Sage And Wormwood

"I am sorry. If I didn't ask for... none of this would have happened." A small girl whispered toward the sky.
It was a dark rainy day in mid July in the state of Florida. The girl sat on a bench while wiping her eyes with a black satin handkerchief. Two women stood nearby conversing in a small crowd. A sweet smell was present in the air around them.
"It's a shame you know." Said a women dressed in a black and white dress.
"It truly is, but where will she go now?" Answered a woman in a suit.
"I guess she will have to come with me. I don't know. Should we ask Serafina?" The woman in a dress responded.
"I honestly believe it to not be wise, Christine. She needs time. She has been through quite a bit in the past week." Said the woman in the suit.
"I would think it best for her to stay with me for a while and forget about family. Understand? She needs a fresh start, Meg. I can give her that much." Christine stated as the rain began to pick up, and what was a light mist became a thunderous downpour.
"We should get her in the car before she catches a pneumonia. We can discuss this back at the home. After all we need to help her pack everything." Meg retorted somewhat dryly.
The three females got into the car - a black Cadillac with yellow hazard lights flashing - and left, headed toward the home.
"The day is dark and cold. I want to go home. I can't deal with this right now." Serafina finally spoke.
"I know it's hard, but you have to try. You know that though, right?" Meg said in a cold tone in attempt to comfort the girl.
"Meg! You can not talk to her like that.How dare you kick someone, especially a child, while their down!" Christine snapped at Meg, then softened her face and tone as she turned toward the poor little Sarafina. "I will take you home if that is what you wish, but who will you stay with? You can't stay alone, you are still too young." Christine asked softly and naively.
"I don't know... I guess it will have to be one of you. We didn't have many family friends. Is that ok with both of you?" Sarafina asked in a depressed tone.
Almost simultaneously both Meg and Christine said, "It is fine with me." They both then shared a look of discontent with each other. But this glare was soon severed when the car came to a screeching halt. Another car had come out of nowhere and cut off the driver of the cadillac, sending all passengers reeling forward due to the sudden change in inertia.
"Is everyone alright?" The chauffeur asked in an extremely worried tone.
"Meg and I are ok. Sarafina are you ok?" Christine asked. Seconds went by and there was no response from the girl. At this point and time Christine began to become seriously worried, her maternal instincts began to kick in, even though she was not actually a mother.
"Serafina?!" Christine yelped as she turned to look at the child but in the midst of turning a soft voice - like that of an angel - arose from the back seat.
"Yah. I'm ok. I guess. Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."
"It's ok. Just don't give me a scare like that again, understand rubberband?" Christine asked the girl in attempt to make her laugh.
"I'm stretchy." The little child responded with a smile on her face and a chuckle on her breath.
"Ok you two. Stop goofing off and get ready to get out of the car. We are getting close to the home." Meg said in an angered tone. She could tell as she drew closer to the home that little things began to irritate her. And as she thought these things, something seemed to slip into the real world, "I guess it is the second stage already."
"What was that, that you said Meg?" Christine asked, knowing very well, exactly what it was that Meg had said.
"Nothing. I was just thinking out loud. That is all." A few moments passed. "We are here. Get out."
"Yah I know, and so does she, so why don't you just stop. It has been hard on all of us, not just you. Stop feeling pity for yourself and get over it!" Sarafina had slipped up. She unintentionally snapped at her aunt. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to come out like that... I am just, tired; depressed, angry, and tired."
"Forget about it. You're right. It is me who should be apologizing to you." Meg regained composure and her attitude seemed to just disappear.
A few hours had passed as the three girls packed the little belongings that were Sarafina's and they packed the other items in the house to be sold at a garage sale and an auction in a few weeks.
"Let's go. We all need to eat something, then we need to discuss who Sarafina is going to stay with." Meg spoke softer than she did the rest of the day, knowing the gravity of the situation.
With that they all left and the sweet smell that filled their noses back in the field finally disappeared. The smell was a mixture of herbs, mostly sage and wormwood.
"Can I please decide who I am going to stay with for myself?" Sarafina asked in a stern voice.
"Of course you can chose. Why would we not let you?" Christine asked with a puzzled expression.
"I don't know."