Bought to be a Tutor?

Chapter 10

Lia continued her lessons with Michael as always, but J had seemed to grow somewhat distant. He was barely present for meals and always seemed to have work to do. Michael began to grow distracted with worry.

"Lia? Is there anything we can do to make J work less? I don't think its healthy for him to spend all his time working like this. Didn't you say that it was important to rest in order to keep productive? You even suggested taking whole days off at times, and to make sure you had interests that you would never be able to turn into work."

"Well done Michael," she praised fondly as she tussled his hair. "That is correct, working one's self to such an extent is not healthy at all. In fact, working as such can lead to weakened immune systems, muscle deterioration, slowed mental functions, and burn out. It can also lead to overly tensed muscles throughout the body, which is why stress has such a severe effect on appetite and digestion. That's why when a person is overworked they eventually grow feverish and, in extremes, can even collapse from the stress they have put their bodies under."

Michael's eyes grew wide. "Then-!"

"However," She continued. "One also cannot force another to do as they wish. You cannot force your brother to take a break anymore than he can force you to dream about your studies when you sleep tonight. Not without harming him, at least, which would seem to be rather counterintuitive if you ask me." She teased.

Michael slumped his shoulders, disappointed at this news.

"Now then, how have your botony studies been coming along? Do you recall the purpose of each plant in your garden?"

"Yes, of course, Lia, I can name each plant, flora, fauna, spices and herbs, their common, scientific, and medicinal names and uses."

"Excellent. Then, can you perhaps list for me all herbal remedies for stress, tension, and fatigue, as well as any that could be combined to achieve such an effect? I'll give you extra points if you can also tell me the best ways to prepare each one you list for the best results."

Michael was puzzled at first by her line of questioning, but as he understood her questions, his eyes lit up and his smile grew wide. He excitedly listed all he could immediately recall. "The most common would be lavender, best used as a scent for its calming and stress relief benefits, lemon grass as a tea helps to sharpen focus by reducing brain fog. Chamomile tea is also a popular form of stress relief because of its effectiveness and ashwagandha decreases stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol and aids in regulating proper sleep. So what if we served a blended tea of Ashwagandha, lemon grass, and chamomile? We could make it a milk tea to better blend the aromas. We could also light a lavender scented candle and make sure that the dinner that is served is a more mellow meal with plenty of nutrients like a soup. That way, it's warm and soothing and easier for the stressed body to digest without sacrificing nutrition."

Lia smiled a rare broad smile at the caring child before her who had taken such great care in his studies. "That sounds like an excellent plan. However, don't forget that many people have a mild allergic reaction to lavender which leads to lavender being the cause of headaches rather than relieving them. This allergy is significantly more common than in other herbal remedies, so it's important to know whether your patient has ever had any sort of aversion to lavender before prescribing its use."

"I see, that is a very good point to make." Lia could still hear the smile in his voice. It was another of the many moments where she wondered why this pair of siblings behaved so distant to each other when they clearly cared about each other so much."But Lia," he continued, "what if there isn't sufficient time for a broth to be made? What else could you serve instead of soup?"

"Well, a time restraint doesn't necessitate an inability to eat soup. One could simply roast vegetables on a fire or in an oven and then blend them down with some cream for a thicker vegetable soup rather than one with a clear broth. It would still be easy to digest because it's a warm liquid, but shortens the cook time to something closer to thirty minutes rather than an all day process. That said, there are other meals that are easy to digest. Perhaps we should move your herbology studies into the culinary arts and give you some practical experience in the kitchen. You would be surprised at how much chemistry goes into cooking. That's why true scholars of the culinary arts eventually come to learn molecular gastronomy, among other things."

"How fascinating. I'm not sure that I have much interest in cooking, but I would certainly be interested in learning the science of it. Besides, I recall you saying that some herbs gain stronger medicinal benefits when roasted or put into food. I would love to learn more about that as well."

Michael's eyes went wide at the hearty laugh that left Lia's lips that day. She always glowed with a subtle smile when he read to her, but he had never before seen her glow with such a hearty laugh. In that moment, with her shining under the sun, Michael couldn't help but wonder if that was how his mother had looked when she laughed. Had he ever seen his mom laugh in such a full way? He couldn't remember if she had, nor what she would have looked like in such a scene. For a brief moment, Michael allowed himself to imagine that Lia was his mother or an aunt, and that his mother looked just like that when she laughed, and that she laughed like that quite often.

"Your appetite for knowledge may just surpass mine yet, Michael. Come, let go tell the kitchen to adjust their plans for dinner. We can bring your brother a cup of tea while we're at it."

"Ok!" he took her hand to his arm, guiding her path to the kitchen and feeling fully at peace for tech first time in many years.