A Yeti Heart

This is a collaboration between
@cecicastor and @tatswaru

Chapter 14 - Sashi Continued...

Barati must have known what I was feeling, for he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and we two stood together in harmony, watching the approaching daylight. Barati said;

“The valley has greeted the day in the same fashion for many generations. I came to this place in the valley many times with my father and grandfather; just as they came here with their fathers and grandfathers before them. It is a vision that burns in one’s heart like an unquenchable fire for a lifetime. I wanted to share this with you because I sensed that you would appreciate the experience.”

How right he was! The sight filled me with awe and wonderment. I would recall this moment with enduring fondness for the rest of my life. The moment passed all too quickly. It was time to move on.

We walked on in silence for a while, each of us contemplating the view we witnessed earlier. Presently we came upon neatly cultivated patches of vegetation, being tended to by a small group of yetis. We were greeted with enthusiasm by them.

A short stocky yeti by the name of Ngawang approached and extended a hand in greeting. He asked if I would like a tour of the gardens. I could barely contain my excitement. What is happening to me? I am excited about gardening!

Barati, Ngawang and I headed off to explore the valley gardens. On the hills adjacent to the gardens, there were neatly cultivated rows of 4 to 5 foot high evergreen shrubs. Ngawang proudly tells me that these are tea shrubs and goes on to explain that the young shoots and leaves are picked every five days.

Once plucked, the young leaves are spread out to dry and shrivel up. They are then stored for making the beverage we know as tea.

Next to the tea shrubs were other low green plants with woody canes growing from the crown of the plant. I saw small bluish fruit hanging off the canes. Ngawang pointed out that these are blueberry bushes. The berries are eaten as fruit as well as being used as a flavouring in tea.

To the right of the tea, I spied some roughly made boxes that almost look like beehives! Barati told me that these were indeed beehives. The yetis keep bees to pollinate their crops and to produce honey as a sweetener. I declined a closer look. I am allergic to bee stings!

We turned and walked back towards the garden patches where we first encountered the yetis busily working. Ngawang carefully guided us through the wide paths between patches of a gargantuan variety of vegetables; corn, potatoes, beans, peas, beets, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, garlic and too many more to name.

We paused in front of a geometrically shaped garden, with numerous different herbs and spices growing. This was Ngawang’s pride and joy. With chest out and head held high, Ngawang expounded on the virtues of his medicinal garden. Oh sure, the women folk used his herbs and spices in cooking but it was the elders who made the best use of his herbs in making medicines.

Barati said it was time to collect some fresh fruit and vegetables for Duma to use for today’s meals. Barati picked up one of the large woven baskets sitting on the ground next to the gardens. He politely asked Ngawang for permission to pick some of the herbs and spices to take to Duma. With a broad toothy grin, Ngawang gave his permission on the condition that Duma saves some of her famous vegetable soup for him.

On that pleasant note, Barati and I quickly picked a variety of herbs and spices. Then we continued to fill the basket to the brim with other fresh vegetables and fruit to take back to Duma.

We trudged back up the slope to the cave, Barati carrying the heavy basket and me carrying the overflow. Duma had steaming mugs of sweetened blueberry tea and some fruit tea biscuits ready for us.

It was good to get the load off my feet, relax with good company and enjoy a delicious snack. I took the opportunity while sitting back and enjoying the tea and biscuits, to ask Barati some questions that had been gnawing at me.

“Barati, how does the valley get rain if it is covered with an ice dome? And just how do the plants get water?”

“It never rains or snows in the garden valley. The plants get their water from the ice melt. The dome keeps it at a constant temperature in the valley. The warm air rises and melts a little ice off the dome every day. This water runs down in small trickles and slowly waters the plants. We also collect some of the water in wooden barrels to hand water the plants that grow the furthest away from the edges of the dome.”

“Does the ice dome ever melt completely away?”

“The ice dome has been here since the beginning of yetis recorded history. There is a constant blizzard outside, except for two days a year. The outside of the dome is replenished by the snow.”

To be Continued...