Dragon Grass Monologue

The lady at the counter was watching the people who were walking around her shop and smiled very nicely each time one of the customers made eye contact with her. A boy came up to the counter and she tousled his hair and said, “Andrew, are you here to buy dragon grass for your father again?”

Dragon grass was a herb that had no magical properties as far as anyone could figure out but once you smoked it, it helped with having a good night’s sleep and because of that many actually believed it was magical, in and of itself, no matter what anyone said.

The boy nodded. It was a lie, of course, that it was for his father. May knew very well that it was his mother who was the one in need of the herb, more than anyone else. She was the healer with the most magical power, and the kindest heart, in the entire town. But since the job involved a rather long exposure to the death and suffering of patients, many of which she couldn’t completely cure, it was inevitable that her dreams would be plagued by nightmares involving demons, gore and deathly screams. How could she tell her patients that she couldn’t stand the thought of even looking at them anymore? So, she endured the nightmares and each day she would smile the same bright smile she always had, all for her patients that didn’t even know she was suffering the most.
Only fools would care so much for a complete stranger’ thought May as she gave the boy an extra bundle of dragon grass and a few sweets. The boy smiled and she tousled his hair again. ‘But then again I’m just as much a fool as she