The Wish of a Broken Heart

A Friend in Need

Tuesday
June 10th
9 AM
The drive from Phong Nha, the starting point of our journey, to Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park takes a little over an hour. Almost everyone drives motorcycles in Vietnam. Some younger daredevil drivers decide to test their agility by cutting us off and dodging around us. There have nearly been a few accidents, but they are stopped by authorities before one could happen. Thank heavens. Idiots.
The scenery is stunning. If it wasn’t for the fact that we need to leave base camp by 10 – 10:30 AM, I’d ask to stop, and take pictures, and some samples of plants. It’ll be a treat when we can finally hike. There are so many species of flora and fauna that are endangered, rare, or functionally extinct in this area. It may be my only chance to see them.
I’m like a kid at Christmas when we pull up to the rest of the team and I take in the area. Thankfully we’re not the last ones here. Normally tours would meet and Dong Hoi, be taken to Son Doong bungalow in Phong Nha, to go through safety and equipment checks, get to know each other, and start the luxury hike the next day. This group isn’t here for sightseeing. We know what we are doing… for the most part. This is explore, document, and record.
As we go over our safety checks and inspections together, the backpacks and hammock tents are given to anyone without them. Most of the team members think the way I do and are already sporting both. The students, not so much. The extras are placed in vehicles that are to be taken back to Oxalis’ headquarters.
I feel out of place with these people. They have clearly known each other for years. Still, they accept me without hesitation. I don’t say much, just observe and nod. That feeling of not being good enough settles over me. The last car pulls in and the team assembles quickly.
None of the people I’ve talked to during my communications are here. I know Lin and Minh. The team assigns me three more porters for my equipment and a student named Jack to learn from me. On the hike, I get to know my little group.
“So, Jack, is that your real name?”
“Huh?” he looks confused.
“Ms. Cara prefers real names. People call me Mike, but my name is Minh.” Jack laughs and hesitates before giving in.
“Yeah, my name is Jack Dung Kim. Well, here it’s Kim Dung Jack.” A few of us are snickering and he rolls his eyes. “Yes, you can all now say you know Jack Shit.” Everyone bursts out laughing. Dung in English means animal feces. In Vietnamese, it means brave and heroic. The poor guy.
“Your parents must have really hated you.” The leader of the expedition laughs and claps him on the shoulder. That breaks the ice. The leader points to each of us and announces our position on the team. Soon everyone is giving their given names and a bit about themselves.
It’s been a lot of fun and we agree to write our names down so no one forgets. Half the team and supports have been running on false names. My other three porters are Chung Tran Nguyen, Mai Ly Trang Nguyen, and Luong Huy Le Leu. Jack was born in the US, first generation. His parents honestly didn’t know about the language complications but figured ‘Jack’ was a good American name that is easy to pronounce. They finally get to me while we’re taking a break. I’m thankful that we aren’t walking.
“So Cara, we heard that researching, botany, and making a database are hobbies for you?” The leader, I think his name is Edward, asks.
“Yes. I’m making a database for research and learning purposes. There’s so much fake news out there, it’s hard to sift through.”
“Nerd.” someone pops off with.
“Takes one to know one.” Kelly, our cartographer claps back with. We all get a good laugh. That’s when things go to Hades. “So, we know what you do, but what brings you here?” I freeze.
All those emotions I’ve been trying to control and push away come crashing back. It’s getting hard to breathe. Nimuë senses my distress and rushes to comfort me. My heartbeat and breathing even out. I notice them all looking at me concerned. Lin is rubbing my back to help calm me.
“I appreciate you Lin. Good girl Nimuë.” I take a moment to study my voice. “Sorry guys. I was supposed to get married on the 6th, but a few weeks ago I walked in on him with my sister. She’s pure evil and purposely caused an accident in the past to make me miscarry. It broke my marriage apart and she enjoyed it. Now…” I choke up a little. They all look angry. A few look understanding. Thankfully, no pity. I can't stand pity. Just work with the facts and build up from there. I continue once my voice is steady, “I paid for everything. Instead of me, he married the woman who was supposed to be my best friend.”
“WTF!?!”
“What a sleaze.” Comments about the three of them were grumbled for a few minutes.
“All that betrayal broke me. They used me to get his inheritance and other money I had no clue about.” I feel a little stronger knowing what’s happened. “He didn’t know that doing what he did, what they did to me, would make him forfeit it. It all reverted to me. That is until his dad made a toast at the reception and told them. He’s going to send a video.” I still can’t continue. My voice cracks a little.
“Ah, so that’s how we got the last-minute funding for students.” A guy on Kelly’s team realizes. I nod my head and they give thanks.
“Listen, Cara, we're here for you. A few of us have had similar experiences and know how hard it is. If you need to scream, cry, beat the crap out of anything, just tell us.” Mai Ly wraps me in a hug. “And if he ever shows up here, I’ll put a snake in his bed.” We burst out laughing. I heard that in a movie when I was a kid. The book, The Secret Garden, was 1000% better than the movie. They normally are.
“Thanks, Mai Ly, I needed that.”
“Oh, I’m serious.” She says with an evil, yet still sweet grin. She’s scary. I like it! “My trimeresurus albolabris, or white-lipped tree Viper, is pregnant. They have live births if you ever want to see.”
“I’d love to!” I know they’re deadly, but they’re beautiful. We continue on. They allow me to document and geotag rare or endangered plants along the way. There are so many orchids! They weren’t kidding when they said it was a steep descent either. Thank heavens I trained by walking a one hour 5-kilometer trail, several times a week, in six-inch heels. By the time we reach the bottom, I’m ready to hit the streams and cool off. My muscles are burning and my butt is twitching. Nimuë managed nicely. She belly flops into the water as soon as I take her pack off. I’m so glad they let her come.
We reach Ban Doong two hours late. Thankfully, the village elder has held some food for us. I help with the tea and add some of the moonstone spring water into it. The people here are kind and welcoming. I hope to stay awhile on the way back and learn more about them. As usual, I take pictures to post.
Nimuë adores the children. I take her tactical work vest off while we eat so she can play with the children. She rolls on her back mid-air and flops down for belly rubs. Even the adults are loving on her. She finally realizes we have food and sits for pieces of fruit. She loves fruits and vegetables with her meat. Someone makes her a plate. So sweet! I give her a treat Faemála gave her as well.
All too soon it’s 3:00 PM. Everyone is feeling renewed. We continue to follow the path of a normal tour group. Our next stop is Hang En Cave for dinner, swimming, and bed. First, we have to get across the rivers with Nimuë. She loves the water and wants to catch fish. Her antics keep everyone laughing, especially when a juvenile monkey decides to ride, spread eagle, over her back.
I think it’s a macaque. There’s a small troop following us after the last river. It’s cute, but it really needs to go back to its mum. Monkeys can get violent over their babies. It doesn’t take much urging when we get to the cave. It looks like the baby was just getting a ride home. Nimuë loved it. Everyone took pictures and I got a video of the two of them.
We set up camp and settle in with some fruit we picked along the way and food a few porters brought with us. Not all of them will be staying with us after we reach the main cave. I’m surprised we aren’t eating the MREs (meal ready-to-eat) instead of bringing extra porters to carry a few meals.
The team uses my little mobile workstation and server to contact loved ones. Bonus to me being on the team. Afterward I record as much of the data I’ve collected from the hike as possible. The rest will have to be processed properly later in a lab.
The call to Mum goes great. She loves the pictures and laughs at the video of the monkey hitching a ride on Nimuë. My bed calls me by the time I’m done packing everything up. The team’s equipment is secured in an extra suspended tent, in case of rain. I carefully get Nimuë into the tent and crawl in. Soon, I’m being pulled away again.
Faemála’s Realm
I hear her singing from the Rose Labyrinth as I wake in the round bed. Something is different. There’s movement beside me. My eyes open and I see Nimuë laying beside me, her charm glowing. She licks my face, tail thumping loudly against the velvet mattress. She jumps up with an excited bark and takes off into the labyrinth. I giggle and crawl out after her. I love how I feel more like myself here.
I follow the melody, thankful the labyrinth isn’t hard to follow. I quickly learn red roses lead you to a dead end. Peachy-pink, sunrise-looking roses mark the right path. I quickly find my way through and find the ivory gazebo. The gem at the top is a vertical marquee shape, but no sides are flat. It’s a beautifully clear and glowing turquoise color.
The design on the gazebo is delicate, like living lace. It seems to be grown from the same plant as the cafe patio set and benches. There’s a glow coming from the gazebo. Nimuë comes bouncing out and keeps running between me and the entry. I follow. She isn’t going to allow anything else. She’s trying to herd me. It’s warm inside and a little humid. Not uncomfortable, maybe 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Faemála is sitting at an ivory and stone fountain that glows like the moonstone spring. Ivy covers most of the gazebo’s outer openings. Benches, café tables, and velvet tufted chaise lounges litter the area. The velvet mimics the glowing stone’s color. The support beams come off the posts and join inside, like the branches of a tree. An opening in the center above the fountain allows light from the moons and gem in.
Nimuë sits at Faemála’s feet, listening in rapture. A ledge bench with thick moss surrounds the fountain. I sit and listen to the beautiful song in a language I don’t know. Some of the words sound familiar somehow. I take note of a few words and a mental note to check my database. I did include some fantasy languages after all. Maybe they are related.
I look into the fountain and I’m not surprised to see moonstone lining the inside of it. Nimuë jumps on the bench, laying her head on Faemála’s lap, beating me with her tail. I smile and want to laugh at her. Soon, Faemála’s song wraps up on a gentle note and she smiles at us.
“Welcome back Princess and welcome Nimuë. I’ve been wanting to meet you.” She scratches her ears and rubs her head before kissing her nose. She is paid back with her face being covered in puppy kisses. We’re both laughing, enjoying the happiness. Faemála is laying on the bench, Nimuë laying across her chest. We are all out of breath after a few minutes. “Oh my, it’s been ages since I’ve cuddled an animal. Thank you for trusting me and bringing her here.”
“You’re welcome. And no, you don’t owe me a debt.” I joke with her. She chuckles.
“Unlike others, I don’t believe in archaic customs like that one. Be careful with others in the future though. I don’t want them using such a pure heart like that… That… THING, you were engaged to.” I quickly hug her.
She looks upset. Now that I know she’s real, I won’t shrug her feelings off. Plus, she reminds me of Mum. Faemála has a warm and comforting aura around her. She looks younger than I am, but she acts… Much older. Now that I see her with Nimuë, she seems lonely too.
“Why did you trust me so readily?” She asks with sadness and curiosity in her voice. “Normally after I send something back with a person they run away, and seek mental help, some even thought I was a dream demon and tried killing me.”
“What? That’s insane! How did you stop them from coming back? How did you stop them from hurting you?... Did they hurt you?” I’m upset at the thought of somebody hurting her. She’s such a good person.
“It is insane. I choose if I want someone here or not and the spring protects me. It enforces what I want.” Simple, but effective.
“What about friends or family? Do they visit during the day when you aren’t here or do they ever visit you here?” A sullen look crosses her face as she looks down and pets Nimuë. “Faemála?” I say gently and touch her shoulder after a few minutes.
“Most are gone.” She says in a sad quiet voice. “I’ve been here, mostly alone for nearly 7 millennia when the balance of magic upset began.” I gasp. Seven thousand years alone except for the occasional visitor like me!?! She continues, “Those I knew in the physical world cannot come here. I’ve tried, but it never works. I can only invite those born in the troubled worlds. Those with limited magics left in them mostly. My body has been in a state of suspense. Never waking, never aging.”
She strokes the water’s surface. An image of her floating in a glowing moonstone spring can be seen as the ripples settle. The image is reminiscent of ‘Ophelia’ by Sir John Everett Millais, but prettier. She looks like she’s just floating on her back relaxing like you normally would in a pool. Her hair is spread out in a glowing halo of color around her. Her arms are spread out to her sides, her eyes are closed peacefully, her legs together, and she still looks young. Elven women in delicately draped dresses with their hair covered in gentle sheer veils hover around.
“They remind me of priestesses,” I mumble out
“They are. Every young one must serve as a priest or priestess for fifty years. At the age of fifteen, it begins. We are also taught alchemy, combat, cooking, and more during our years of service. Our skills and personalities are assessed to guide us in a general direction. Few, like me, remain. Others go into fields of healing, hunting, or military until we reach maturity at 150 years old.” My expression must be comical because she’s laughing. That levity is needed. She taps the bottom of my chin to close my mouth.
“Sorry. It’s a lot to take in.” I shake my head, “And humans complain about a measly 12-20 year education.” I roll my eyes and we snicker. Many humans are truly fickle. “So, you’ve been here nearly 7 thousand years and you were at least 150 years old when you went into… suspended animation? Stasis?”
“My vitals, however minimal, are still going. Let’s call it sleep. A very, very long sleep.” She says exhausted and frustrated.
“Aww, you’re the Fae version of Sleeping Beauty.”
“Who?” She looks confused. I guess Disney isn’t vital information.
“It’s one of Earth’s fairytales. A princess is cursed by a jilted fae gone dark. The only thing that can wake her from her eternal sleep is true love’s kiss.”
“Oh! I think I know that spell. It’s forbidden unless the council uses it to punish… or it’s necessary to better their futures.”
“Huh, I guess there’s always a bit of truth to every story.” She nods. “So, how old are you? I’m sorry if I seem rude, but I’m really curious about the anatomical and biological differences between our people.”
“I understand. In many cultures, it would be rude to ask. That’s just another archaic custom I don’t care about. I will be 7,150 years in… hold on.” She starts doing figures in the air and counting. “What day was it when you fell asleep?”
“Tuesday, June 10th.”
“Okay. My time zone is 7 hours ahead of where you are now. I was born the evening of your Friday at 4 PM my time.”
“Oh, wow! So soon.”
“It gets more complicated with the hours in a day, days in a month, and months in a year difference between our planets. At least our second to minutes, to hours, and days in a week are the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you have 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks in a year, and 28-31 days a month, yes?”
“Yes.” She looks frustrated.
“Too complicated. We have 30 hours a day, 28 days a month, and 13 months a year. So we only have 364 days a year where you have, correct me if I’m wrong, 365 days. Yet on a 4th year, there’s 366?”
“Yes.” Her brow furrows and she touches her finger to her lower lip in thought before shaking her head frustrated.
“Too complicated. Your time comes out to 35,064 hours every four years. We have 43,680 hours in four years. That adds 359 days to your four years. Long story short, as you would say, I am 8,906 years, 47 weeks, and 5 days In your time.” Holy smokes!
“I appreciate you shortening the math. My head was starting to hurt.” I’m only partially joking. We laugh hard at the situation for a few minutes. It’s obvious she can do mental math a lot faster than I can. A sudden thought has me sitting upright suddenly serious. “I just realized,” I say as seriously as I can, “we can give you another birthday, an Earth birthday!” I say excitedly and hold her hands. “It’ll change every year because of the time differences, but this year will be in 31 days… from June 11th… puts it at… July 12th! Your Earth birthday is July 12th this year!
“Maybe I can…” I want to bring her an Earth pet or animal that can keep her company, but if it stays asleep on Earth while alive here, it could be bad. “How does Nimuë’s charm work? Does or can her body come here?” Faemála gives me an odd look.
“That’s a good question. Let’s have a look.” She strokes the water’s surface again and we wait for the ripples to show us our answer. It shows me sleeping but Nimuë, she’s gone!
“She’s really here! I know what to get you for your birthdays.” I say with a delighted grin. She’s smiling with tears in her eyes. The years of pain and loneliness break through her composure.
“I… I don’t… I don’t have to be alone anymore.” I hug her tight and Nimuë licks her tears.
“Faemála, how many charms do you have? Can I send any to Mum?” I ask with ideas running through my mind.
“I, *sniffle* I have 648 in my care, you have one, and there are 50 somewhere in yours and others’ worlds. I can create one on my birthday every one hundred years.” I shouldn’t be surprised anymore. This will really help a lot.
“Do you know their limitations or what they’re capable of?” I’m curious.
“They can allow a living being to come here. It only allows 3 beings to be attached to it… Oh! The moonstone spring will block anyone or anything with evil in it or could kill me.” Venomous and poisonous creatures are a no-go. Got it. Not that I was planning on it.
“ And now we know it brings beings here physically…”
“Yes.”
“I want to experiment, not with Nimuë though.” She clocks her head to the side.
“Oh?”
“I’m going to bring you an animal. When we get it here, take the charm off and see I it stays. I have a theory the charms are like a pass and they may work to claim them, almost like ownership… almost. I’m not sure if it will stay or go with the charm on. If it does stay and we put the charm back on, will it go with me?”
“This shall, sorry. This is going to be fun.” I giggle. She’s been trying hard to keep up with my local dialect and our era’s speech patterns.
“You be you Faemála. Don’t worry about blending in.”
“I appreciate that. I still want to try in case I wake up in this era.”
“I understand.” Her thinking look appears.
“I am thinking, your Mum and the couple, Lin and Minh, should each have a charm. They’re trustworthy.  I see flickers of them here with animals. Perhaps your idea will work.” I grin. I wondered, with all her abilities, if she had the seer ability. It makes sense.
“Faemála, you said you’ve been stuck here since the balance was broken. What’s that about? Why you?”
“Oh, that’s easy. I’m the, how do you put it, harmonizer of magic? I can sense where it is lacking, and where it is excessive, and seek those best to fix it. This realm is real. It even has insects, just no animals. It is an in-between place connected to all worlds, created for harmonizers. I can’t leave until the balance is restored or another can take my place.”
“That sucks! How often is someone like you born?” She looks sad as she pets Nimuë.
“Normally, when one is born, the other has died. None have ever been in this state before that I’m aware of. I’d say once every 3-4 generations another is born. We live for several thousand years. A new harmonizer could be born at any time. I don’t know… I don’t know what may happen. I can’t see certain beings.” We both have distressed looks on our faces.
She hasn’t had the chance to live a full happy life. Selfishly, I also don’t want to lose my new friend. I have to help her figure this out, but how? Is there a way to track down if another has been or will be born? I have to figure either that out or how to help fix the balance. That is why I was brought here after all.
For the rest of the visit, we go over more of her world’s flora and fauna. She enjoys watching me sketch and is great at it herself. I wind up letting her sketch while I write the information down. I’m thankful I fell asleep with my field journal and it came with us. I’ll have to bring an extra with me tomorrow. She really enjoys sketching.
I have to figure this out. My friend has been alone, sad, and under immense stress for far too long. A good friend, no matter how short they’ve known one another, will support and help each other where they can. I will always help my friends in need.