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Colette was on a very important quest.
Lots of things depended on it. If she made the wrong choice, she couldn't imagine how terrible would the future turn out. Smoke and ashes flashed in her mind, a sour taste settling on her tongue.
So horrible, not even fresh water would rid her of the taste.
That's why she needed to consider it carefully. A wrong choice would bring horrible consequences with it.
Her mama and her papa were counting on her. She couldn't let them down.
"So, did you make a decision?" A rusty voice came from above. While it had a distinct kindness, she couldn't let herself be tricked.
"No!" Her voice was full of sternness, though her young age didn't convey it fully. As she spoke, her eyes didn't stray from her objective. She wouldn't let a sweet voice distract her from what mattered.
"Colette! You shouldn't speak like that." The lovely voice of her mama came from behind her.
Mama didn't understand. She still couldn't make a decision, so these distractions would only bring forth a catastrophe.
But her scolding still made her sheepish. Even if the decision she was about to make was very important, she shouldn't have been so rude.
Her lips turned downwards, momentarily glancing away from what mattered the most. "I'm sorry."
She immediately looked back.
Laughter came from above her. It was an earthy laugh, coming deep from a person. Papa told her that those kinds of laughters were always honest.
"Should I help you make a decision?"
She thought about it for a moment. It could come in handy. The old man was an expert in these things, a warrior shaped by seeing so much red. Getting help from him would surely ensure a bright and sweet future.
But, Mama and Papa asked her to do this. Not him.
Even if his laughter was honest, her parents trusted her with this. So, she couldn't allow herself to accept his help.
She shook her head, the world swirling in her eyes. "No, thank you. Mama and Papa wanted me to do this."
Another laugh came from above. "Then I will let you do it."
This was how it should be.
Her mama said something to the man, but Colette didn't hear what it was. There were enough distractions already. She knew a decision must be made soon.
Red.
She needed to find the perfect red.
Mama was going to make apple pie today. It was delicious. Colette loved apple pie.
But today, Mama couldn't decide which apples she should buy. And Papa wasn't any help either.
That was where she came into the picture. Mama worriedly asked her to find the perfect apple that ever lay in the man's strand, and Colette, wanting to soothe her mama's aching heart, graciously accepted the mission given to her.
She thought it would be easy. She really did. But when she actually started sorting through the stall, she realised what a treacherous mission this was.
She needed ten apples, as many as fingers she had. She got the first two very easily. Both were big and red. Not a spot of green or brown on them. The next ones were a little harder. Lots of the apples had freckles of yellow on them. Her papa told her they were caused by a butterfly's kiss. She wasn't sure if she believed that, but she definitely didn't want an apple that was kissed by a bug. No matter how beautiful they were, she wanted her fruit to be bug-free.
When she said that, her mother and father laughed. They wouldn't tell her why, though.
So that was why she made sure all of the apples were fully red. And not a bad kind of red, only good. This made it a slower process, but she managed to choose another three.
Then she had forgotten how many she had already chosen. Her mother graciously helped her count her apples. She was at five.
The next four were a real headache to get. She really needed to sort through the pile; the more she approved, the more it took to find the next perfect one. It didn't help that the man always distracted her. Or that her mama and papa were always pointing towards an apple that didn't meet the needed requirements. Luckily, halfway through, her papa went off to another stand to buy something else. She worried about him, but he braved that mission alone.
Now, she only needed to decide on the last. This was a very important decision, even more so than the other nine.
Her eyes scanned the strand, but nothing seemed to be perfect enough. Every fruit had at least a little bit of imperfection that made it into something not deserving of being in a pie. The mission was failing; she could feel it.
In her future, there would be nothing but sour apple pies.
Her eyes watered, the shapes of apples blurring together.
That was when her eyes landed on an apple, hidden behind many others. Only a small part of it was visible, but what she saw pleased her. She prepared her heart, as she had been burned many times, and reached her hand through. She dug through the pile, carefully placing the not-apple-pie-worthy apples aside till she reached her prize.
It was perfect. Complete red, no speck of other color. The shape had a nice apple figure too, unlike some others.
But there was still one last thing to check.
The other side.
She carefully turned it around, keeping her eyes on the fruit. Any disfiguration should be spotted immediately.
When it fully turned around, did she let herself relax a little.
It was perfect.
She still inspected the apple a few more times, turning it around in her hand carefully, before coming to a decision.
"Mama, this is it!" She held the apple up to her, showing off her piece. A serious expression settled on her face, though her sparkling eyes ruined the image.
"Oh, what a wonderful apple!" Her mother took the fruit out of her hand, carefully putting it with the others. "You did a wonderful job, sweetie!"
"Looks like you found my most beautiful apples." The old man joined in chuckling.
Colette puffed out her chest, pride spreading in her.
"That's because I have a very good eye."
"That, you have." The old man reached across his stall and ruffled her hair. The few free strands bent with his movements, and when he let go, some of them stayed upright on her head. Colette tried to smooth them out, but it was hard to determine if she did a good job at that. "So ten apples then?"
Her mama nodded as the old man turned towards her. She watched the exchange, her mama paying for the fruits. She still didn't grasp the exact value of money, but her parents were slowly teaching her.
As the money left her hand, her mama took hold of her hand. Colette's smile widened as she felt the warmth of her mother.
"Now, we should find your papa." She told her, and Colette's eyes lit up."Now, say goodbye to the shopkeeper."
"Goodbye!" She waved
"Goodbye, little lady!" The old man waved back, much more gracefully than she. "I hope that your pie will turn out delicious."
"It will be." She shouted back. Then she only heard his laughter as they walked away from his stand.
He was nice. Maybe next time she could accept his help in finding the perfect apple.
"Where is papa?" Her eyes glanced around the crowd, trying to find his familiar face.
"He should be around the cheesestall."
Colette looked up at her mother, her head tilted and confusion swirling in her eyes. "Are we going to put cheese in the pie?"
Her mother laughed. "No, sweetie, that is for dinner."
Colette hummed in response. So there will be cheese for dinner. That's good. She liked cheese.
She turned her head forward, coming back to looking for her father. Just right in time, as a familiar figure approached them.
"Papa!" She shouted, letting go of her mother's hand and running towards him.
"Colette!" He got on his knees in response, extending a hand towards her. She ran straight into him, almost knocking him over. His free hand wrapped around her back as he laughed. "Did you manage to get the apples?"
She nodded furiously, "Yes, I got the best apples!"
"That's my girl!" He patted her head, similarly to how the old man had done.
As soon as he was done, Colette looked at the prize in his hand. "Did you get the best cheese?"
"Hmm, the tastiest."
"Yay!" She jumped up, a big smile plastered on her face.
"Always so energetic." Her mother chuckled behind them. As soon as Colette heard it, she ran up to her.
"Mama, Papa got the best cheese." She pulled at her dress, pointing towards her father's hand.
"Well, he should get a praise for that, shouldn't he?" She asked her, and Colette immediately nodded.
"He can get the first slice of pie," she said after a moment of thinking. Usually, she would get the first, but she can give that up now.
"But I think you should get that." At her father's suggestion, she shook her head. "Then should we share?"
Colette thought about it for a moment. It was a good suggestion, but it wasn't perfect. "Only if the tree of us share it, mama did great too."
"Obviously."
Their talking was interrupted by loud, but muffled talking. Colette's head immediately snapped towards the direction, but it quieted down immediately, like it had never happened. Soon enough, a woman ran outside in great hurry and drew water from the well. She was quicker than anybody she ever saw, and vanished back inside the house, like the wind.
"What was that?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Her father frowned, and a worried look appeared on his face. "Must be because of that traveller. He suddenly got sick.
There was recognition in her mother's eyes.
"Ah, that young man. What was his name again?" At her question, her papa shrugged. He didn't know it either. "Is it serious?"
"No one knows it yet. Elpis looked at her, but there's an end even to her knowledge." He sighed, "At times like these, it would be good to have a healer around."
"Maybe one day."
Colette's eyes drew towards the house. "Is he in a lot of pain?"
Her mother patted her head. At that, she looked back at her, coming face-to-face with her gentle smile. "Don't worry about that, Colette. He will be fine."
There was still unease in her heart; it was something that sometimes not even her mother's gentle words could banish.
"Can we bring him pie?" Sweet things make everything better, so they might make the sickness go away, too.
"I'm sorry, Colette, but that is not something a sick person should eat. But once he gets better, we can bring him some."
Her pout still didn't escape from her face. Her eyes were glued to the floor, not looking at her mother's face.
"Once he gets better, we will visit him, I promise. And we will make a new batch of pie, too." Her papa squeezed her hand. Colette nodded in response. The cheerful tone crept back inside his father's voice as he talked again. "Then let's get home and make some pie now!"
Colette smiled at the mention of the sweet food. That tone of her father's helped the happy thoughts reappear.
"Okay. And I'm gonna help!"
"Oh, will you?" Her mother asked her, teasing tone evident in her voice.
"Hmm, and Papa too!"
At the sudden appointment, her father chuckled. "Looks like that is decided."
As they walked back to their home, the thought of the sick visitor slowly vanished from her mind.