Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Whole New World (Part 2)

Anne looks at her reflection. She just couldn’t believe what she saw in the mirror. A younger version of herself, staring at her. With the more colorful palette, her purple hair dye stayed on her hair, while her lip had a tint of rosy color, her skin was smoother, and even her old scars from the appendix operation ten years ago were gone. She touch her face, still couldn’t believe what she saw.

“What happened to me?” Anne tried to ask Martha.

“Well, you fell on the river, and you got a concussion. That’s why we nursed you to health in our house. Although I must admit, we couldn’t figure out how you’ve been unconscious for a week.”

“I mean, why... Why my face... My...”

Martha looked at her warily. “Yes, dearie? Something wrong?”

“I am...”

.....

Anne couldn’t continue, she was hyperventilating, making Martha need to step up, and brought her back to bed. She gave Anne a glass of water while checking on her condition.

“Are you alright, dearie? What’s the matter?” Asked Martha. She was truly sorry for Anne.

“I’m sorry, mam, you maybe think of how weird I was.”

“No, it’s okay, dearie. Do you have a headache? Maybe a slight discomfort?”

Shaking her head, she smiled at the amiable lady, and said, “No, it was nothing like that.”

Brushing the purple hair of Anne, Martha pinched Anne’s cheek and offer her some food, she gratefully took the offer, though she feels a bit weird about her kind gesture at her, that’s when she remembered, her body is a young girl again. What’s happened to her? She couldn’t even figure it out for now.

Martha gave her a bowl of soup. She slurp it so fast because of how delicious and how hungry she was. The old lady looks so happy about how Anne looks more healthy than she was before.

“Good, you have improved, you have some color on your face, and your temperature is already normal. Ed would be so happy to see you.”

“Ed?”

“My husband, he was the one who swims into the rainbow river and carries you to the ground.”

“Oh, I see. I owe my life to both of you.”

“Oh, such a polite girl, you know, if only I never saw you, I would think that you’re a grown woman already.”

There’s only a burst of awkward laughter that came from Anne’s mouth. How could Anne explain to Martha that she was a grown woman, in a new body, once again? Before she can have a conversation with Martha, the front door opens, and a man with a half-balding head, but with the bluest eyes that Anne ever saw, enters the house.

The man looked at Anne and Martha, a smile came to his face.

“Oh, thank God, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine... Thank you so much, sir.”

Ed chuckles and turns to his wife. “Martha, the kid was so polite, it shocked me.”

“I know, Ed, it surprised me, too.”

Ed took a leather bag from a corner, and sit in front of Anne. “Let me check you up, just to make sure, alright?”

“Oh, are you a doctor?”

Ed and Martha looked at each other. “Doctor? What is that? Well, I’m a healer, sweety.”

Anne gets another fact about this mysterious world. They don’t have a doctor, but a healer. She also notices their clothes. It is an article of clothing from the Victorian era, combined with a twist. Like the length of Martha’s dress, or the color of Ed’s pants.

All of it is different, the interior of the house, and some items around Anne. She was confused about how she could end up in this village, still wondering where exactly is she, right now. Not to mention, her body is in a child’s body.

An old couple is a kind person. She could feel the warmth inside the small house. They nursed her to health and even asked her about any family that Anne has so they could inform her about Anne’s whereabouts. Anne, feel lost, thinking that the only way to survive is to lie.

“My name is Anne. I... I don’t have any family.”

The couple looked at each other, once more, Martha then clasp Anne’s hand and asked her, ” Dearie, what happened to your family?”

“They... they all died, when we... we were trying to go away from... uhm... robber! Yes, the robbers killed my family.”

Anne needs to fake her tears. Though she wasn’t a talented actress from the start, she just needs to convince the couple about her fake misfortune. Thankfully it worked. Martha hugged her and wipe her tears.

“Oh, you poor child, you must be so scared.” Said Martha, she turn around to see her husband, “Ed, we need to do something about this.”

Ed, stand up from his chair and look straight into Anne, “Little girl, we might be poor, but we have a roof over our head, and food to eat. How about if you stay here and become our daughter?”

Couldn’t believe what she just heard from the man. Anne tried to ask him, one more time, “I’m sorry, did I hear it correctly? Do you want me to stay and become your daughter?”

“Well, yes, adoptive daughter, we are going to register your name, officially as our daughter,” Ed said to Anne with a warm smile on his face.

“Why? You know nothing about me? Aren’t you afraid of a stranger?” Asked Anne.

Martha’s giggled and pinched Anne’s cheek. “You are a child. What kind of harm you can do to us, besides we have nothing here.”

“But, why? Why do you trust me?”

Martha let out a sigh and smiled at Anne, “Look here, it is true, we shouldn’t give our trust so easily to people, but, how do you know if a person is trustworthy if you never open your heart, to begin with?”

Her words go deeply into Anne’s mind. There’s a wisdom that Anne could never achieve in her life. Ed and Martha truly wish for Anne to be their daughter, the couple, though famous for her loving and care in the village, they never blessed with any children. Ed and Martha never consider it a misfortune. They handle everything together until the day they have met Anne.

Martha saw that there was something special about Anne, and somehow, her motherly instinct was coming into her. The frailty of Anne, and her sympathy for her misfortune, made her wish for Anne to be her daughter.

Anne looks at the two of them, a kind husband and wife. She knew from her experience that the couple doesn’t have children of their own. Anne remembered her parents, a frail but kind mother, and a strict but loving father, Ed, and Martha reminded Anne of them so much. She nodded her head, a sign of agreement with their proposal. Although for Anne is not just about having a loving parent, she was stranded in some unknown world; she need protection, and the couple could provide it for her.

They are so happy to hear Anne’s decision, that she felt guilty, but know in her heart, that she also means well to the couple. She will become a devoted daughter to them, loving them and also caring for them. They build a room for Anne, not a beautiful room, but a cozy one for a young girl.

A week later, Edward and Martha then go to the administrative office, they include Anne into their family register and gave her a new name, River Anne. She loves her new name, and also her newfound life. Going to school and learning something new, meeting new people, and having friends of the same age. She could also see her adopted parents and day-to-day activities. Edward has to search for every herb available in the mountain and valley, while Martha operates the clinic attached to their house.

Anne sees through her own eyes how dedicated her parents are to the village. As the only healer clinic in the surrounding area, Ed and Martha often get late-night patients from other villages. Stomachache, work injury-related, or even a grizzly accident. The healer duo was always ready to help. Day by day, Anne grew fond of her adopted parents’ job. She helps them after the school day, doing some menial jobs, getting the patients more comfortable, or making lunch and dinner for her busy parents.

One day, when Martha and Ed were in the middle of enjoying afternoon tea, they saw Anne making notes on the herbs in the medicine cabinet. Ed chuckled and asked his daughter.

“Sweety, what are you doing, writing notes about the herbs?”

While her attention was still on the herbs, Anne tried to answer her father’s question, “Because I wanted to know more about the smelled, the taste, and how to feel about all of this medicine.”

Martha giggles at her daughter’s fascination. “Why, dearie?”

This time, Anne turn around to see her parents, and said, “Because I want to become a healer.”