The Girl Who Was Born to Be Broken; Chapter 6

Not long after the incident at the pond, a nagging stomach pain started to plague her. At first it was slight and intermittent, but soon not a day went by that she didn’t have pains. The mother, preoccupied with her own ailments, told the girl that it was in her head, or that she was just trying to get attention. Not wanting to add to the over-worked tinker’s burdens, the girl didn’t tell him. However, when the girl’s pains became so great that she spent every evening after dinner curled up in a ball crying, the tinker was alerted to the problem, and the mother could no longer deny that there was something wrong.

Once more a healer was called to the house. He mixed tonics and applied leeches to no avail. He bled the girl with no effect. Fearing that the girl’s humors were in deficit, the healer ordered that the girl double her food intake, which finally produced a result, but in the wrong direction. She was in more pain than ever. So the healer wrapped her in furs and put her in front of the fire to sweat out the bad toxins, and ordered that no food be given. This weakened the girl horribly, but for the first time in months, her pain abated. Declaring that her humors had been equalized, the girl was fed and put to bed. Where her pains returned once more.

Having lost faith in that healer, the tinker brought the healer from the neighboring village to look at the girl. This new healer agreed with the first that the girl’s humors had been equalized, so therefore it must be something external. The healer ordered that the house be cleaned thoroughly, especially the bed clothes. The older daughter dutifully began to gather up the laundry and placed it in the cart to bring to the pond. When the healer heard that it was their custom to clean the laundry in the pond, he declared that this was the source of the girl’s illness, and that once it all had been properly laundered in a cauldron the girl would be healed.

This not only shamed the mother, but revealed to the tinker that she could no longer manage the large cauldron. The tinker was upset that she had kept this a secret, and wanted to know what else the mother had been keeping from him. Embarrassed that she had been found out, and unwillingly to fully admit or talk about the extent of her illness, the mother lashed out at the tinker, scolding him for anything she could think of including leaving her alone so often to giving her such a large cauldron to begin with. By the time that she stormed off to sit by the fire and sulk, the tinker was cowed into believing that he was to blame. With the help and instruction from the older daughter, the tinker washed the laundry in the large cauldron and hung it to dry. Entering the house wet and exhausted, the tinker promised his wife that he would find her a cauldron of more reasonable size, as that one was indeed very large.

Overhearing all of this commotion throughout the day, the girl had tucked herself away in the far corner of the bed and made herself as small as possible. She already knew that she was a burden to the mother, and now she had made herself a burden to the tinker. Even the older sister, who was usually indulgent of the girl’s quirks, seemed tired of the girl when she brought the girl her dinner. The girl was afraid to eat for fear of the pains, but she was more afraid of the family’s reaction should she refuse the food. So the girl ate and drank everything that was brought to her, and despite the day’s efforts, the pains inflicted her again.

At his wit’s end, the tinker set off early the next morning and fetched the wise old woman. The girl was still sleeping when they returned, but the woman was more interested in the neighbor’s field than in examining the girl. Out in the field, a dairy cow lazily ate grass and flicked flies away with her tail. The wise woman pointed to the beast and looked at the tinker.

“When did your neighbor get a cow?”

“Actually, it was my cow. I won her as a prize at last year’s fair. I sold it to my neighbor as he has a field and a fine son whose family lives with him to help take care it. Except, instead of money, he pays me in fresh milk and cheese.”

“And everybody is happy with this arrangement?”

“Exceedingly! We enjoy fresh milk with our dinner every day, and his wife has become quite good at making cheese. And they make a profit selling the excess milk and cheese, so they’re happy.”

“And how long has the girl been ill?”

“Well we called for the first healer almost two months ago now, but she’d been sick for a while before that. I don’t know exactly how long.” The tinker looked sheepish that he couldn’t fully answer the question, and offered an explanation. “I travel a lot, and at first the illness wasn’t that bad.”

The wise woman nodded her head. “As the fair is next month, I would wager, that the girl has been ill for almost a year.”

The woman walked past the tinker and entered the house. The tinker paused to look out at the cow once more, wondering why it of all things had caught the woman’s attention, then followed her in. The girl was awoken, and though still groggy complied with all of the woman’s directions. The woman looked at the girl’s tongue, prodded her belly, asked about her bowel movements, and tickled her ribs for good measure. By this time, the mother had finished preparing the morning’s porridge and invited the old woman to join them for breakfast. The woman accepted the invitation, but requested a glass of milk first.

“Oh, we only drink milk with dinner, as the neighbor brings us what is left over after the day’s sales.” Replied the mother.

“Even so, can some be fetched?”

The mother became impatient, but before she could say anything further, the tinker said he would fetch some, and that the rest of them should start their breakfast without him. This appeased the mother, who started spooning the porridge into bowls. The mother, older daughter and old woman began to eat, but at the woman’s insistence the girl waited. This suited the girl just fine, as eating was a dangerous endeavor.

The father returned shortly and proffered a glass of warm milk to the woman, who painstakingly rose from the table and brought it to the girl. With a little coaxing, the woman convinced the girl to drink a goodly amount, then waited, watching. Within a few minutes the girl’s face turned a ghastly grey color and she looked as if she would be sick. The tinker grabbed a bucket that was near to hand and got it to the girl just in time for her to vomit every last drop of the milk, and then dry heave a time or two for good measure. The suddenness of the girl’s illness sent the little house into an uproar. The mother first yelled about the mess, then upon realizing that the tinker had averted a mess, started yelling at the old woman for not warning them that the girl was going to be sick. The older daughter was trying her best not to be sick as well, and busied herself cleaning the porridge that the mother had spilled when she leapt up from the table. The tinker, who was looking a little green around the gills, was simultaneously trying to reassure the mother and the girl who was crying. The old woman fetched a glass of water for the girl to rinse out her mouth, and when the commotion had died down apologized.

“My apologies. I had a suspicion that the milk would make the girl ill, but I didn’t realize how quickly and how violently.”

“The milk?” the tinker looked at her confused.

“But the girl drinks milk every day, and she’s never been sick like that!” cried the mother.

“Because the girl has always had the milk with food. That is why I wanted her to drink the milk on an empty stomach, so I could make sure that it was the milk, and not something else she was eating.” The old woman gently caressed the girl’s cheek and addressed her, “Eat some porridge child, it will settle your stomach.”

The girl was skeptical, but did as she was told and sat at the table to eat. Everybody watched as she took first one, then another bite, then paused to see the effect. The old woman looked at her encouragingly, and the girl began eating again. The old woman turned back to the tinker and the mother.

“The girl’s stomach cannot tolerate milk or cheese. As long as she doesn’t eat those, she will be fine.”

“That simple?” asked the tinker.

“Yes, sometimes it’s that simple. The girl will be okay.”

With a small squeeze of the girl’s shoulder, the wise woman gathered her belongings and headed out the door. The girl will be okay for now thought the woman, but the fates have begun their work.