"Old man." She shouted again once she caught sight of him. "I've arrived."
"You're late." Dan hit her knee with his walking stick.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch." She hobbled inside and closed the door. "I am twenty minutes early."
She spoke in English with Camie and Maude, spoke Japanese with the Izumi's and spoke Mandarin with anyone else. So, her Mandarin was fluent enough for Dan to understand.
"So what?" He snorted. "Do I look like a clock?"
"When you are this old, everyone will mistake you for a biological clock." She sneered.
Lin walked into the room and caught the two staring at each other. She swore that she could feel the sparks fly out of their eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey." She separated the two. "Big brother Zuri just came and you are already bullying him."
Zuri nodded and stepped away from Dan. "Dan, listen to your grandkid. She's a lot smarter than you."
Dan pulled her ear. "You need to learn some manners, cheeky little girl."
"Grandpa, he's a guy, not a girl." Lin complained. "I'm going to clean up the cabinets."
She turned away and Zuri watched her leave. Lin and Zinin looked like their grandfather who had black wavy hair and brown eyes. Now that Dan has gotten older, his black hair has streaks of white running through it.
"Old man, do you have any work for me today?" Zuri followed Dan around the room.
"What can you smell?" He asked her.
"Incense, tea leaves, jade dust and herbs." She thought for a bit before screaming in joy, "Chinese herbs."
"Hold on." Dan held her hand. "I want you to go to the local market, find Bai and deliver herbs to her. She ordered them and I have to make sure that it gets to her."
"What's in it for me?"
"I'll give you that packet of poison you have been begging me for."
"I'm going." He took her to the medicine room and gave her a basket and the poison. "You can use my bike. Don't waste time."
****
Zuri paddled downhill, feeling the cold morning breeze blow through her hair. She soon reached the noisy market and put on her facemask. She held tightly onto the strap of the basket and came down from the bicycle
She slowly made her was through the mass of people and after walking for thirty-nine minutes, she stopped at a shop.
"Bai, it's Zuri." She pushed the bicycle into the shop. "I've got your herbs."
A middle-aged chubby woman smiled at her and waved, careful not to spill the medicine she was holding. "Zuri, welcome. Old Dan sent you?"
"Yes, he did." She dropped the basket. "You are making something? What is it?"
"Just some cure for inflammation." Bai answered. "Dan taught you all he knows on traditional Chinese medicine, right?"
"Yes."
"And he taught me to." She laughed. "Do you want some steamed dumplings? I made them earlier."
"I would love some."