Teri and Heidi were close sisters, but they always had their differences. Ever since Teri was young, she dreamed of leaving the countryside even though her family led a peaceful life in the country. Heidi, on the other hand, dreamed of finding someone she loved and settling down for good. Teri loved hustling and bustling markets, fancy apparel, and complex cooking. Heidi enjoyed a simple sunrise, the smell of homemade soup seasoned with just salt and pepper, and peace and quiet.
One day, the entire countryside was caught in a huge downpour. The air was so cold, and the roofs were dripping. Teri had happened to have gone over to Heidi’s house just before the rain started along with her daughters, Freya and Breeze, for some breakfast.
“The roads are so wet and slippery, sister. Why don’t you stay for the night? I can ask Harlin to carry out the extra car seats as a makeshift mattress,” Heidi suggested.
“Oh, alright,” Teri responded.
Harlin had happened to be at home, because it was a weekend. He was upstairs playing with the babies.
“Ah choo,” Teri sneezed.
“Are you okay?” Heidi fretted.
“Yes, yes,” Teri said. “It’s nothing.”
Deep down, Heidi knew it wasn’t nothing. Teri never sneezed, looked tired, or so much as heaved a sigh when she was in good form. She always attributed that to the marvelous doctors of Sylvania Village, where she had lived before moving to the countryside.
As the day passed, things got worse. Teri claimed she had a headache and wanted to sit down for a bit. Then, she lost her appetite for fresh bought tarts. Heidi quickly ordered Harlin to bring out the makeshift mattress.
“Lie down for awhile,” Heidi prompted.
Teri did so, and started shivering.
“Oh dear,” exclaimed Bell as she was walking downstairs for some water. “I’ll make a fire!”
The living room was filled with the warmth of the fireplace and the smell of tea as Heidi made some for Teri.
“Teri’s sick from the cold weather,” she told everyone.
“I feel awful,” Teri said weakly.
“We could always try the good old fashioned country cure: crushed bush plants steeped into tea. Works like a charm every time!” Bell yelled very abruptly.
“Yes, yes,” Heidi agreed.
“No, no,” screamed Teri. “I don’t want a bunch of leaves. I want to see the country doctor Doctor Ben Sweetpea Rabbit. He has a proper clinic and everything.”
“Mother, you can’t go see him now,” Freya pleaded. “The roads are so dangerous when they’re this slippery!”
“She’s right, Teri,” Harlin added.
Teri sighed and heaved. ”Just let me rest a little. I don’t think I need the tea so soon.”
The critters all left her alone in the living room on the makeshift mattress with the warmth of the fire and a hot cup of tea close by.
“Why is my mother so insistent on not taking some country cure tea?” Freya whispered to her aunt upstairs in the master bedroom.
“She always hated the bitter taste from the steeped bush plants,” Heidi responded.
Karen who had been walking by to use the bathroom overheard and then suggested, "What if we tricked her?”
“What do you mean ‘trick’ her?” Freya inquired.
“We could mix it in with her tea so well that the taste is concealed. Isn’t it true that she likes her tea extra strong with orange zested powder, Mrs. H. Choch?” Karen asked Heidi.
“Yes, she does,” Heidi said with hesitation.
“Steep in the bush plant with her next cup of tea,” Karen said.
They agreed to try out Karen’s idea.
Heidi unsuspiciously offered her sister to refill her tea cup, and then she went to the kitchen. Karen and Bell were already in the kitchen boiling the crushed bush plant after they had carefully sliced the plant to fine shreds.
Freya, who had never had any kitchen experience since she was from city life, had volunteered to stay out of the kitchen work for their secret plan. Bell added some orange zest tea powder and stirred it in. Then, she poured the tea into the teapot. Heidi carefully poured a cup for Teri, and walked out.
“Here you go. Drink up.”
Teri gulped it down and sighed before falling back asleep.
When it was time for dinner and the rain had started clearing up, Teri awoke all fresh and energetic.
“I feel so much better,” she announced to a flood of critter faces staring at her anxiously. “See, I didn’t have to take that silly medicine to get better.”
Freya passed a quick glance at Karen, and Teri caught it.
“What?!” she demanded. “Do I have something in my fur?! Oh dear!”
Heidi couldn’t help it and let out a giggle.
“Spit it out, Heidi sis!”
“You did take the medicine. We put it in your tea and mixed in extra orange zest tea powder,” Heidi explained.
“Well, I would’ve gotten better even if I didn’t take the tea,” Teri announced rather impatiently.
Everyone just laughed and was glad to know Teri was back to her slightly obnoxious, high end, and kind of funny self.
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