Harika wanted to send her family the most perfect gifts from Oba. It was more of a bragging thing really but she was determined to prove that she had made the correct decision in leaving the ocean life to pursue her dreams of fashion. Her father was the most important person as she barely gave any thoughts to her new relatives, her stepmother being one of the worst in her opinion, but the girl did want to make the others a little jealous. So she had saved up so much of her hard earned coin from the past year of working in the city to pay for luxurious silks for her ‘mother’ and for rare spices and herbs that her dad could enjoy. It was far better than simply eating smoked fish! Harika adored the spices, especially those that lingered on your tongue and kept your eyes watering throughout the entire meal. She even added in a few blankets that would surely endure the harsher climate of the islands, the light material both warm and flexible. Her family was more about stability and practicality without much want for shiny things even though she did tuck in a figurine for one of the older girls who secretly did enjoy trinkets despite the family’s survival mindset.

“Are these herbs fresh?” Harika asked as she held up some of the purplish plants. She wanted to make certain her father had good materials even though he was the one who had hurt her heart the most. It was a final slap, a final affirmation that she was perfectly fine without him. If her mother was still alive the girl would have sent her so many luxurious gowns including the one she had just sewn the other night. It was an elegant piece with crimson sleeves edged in the deepest of golds with a faint rose gold shimmer throughout. She enjoyed using sheer layers on dresses to add a shine, a depth to the color of the original silks. Her mother would have looked lovely in it with her dark hair and pink gemstones. Harika let out a painful sigh. “If only, mother.” She whispered as she thought of the sweet woman. She would have gladly sent a whole boat filled with gifts and supplies to her mother! Meanwhile it was painful enough just to send a box of supplies to the ocean in hopes that some sailors could track down her family. Thankfully a few of them came to port in Matori now to trade for supplies since opening back up to the mainland. It was that change which had allowed Harika to come to Oba in the first place as she would have never been able to leave the islands on her own before. And now here she was in the bustling city full of opportunity while the rest of them stayed back on the islands enduring the elements to just live day by day. Admittedly Harika did miss some of the freedoms, but she did not want to let them know that! So instead she focused on preparing the perfect gift for her father, a basket of fresh herbs and spices that she knew he would like. “Some of the peppers could be replaced.” She mused as she went over the checklist again. She would have to go to the market and purchase a few more of these supplies since she had missed the earlier boat. There was also the amber sugar that she adored in her teas and bags of teas that she would include with the shipment. They had tea on the islands and their own form of sugar but there was something more earthy about the Oban versions that Harika enjoyed. Her favorite was the chai tea that she just knew her father would enjoy with its spiced flavor that tingles in your mouth and warmed your stomach. Surely it would keep him warm through the colder nights by the ocean. She also was going to buy some of the rarer herbs that were supposedly good for your heart so that her father could keep doing what he was doing. Perhaps that was a bit too much to write in the letter since he would surely be insulted by her insinuating he was getting older? Eh, she would still include it because he needed to hear it. Maybe it would help him to realize that he had chased away his actual child! Harika huffed before closing the basket and going back to her parchment. She would finish her note and purchase the rest of the supplies in the morning before catching the next boat that would hopefully get her package to her family.

[784]