s pride.”

Alcina laughed weakly. “Of course, you can. He would be happy to repay you in any way for saving his family. You don’t know how you have blessed him by saving his precious family.” 

No one better than Alcina could understand Ryuu’s generous nature. If he got to know how these people saved his family, he would move heaven and earth to pay these people back. They didn’t just save his family but him too. 

One month passed slowly, neither the snowfall stopped nor the roads cleared. Jun was still under treatment. That day when Jun saved her, she had not noticed at that time but he was severely injured. And how would she have noticed when she was in great pain. She didn’t know how he managed to save her with the condition he was in. He was barely hanging by a thread. 

Alcina was someone who had great knowledge of medicine. Her baby was born prematurely and Jun had lost way too much blood that day. Although doctors were not available there, she did find the herbs that could help. 

Not only, but she also help Jun and her baby, she helped the villagers too with her skill. She wouldn’t say no to anyone who would come to her for treatment. Her stay in the village was made easier this way. People were helpful here. They were backward, sure but their knowledge in science and other things were better than modern man. What else was that the people were kinder here. They would stop by each other’s house and ask them about life for no reason at all and she noticed how people don’t mind it at all. It was baffling to her how everyone knew everything about each other. 

This small community lived happily without any care of the world. Although not everyone knew English, they were not illiterate. They knew their language and it was enough for them. However, the elder generation was motivating their younger ones to learn another language too and so the barrier between them and the world would end. There were small community schools and people enthusiastically sent their children to school in hopes that they would attend college and get good jobs. 

Life was easier and happier there and Alcina understood what Amma meant that day. Amma, the kind elder lady, the mother of the driver who saved them. She said ‘we are happy there and what was the benefit of going to bigger cities if they are not with their people? Better to die in a small village happily than be miserable in big cities’. She learnt many things about the beautiful country during her stay in the small mountain village. There were not more than five hundred families yet it felt as if it was a country of its own. 

Alcina truly wished that everyone’s lives were as simple as these people. However, it was not easier for other people to abandon the materialistic world and the luxuries associated with it. 

“Xiaobao, wakey wakey, “Alcina cooed as she found her baby stirring in sleep. He was a heavy speaker and even the snowstorm outside would make him stir in sleep. She could say that her son was going to be a chatty one. He loved when people talked to him. With his bright eyes, he would try to interact with everyone. 

At one month, baby Tang wasn’t officially given a name but he was called Xiaobao lovingly by Alcina.. He was so tiny in her arms. She caressed her nose that was sharper than Fate’s and why would it not be?