The vegetable garden looked so empty. We harvested before Carmen left. Not much work was left for me as long as the time hadn't arrived to sow. It was Mother Nature who decided what to grow where. There was a time people called it permaculture, permanent agriculture. I read about it and wondered what made human believe they invented something new.
The herbs garden was a different story. I couldn't remember a moment it been without plants. The various scents I still found overwhelming and with every few steps I closed my eyes, inhaled while I named the herbs I sensed in the rich bouquet.
According to Carmen they lost the ability to recognize the herbs, forgot how to cook and lost contact with Mother Nature. They became passive the main reason for feeling helpless and their dependency.
"They count on others to solve their problems but do not calculate the fact there are nearly no others left."
I sat at the table and thought about her words. 'There are nearly no others left' was exactly what she had said before she started humming and sang in a language different from what we spoke while stirring the stew.
My foster mother had so many skills, cooked, baked, brewed whatever she wanted or needed. The work on the land, the owls, raising and teaching me, it all seemed to be a natural part of her. It was hard to believe people felt afraid of her. She was the kindest and most unselfish person I knew. Like me I never saw her take a dose of anything we stored in the cabinet except for the tea we drank and the soup we ate. All good and healthy food.
"Good health not only depends on what we eat but hygiene, nightrest, a stress free life and limited contact to poisoned people play a vital role too. Body, mind, and soul need to be in harmony. It's important to find your own balance. You remember what I told you about your biorhytm? That personal clock ticking inside of you? It tells you when to start, when to stop, when to rest and for how long. If you listen to it you stay in good shape."
She laughed about her 'good shape' remark.
"If 'too' is part of it, it will harm you, my sweetheart."
Total amount of words: 3132
The prompt used 'permaculture' is provided by 
