Way of The Forest

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Yasmin quickly reached for her creaking windows and shut them. “It is going to be windy tonight again,” she muttered. She looked through her window and got lost in thought for a moment. The wind looked to Yasmin like it was wafting air particles in patterns. Yasmin always thought that the wind created these impressions in the air when she was little. She smiled. “I think there is something in the wind Mother!” Yasmin would always say to her mother. Now, the windy nights always for some reason brought memories of her mother Inua.

“Smell the herbs Yasmin. Hold them and feel the spirit in your soul. Let them guide you. Listen closely to the language of the roots and soil. They speak a language of healing”. Inua would softly whisper into Yasmin's ears as she guided her hands in the garden.

Yasmin walked back to her kitchen table where she was mixing potions. She closed her eyes while gently caressing the petals of a wild rose. She was recalling all that her mother used to say to her while in training. She poured the petals, some cloves, and mint leaves into a small wooden mortar and began pounding.

Yasmin had always aspired to be one of the best healers to have ever lived just like her mother Inua. There was no potion nor recipe in the world that Inua could not make healing out of. She knew her craft so well and she was loved by all. Mixed with gracious charisma and skills, Inua was admired by all her pairs.

Yasmin held the pestle so tight. She started to pound so rough and hard that she spilled the content of the mortar. Red juices of the rose spilled all over her white apron and kitchen table. She had been overcome by fury, frustration, and irritation. One would have thought that Yasmin would naturally be one of the best healers too just like her mother. The years of training did teach Yasmin how to mix her potions. However, it didn't make her a healer. Yasmeen knew deep down that healing wasn't just the art of mixing ingredients. It came from something deeper and within. Something she needed to uncover for herself. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again.

“Everything is connected, Yasmin. You, the forest, wind, water, and all of nature are intertwined. The way to becoming a great healer is if you learn to listen and if you learn to see what is right there.” Yasmin recalled watching her mother in her element when they took nature walks in the forest. The woman would breathe in the air as her olive hair would sway in unison with the leaves in her hand. She would look completely at peace and that always amazed Yasmin. It all felt magical to her.

Now that Inua had passed. Yasmin longed for those moments. She longed for her blood to rush. She sought the peace and calm of the forest but no matter how many walks she took, the forest never embraced her the way it did her mother.

Yasmin took a break from potions and mixing. Over the next few weeks, she tried to focus on just gardening. Yasmin loved to nurture the bright-colored flowers in her garden. She would create rows of breathtaking blossoms that looked like a mini display of bouquets in patches. That activity filled her heart.

One evening, Yasmin was pruning in her garden when the weather changed. She looked up and saw that the sky had turned darker. The area began to feel windy. The kind that came with a gentle hum. Yasmeen looked down. She noticed that the flowers in her garden were moving to the sound and direction of the wind. Yasmin had never seen her plants move to the wind in synchrony. She marveled at the display.

The wind became a little more intense. Yasmin looked to the path that led to the forest. She saw that the wind was more intense there. When she looked intently, she began to make out patterns in the wind. Her interest piqued. She was now sure that there was something in the wind. “This is an unusual night,” she murmured.

Yasmin, not minding the wind, walked to the forest path. The impression the wind had made was now clear. Yasmin was standing in front of a portal made out of spiraling air. Yasmin with no fear slowly stepped into the portal. Just like that, she found herself in the forest. This time, it wasn't the old forest she had explored for years with her mother. It was something surreal and utopian.

Yasmin saw trees as tall and street poles. She saw big wide leaves like canopies. She could see effervescence from the root. She saw how buds opened and blossomed into flowers that gave off the heightened sweet smell of nectar. The edges of the leaves and flowers glowed like neon light. There was a sweet sound Yasmin couldn't make out serenading the air. She could hear it calling. Yasmin knew that this was nature’s call and she wasn't afraid.

Basking in the moment, her eyes caught a smaller cherry blossom tree. Yasmin felt drawn to its foliage. She went closer holding and caressing every inch of it. She then leaned into the tree and her senses heightened immediately. Yasmin felt like the forest had embraced her. It was like she could feel the spirit of the tree in her soul.

In a split second, the hard bark of the tree started to feel tender. She could feel subtle movement. Yasmin pulled back and soft green eyes stared back at her. She could now see that the cherry tree had turned into this being. She had tender tree bark for skin and her hair was the tree crown. She had long-tipped ears and small red lips.

“Welcome Yasmin. You have answered your call. I'm the spirit of the forest and this is my home.” The tree girl looked into Yasmin’s brown eyes and smiled at her. She then held Yasmin’s hand and said, “I will teach you the way of the forest. Come! I will guide you to listen closely to the language of the roots and soil just as I did your mother Inua.”

Yasmin smiled back at her. The blood that rushed through her veins and the sweet hum in the air made her feel a sort of thrill. Right there, she knew her dreams of becoming a great healer just like her mother had come true.