by RahimAbdul

Created on: May 31, 2008   Last Updated: June 09, 2008

One year has passed since Maria started her new hobby to do gardening. Slowly
and consistently, she has made tremendous improvement to her garden.

Maria's husband was quietly attracted to some rows of green plant, she planted along all the fences border. Two feet tall greenery with fern - like leaves.(She trimmed them regularly).

"What plant is that?" He asked Maria curiously one day, pointing to the flower bed.

"Which one?", Maria looked at him waiting for confirmation.
"There, the one with the fern-like leaves", He pointed it to her.
"Oh! This is dill, dear, don't you know?", She replied confidently, "my colleague recommended it to me".
"Really!" He answered excitedly and smiling.
"Why are you so excited, dear", Maria asked him.
"Oh! I knew the benefit of this plant, it has great medicinal values, I would like to eat it, can I have some for dinner, please?" He asked.
"Are you sure it can be eaten?" Maria was hesitating.
"Yes! I am sure". He answered firmly, "I'm not joking".

After Maria had confirmed with her horticulturist friend, she served the sweet annie leaves fresh in salad - like form during dinner that night. Her husband enjoyed eating it, it has a camphor - like scent, sweet and very crunchy. He burped a lot after that. The way her husband gluttony chewing the sweet annie', reminded Maria of the 'Billy Goat Gruff' chewing the grass. Even so, she wouldn't dare to say a word.

That night before bed, he told Maria why he was so excited about eating the 'sweet annie'.
He was hoping the plant would give him some extra power most needed by a man. That is what his best friend told him a few months ago.

It is one of the most favorite side-dishes of the Arabs. His best friend told him, an
Arab Sheik said, "If you knew about the benefit of this plant, you would want to plant it everywhere in your garden, even near your bed if possible, and chew it everyday before bed time.

And now, Maria's husband is eating them greedily everyday without fail. There are
plenty more supply growing so fast in the garden. No wonder he felt so wonderful
everyday - What a lovely feeling.

For two weeks Maria have been feeding her husband with the now his favorite side-dishes, and Maria was still waiting for that some extra Power in him, perhaps she has to wait till a little longer before it takes some effect on him, she thought.

One Sunday afternoon, Maria's horticulturist friend dropped by. She was proudly showing him around her beautiful garden and asked him for more advise. Her husband joined them when Maria was showing the horticulturist the dill plant.

"You are mistaken, this is not dill, Maria, this is sweet annie". He told her.

Maria saw her husband's lower jaw dropped, may be he felt cheated and embarrassed. He was blushing at that moment. Maria can hear her owns heart was saying 'no wonder there wasn't any effect at all'.

"It's looked exactly like the dill, but the dill is more finer and bushier". The
horticulturist explained.

Maria glanced at her husband and while asking her horticulturist friend, "Can it be eaten anyway?" .

"The dill, off course, but sweet annie, I never heard anyone have eaten it raw, maybe in China, I don't know! Anyway, the plant is used in a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and it is not poisonous". The horticulturist assured and promised Maria to show her the real dill plant at some other time.

The answer from the horticulturist really made Maria's husband more embarrassed. He asked to be excused and walk into the house with his head lowered down.

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