Chapter 1175
The driver chuckled at her words but said nothing more.
Hertha had planned to head straight to the office, but as they drove past a serene wetland park, she noticed shepherds tending to their flocks in the distance.
The sight of pure white lambs grazing carefree on the lush green grass, interspersed with tranquil ponds, painted a scene as idyllic as fluffy clouds dotting a spring sky.
This peaceful vista tugged at her heartstrings, and Hertha hastily asked the driver to pull
over.
Stepping out of the car at the edge of the wetland park, she wandered absentmindedly towards the grazing sheep. The fuzzy lambs, uhafraid of her presence, ambled over to her side, nuzzling against her legs, taking a bite of grass, then nuzzling her again.
The gentle contact prompted Hertha to squat down and stroke the lamb’s woolly head. The softness felt soothing under her touch, offering a balm to her aching heart.
The shepherd, a woman with sun-kissed skin and an honest demeanor, approached with a warm smile. “You’ve got a kind aura about you,” she said. “The lambs can tell; they really like you.”
Hertha turned to the shepherd, a bittersweet smile creeping onto her face. “It’s easier to be a lamb, isn’t it? No worries as long as there’s grass to munch on.”
“But once they grow up, they’ll be sold off, ending up as meals for folks like us,” the shepherd woman said matter-of-factly. “Their joy comes from not overthinking things, just living in the moment.”
The words struck a chord in Hertha, as if awakening her to a simple truth.
Human suffering often stems from thinking too much and overlooking the present
moment.
To enjoy and be content with the now is to find happiness.
Suddenly, clarity dawned on Hertha, and her smile lost its heaviness. “Thank you,” she told the shepherd. “I feel better now.”
“What for?” The shepherd laughed heartily, oblivious to Hertha’s earlier distress.
Hertha paused, then smiled, realizing that the sorrows and joys of others were not always our own to comprehend. How could anyone else know the pain in her heart if she didn’t
share it?
She continued to sit on the grass for a while longer, playing with the lambs as the sun
grew stronger.
Eventually, Hertha sought refuge under a large tree, shading herself from the intensifying
1/2
08:38
sunlight.
She then called Thalassa.
At that moment, Thalassa was resting in the hospital, having just finished breakfast when her phone rang.
“Hey, Hertha, about your car, I’ll have someone drop it off later.” Thalassa had borrowed Hertha’s car the night before, and it was probably still parked by the cemetery.
Thalassa would have to call a tow truck to bring it back.
“No rush. I just wanted to chat,” said Hertha, her voice betraying a newfound maturity, lacking its usual bubbly confidence.
Hertha only sounded this grown-up when something was wrong, and Thalassa, being her best friend, knew her all too well.
“What’s up? Did something happen with Alaric?” Thalassa asked with concern.
Hertha’s heart sank a little more, and after a brief silence, she replied, “No, it’s nothing like that. Just had a bit of a run-in with a dog. It’s left me feeling a bit down.”
“What? You were bitten by a dog? Did you get a rabies shot?” Thalassa’s worry spiked through the phone.