Hummingbird

by Susan C. Gore

  Chapter 5

  Maud gradually regained her strength; she began to take an interest in life again and grew quite fond of her niece. Rose would read to her and tell her of her dreams and aspirations of becoming a teacher, Maud would listen and marvel at her intelligence and pleasant nature. Each day Maud grew stronger and soon became able to travel to the local markets for necessities along with Rose, who proudly explained that Aunt Maud was here to stay for a while as she was recently widowed. The villagers welcomed her back to the fold, they realised that she had matured beyond her years due to her loss; they expressed their condolences and bade her well.

  Life was running smoothly for now, I was ensconced with my life’s work, Rose was happily expanding her knowledge and Maud was growing stronger by the day. I walked to the back shed where I continued to spin the beautiful angora wool ready for the markets and relax into my own space. It was not long before I fell into a trance like state where I saw a fair-haired woman rushing around in a panic. She was dishevelled and was rushing to catch the early morning coach that left the village heading to God knows where. She had a hessian sack that held her belongings and a money pouch tucked within her jacket and secured with plaited string around her neck for safety. She made the coach just in time; she climbed aboard and tucked her bag under the seat looking nervously out the window, I could not make out her features. The coachman yelled instructions to the team of horses and they lurched forward and off on their journey to the unknown. She appeared to be the only passenger sat amongst bags of mail and goods that were to be taken to the next port of call. It was a long and arduous road that led partly along the coastline before turning off towards what looked like the midlands, not unlike the road that my father in law had taken when searching for Gareth that fateful night. There was a bend in the road with a rocky outcrop, trees lined the right-hand side of the road and the undergrowth was quite dense all the way along. As the team of horses rounded the bend they reared up in alarm!

  “Whoa,” the coachman shouted as he tried to steady them, a tree had fallen across the road and blocked it off completely, they almost rode into it; the driver cursed but managed to settle the team down enough to dismount and investigate. Almost immediately he was overcome by a marauding group, they knocked him to the ground and savagely beat him until there was no life left in the poor soul. Then their attention turned toward the coach where the fair-haired woman sat in terror! She screamed as they approached begging for mercy! The door was wrenched open and she was dragged out mercilessly. The gang jeered and made snide comments; she offered her money pouch which still hung around her neck in hopes that she could buy her way out of this mess. One of the thugs lurched forward and yanked it hard to snap the string, not realising that plaited string is too strong to just snap; but what did snap was the woman’s neck!

  I came out of the trance in a sweat, who on earth was this poor woman? But yet again as in previous premonitions, the character was faceless; if I knew who the poor wretch was, I would warn her. I finished off for the night and went back to the house where there was a boiling kettle just ready for the pot. I joined Rose and Maud around the fire so we could sit and have a chat, catch upon the events of the day.

  My mother-in-law popped around each week to check in on us and bring welcome fresh baked pork pies and other scrumptious goodies. She was aware of Maud’s past adventure but was sworn to secrecy. I had entrusted her with Maud’s secret past as I knew that this secret was safe with Sylvia. Knowing the truth enabled her to warm slightly to Maud, as like many other folk around here, she had never been too keen on her character. Now that she had returned having suffered from her misguided dreams and ambitions, she could see that she had learned a lesson or two (as she put it). Sylvia warned me that whilst it may be time for forgiveness I was never to forget ‘once a schemer always a schemer’! Maud liked the attention that she received from Sylvia; she also enjoyed the treats that came with her but she knew that Sylvia was still not fully won over. I took heed of Sylvia’s advice but enjoyed the new relationship with my sister. Maud showed traits that I never knew existed within her; I never realised that Maud was such a good seamstress; she made Rose a beautiful dress with an intricate lace collar, she also mended curtains and cushion covers.

  Almost a year went by in peace and harmony before Maud began to realise that I had resumed the ‘Fortune Telling’ (as she put it).

  “I thought you had stopped all that nonsense years ago,” she shouted. She was not happy about it and was quick to tell me that Mother would be turning in her grave at my ‘antics’, though how on earth she thought my antics were worse than what she had been up to I could not fathom! I assured her that I only did it for the good of the individual and their family and would never be untrue to my calling. What I did helped people to be at peace with their lost ones, I was able to pass on the messages that they were too late to pass in the living world. Maud did not agree with it and resented the service I was giving; she was angry that I had never foreseen her future nor warned her of what was to transpire. I assured her that had I seen this path that she had taken I would surely have warned her, but she would never have listened to any prediction or foresight from me. To even attempt giving advice of any sort would have brought forth a tirade of abuse! She would have called me a liar and a fake! She would have accused me of jealousy, just to spoil her ambitions! The atmosphere began to grow thick with this antipathy; now she was accusing me of witchcraft and was commanding me to cease immediately or suffer the consequences! I tried to tell her that this helped to put food on the table and clothe us all as we would surely go hungry without this income, and besides, if she didn’t like it, she could always leave! There, I said it! I was beginning to disapprove her myself as she lived the life of a lady under my roof while I did all the work and supplied the only income. Money was hard to come by of late, the lotions and potions did not generate enough income to cater for three of us, maybe now she was feeling better, she could find work that would add to the income of the household. She was enraged at this suggestion and went into one of her tantrums, she accused me of throwing her past into her face; after all that she had suffered she was not capable of physical work! I suggested that she could take on some sewing projects or mending?

  My mother-in-law had warned me that Maud was a bad egg and to be wary of her; she inferred that Maud was using me and bleeding me dry, that I ought to tell her to move on or I would be drained financially and emotionally. I know she only said this because she cared so much, and she was afraid for our well-being; Sylvia knew of my clairvoyance and how risky it was to be practicing whilst Maud was around. My mother in law was an avid fan of mine, she knew of my talent and we would often sit together reminiscing our time with Gareth and the loving way he treated those around him. We laughed about how clumsy he could be and was often sat in a pile of pig swill due to his unsteady gait! Try as I might I could never make full contact with him, but I could often feel his presence here in our home, I would let Sylvia sit by the fire in Gareth’s chair, just so she could feel near to him. Sylvia and I were very close and would spend as much time together as possible; we were the best of friends and shared many secrets.

  Before long, the old Maud resurfaced and was back with a vengeance, I would have to keep my wits about me. Our relationship began to wither and there was a jealousy that Maud possessed that I could not appease. The jealousy grew as each day passed and I was afraid that she would fulfil her threat from our childhood days and she would tell the authorities of my gift and the readings that I gave, putting both Rose and I at risk. Maybe I was overreacting due to the stress of trying to appease her, I had misguided hopes that she would be true to the meaning of family values. My heart told me surely not, we were family! But my head told me to be careful and watch her every move. Late one afternoon I asked Rose to walk with me to the woods so we could collect mushrooms, it was a normal mission and Maud did not even bother to ask where we were going as we set off with our baskets. Once we wer
e ensconced within the woodlands and picking our wares, I strolled over to a fallen tree and sat upon the trunk. Rose joined me with a concerned look upon her face and asked what was ailing me. She knew that Aunt Maud and I were at odds with each other and thought that maybe I just wanted to vent.

  I began to tell her about the true relationship between Maud and I, and how strained it had been in our early years. How vindictive Maud was towards me and anything I stood for; I admitted to her that I had tried to hide this side of Maud from her because I didn’t want her to see that there was an embittered person within our family as family values meant so much to me. I thought that after all Maud had endured these past years, she may have become somewhat of a changed person, which she was at first. I went on to tell her of my hidden gift of clairvoyance and the service that I provided for the community. Rose listened quietly as I recounted my early days and how I had developed the gift of communication with the deceased. I went on to say how I had acquired this gift from my grandmother and that I was blessed to be able to help serve the community with messages from their departed loved ones. I told her of the promise I had made my mother when she was alive and that I would close down this type of communication with the dead. I also told her of Maud’s threat from years gone by and warned her that if aunt Maud was to report me to the authorities there would be trouble and I would be taken away for questioning. In this day and age you were considered a Witch for claiming such a thing as being able to make contact with the dead! I informed Rose that there were specialists who travelled the country testing the accused to see if they were innocent or guilty of witchcraft! These people were to be feared as they used archaic methods of deduction to extract an admission from the accused, not caring that they may actually be innocent. There was money to be made from the community for extracting Witches from their neighbourhood!

  I proceeded to tell her about the nest egg I had hidden for her future in order for her to achieve her dreams, I told her how much there was and where the money was hidden. If in the event of a catastrophe, she was to sell the house, take the money and move in with her grandparents until she was capable of leaving the village for new pastures. I instructed her to get as far away from Aunt Maud as possible and trust no one except her grandparents. My in-laws had been a blessing to Rose and I, their love for us held no bounds. They had suffered the loss of their son but were grateful to be blessed with his daughter and myself. I knew that if there was any trouble, they would care for Rose and protect her. I went on to tell Rose that I had given Maud an ultimatum, that she either contributes to the household expenses or leave us and make a new life for herself elsewhere, she had two weeks to make her decision. By doing this I knew that I had poked the beast, yet I hoped she would not take that dreaded step to the authorities; after all, we were family and she had Rose to consider. I know that her love for Rose was true because I could see it in her face as she sat talking with her, yet I still felt the need to get my house in order just in case.

  Chapter 6

  We walked back to the house in quiet contemplation; I felt that Rose was holding something back from me but couldn’t quite place it. I was not going to pursue it as I knew she would tell me soon enough when the need arrived. As we breached the top of the hill that led down to our home, we encountered Maud, she was on the pathway and was dressed in her Sunday clothes. She told us that she was on her way out to the village, she was going to visit with her friend and said she may be staying overnight and not to wait up for her. We smiled and bade her farewell, but I felt there was an undertone to our conversation, I distrusted her and her scheming ways, and I was sure she was up to something or other. Rose understood my predicament and assured me that she supported me whole heartedly and knew for certain that it would come to nothing. But I somehow knew different.

  Maud did stay away that night and returned mid-morning the next day. She was acting sheepishly and on edge at every noise or bang, her nerves were getting the best of her and she took to her bed. Four days went by and the mood of the household began to settle back to normal, this was a relief, as I felt for certain that trouble was on its way. I began to relax back into a routine and convinced myself that if the authorities did come by, I would be able to prove to them that I was not a Witch and that my actions only served for the good of the public. I was well known in the village and surely they would vouch for my upstanding position within the community.

  Late on the fourth night, I was sat alone by the fire mending the hem on Roses Sunday dress, she needed it for church the next day, Rose was in her room reading and Maud had succumbed to an early night. I was deep in thought as to what I was going to supply at the church fete tomorrow when suddenly there was a loud banging on the door and raised voices commanding me to “Open Up”! I was startled out of my reverie and stunned for a few seconds, then the voice commanded again, “Open Up!” I went to the door and slowly opened it; to my surprise there were two uniformed officers and a stranger standing there, the stranger introduced himself as Matthew Hopkins, the Witch finder General!

  My heart sank; I felt the blood drain from my face, I knew that name immediately, I knew what he was. I had heard many horrifying stories of this man and his tactics for gaining an admission of guilt from the poor souls that were accused of witchcraft. This man was a self-proclaimed Witch Finder General; the title was never bestowed upon him by Parliament; he was well heard of in the county of Norwich. Apparently, he had been a lawyer, practicing in Essex when he stumbled across the need for this trade. In March 1644 he alleged his first discovery of witches, six of them, who he claimed tried to kill him. He thereupon proclaimed himself as ‘Witch Finder General’, going about parts of the country including Norfolk, East Anglia, coaxing villagers and townspeople to hire him and his two assistants (the main one being John Stearne). For a fee they would search out witches, force their confessions, and have them put to death by the authorities, thus ridding the village of heresy! The hapless victims (including a few Anglican clergymen) numbered perhaps 230 or more had already been tried, convicted and put death by his torturous ways.

  Many of his methods of inquisition were not far removed from actual torture. He pricked any skin deformity on the accused for signs of ‘No Pain’. Skin tags were thought to be an extra pap for suckling imps (as he would say); such parts, if insensible, were believed to prove that the accused was a witch. Another method was to force the accused to walk about all night until they fell from exhaustion, for only when at rest could a witch summon his or her familiars who would scare the accusers away, but not Matthew Hopkins! He was afraid of no one, nor their demons! One of the tests that he used was to bind the hands to the ankles and throw the accused into the water, if you floated you were surely a Witch and sentenced to death, if not, you drowned anyway! To him, other sure signs were birthmarks, hidden artefacts, black cats, spinning wheels, potions, the list went on. Usually witches were perceived to be old crones with twisted teeth and crooked stance, but beware! The Devil could attract the younger more upstanding females who were easily led. The ones that were left to fend for themselves with no man to keep them in check! He would tempt them into his lair to do his bidding by falsely passing messages to them as if they were from the deceased themselves. These were the most dangerous of witches as the Devil would convince them that they were the chosen ones. He would seduce them and make love to them whilst they slept in order to gain their trust. These poor souls could not deny his bidding as he had planted the Demon seed within them! These were the thoughts and ideas of the ignorant, sadistic Witch finders that took heed from the church and its narrow-minded clergy! My mind was in total panic, my life flashed before my eyes, my daughter was in danger, Maud how could you do this to us? The noise from all this shouting disturbed the whole household; the two officers grabbed my arm one at either side, and they proceeded to escort me forcefully out of my home. Rose ran from her bedroom screaming for them to let me go, shouting that her mother was not a Witch! Maud grabbed her around the wais
t and held her back. The look that Rose glared towards Maud spoke a thousand words. Maud could not look either of us in the eye, she hung her head low as they dragged me to the wagon outside, forced me into the back and drove me to the assizes where I was to be questioned and tested for any signs of witchery.

  I was thrown into a damp dingy cell where I was stripped naked and my skin was scrutinised for blemishes; they soon found my ‘Humming Bird’ birth mark. A sure sign of a witch! I was poked and prodded over every inch of my body, putting me to ridicule as leering men that were drooling from the mouth watched with a sadistic interest. My home was searched from top to bottom; they found my secret hiding place for Gareth’s shoe, another sure sign! It is known that witches harbour artefacts in secret places. I owned a spinning wheel, my home was full of potions, plus I owned a cat! To Matthew Hopkins, these were all positive signs of my guilt. After the poking and prodding came the hours of accusations; questions were yelled at me as if to scare some sort of admission from me. I was kept awake for hour upon hour as they were scared that I would summon up the Devil to protect me! “I am innocent! I am not a Witch!” I screamed at them, but they would not listen. They would settle for nothing less than an admission to Witchcraft! This tirade of questions and denial of water or food went on for days. Just when I thought I would give in to everything they said, they capitulated and allowed a modicum of water in order to keep me alive. Mathew Hopkins failed to obtain an admission from me, but little did he realise how close I had come to admitting to something that was untrue. I was to face the panel of adjudicators who would pass judgement upon my guilt or innocence and if I could not convince them that I did not serve the Devil, I was done for. I pleaded for my innocence as did many of the villagers that I had helped along the way, but they were soon silenced with the threat that they too could be tried with me. I could not blame them for backing away, they had families to support. My sister came to the court to try and retract her accusations; she begged them to free me. She stated that I was truly a good person and would not have reported me had she known it would come to this. Her conscience got the better of her, but it was too late, my fate was sealed, I was found guilty as charged and sentenced to death! All that remained now was how and when I was to meet my end?