277 Vicious Snakes

Helena scrunched her nose, cringing at the strong flavour of the ginger coating her tongue. It was her mother's home remedy for the flu she had caught. It had been a day and a half since she experienced a mild cold and a sore throat. Though Helena never liked English medicine, it now seemed a better solution than her mother's homemade herbal medicine filled with spices. 

"It tastes horrible," Helena complained, "And smells even more horrible," she added, pointing accusing glares at her mother. Myra laughed and pinched her daughter's cheek, cooing at her. "Now be a good girl and finish it," she demanded. Sighing in defeat, Helena gulped the glass of bitter liquid in one go when her mother didn't show any sign of sparing her mercy. "Stay in your bed," she warned sternly before making her way out of Helena's bedroom.