The bottle was small and cobalt blue. I saw it displayed in the back of a brightly painted wagon belonging to the Golden Dragon Medicine Company. The other bottles on display proclaimed themselves to be snake oils, bitters, patent medicines, and miracle elixirs, but the little blue bottle had no label at all. No name, no promise, no price.
“What does that one do?” I asked the salesman.
He smiled at me and at the crowd. He was missing a tooth, but it was still a selling smile. “That is the finest of my wares. The very best I have to offer. It will grant you a long and healthy life. I stake my life and honor on it.”
The crowd gave an appreciative murmur.
“That’s a lot to promise,” I said.
“You haven’t heard the half of it, little lady,” he said. “If you buy two bottles, you’ll surely acquire all that your heart desires.”
“How much?” someone called from the crowd.
The salesman named his price, and the crowd murmured its disbelief. It was an outrageous price for such a tiny bottle. But was it such an outrageous price for one’s heart’s desires.
That morning, I had sold my father’s team and carriage. He didn’t need them anymore, and my mother and I needed other things more. My purse was full, and I felt the weight keenly as I looked at the bottles. The salesman’s assistant had, by that time, produced a second blue bottle identical to the first: petite and as alluring as the sea.
~
I was seventeen then. In the eighty-two years since that day, I have never broken a bone, never suffered a trauma, I’ve rarely been ill with more than a simple cold, and I married the handsomest boy in town.
I asked him why he wanted me when there were prettier girls to choose from. He said that even if I didn’t agree that I was the prettiest girl around, I couldn’t deny that I was the most sensible one by far. Well, I didn’t deny it. I loved him, and I loved that he loved me, so I saw no use in arguing.
As the years rolled on, we had seven children, and eighteen grandchildren, and there are twenty-three great-grandchildren so far, with more to come. I have laughed and loved, and cherished and been cherished for all my life long, have I not?
My husband departed some days ago, and presently I will join him. The flesh does grow weary, and I will not wake in this body again. I can feel the truth of that. Maybe you can, too.
I have no regrets with this life I have lived, but sometimes I wonder…
Even now, I wonder, how would things have changed if I’d bought the cobalt bottles.
Thanks Abigail for the trial by misdirection. Loved the imagery and the classic story leading up to the unexpected twist. I was hoping the leading lady drank the second bottle at the end and went into space to see the great great great grand-kids visit the stars.
Perhaps meet the Golden Dragon Medicine Company rep at the grandson’s medical office, only to find out he was aging in reverse. So many options for this story, paths not taken. You may even write a book starting each chapter the same, this story, then take off in a different direction… delightful!
Thanks for reading! Yes, there is a lot more to explore. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Delightful! Would make a fun bed time story with kids who are almost old enough to graduate from those golden end-of-the-day minutes where post-reading conversations are so precious. Love the surprise ending!
It could be a children’s book! That would be so fun!
This was sn enjoyable read! A number of lovely easter eggs to explore.
Thanks for reading, Clynt! ❤️
Loved it!
A great surprise ending.
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Clever story. It’s amazing how all we want is to live joyous and comfortable happy life. However it’s often the trials and hardships in our lives that builds character and causes us to grow the most. I like how the end even after having lived a life no regrets the main character still wonders what might have been. We humans are never really satisfied are we? Lol 😂
‘What might have been’ is always an interesting thing to think about. There are so many ways things might have turned out differently in any given scenario. That’s one of the reasons I like writing: I will never get to know what might have been, but I can explore that world anyway.
Great story with a great ending. A joy to read.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it
What a fantastically hoking little story! And the missing tooth was hilarious 🙂
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Lovely! 🙂
Thank you!
We were Reading it in the english Lesson. It was really Nice and interesting
Plot twisted end
This storie is very exiting
Doppelpiece Leute
A beautiful story with a great plot twist!🤍
Very interesting
Interesting
It‘s the biggest kind of dog shit
VERY GOOD 187 GANG
It was 😯
IT was OK and have a very good background
Ist was interesting and cool
I really liked the plot twist, very cool
The end was a big suprise
It was a good story,amazing plottwist
It was really nice😐
Honestly, I could guess the plot twist at the end. It was pretty obvious. But if you don’t read as much as me it’s pretty interesting. Good job!