This morning was no different than any other. I blew out of bed at five-fifty, set the timer for my morning coffee and hit the strand running. Even though it was early, very early, I wasn’t the first one to be out and about.
Feeling the approach of fast moving objects, I instinctively stepped to the side of the running trail. Dozens of morning bikers in colorful biking outfits created a solid, impassable line as they zoomed past me. The scent of sweat and sunscreen is all I smelled as they slipped by. In California we are all a little obsessed with wearing sunscreen and bikers are no exception. I hear that they even put it on their hands.
“Good morning,” I called as each biker raced past me, far too fast to hear me. I should know better than to expect a response. Usually, the first bikers on the morning pathway only bother to raise hands or nod heads.
At six in the morning, the running, biking and walking trails are always full of morning athletes of all shapes and sizes. Like packages on a conveyor belt, everyone moves in the same direction. The rock star athletes hang towards the center of the lane, aspiring rock stars take the next lane out and the rest of us just hover on the edges. Somehow it all seems to work.
By the time I made it to the pier, I was pooped. Bending down to catch my breath, I was surprised to hear:
“And just where have you been hiding yourself? Finally decided to come home?”
Looking up I came face to face with a barrel chested Officer Parker, who at seventy-two years old is the one and only New Moon Beach Parking Enforcement Officer.
“Yep. Finished my degree last spring and couldn’t wait to get home. I AM BACK!" I said with a silly smile plastered on my face. I folded him into a big, sweaty bear hug. “How are you, Officer Parker?”
“I’m great, getting ready for summer. Can’t you tell? He pointed to his summer uniform shorts hanging on his ultra white legs. “I think that it’s going to be a busy one.”
“I sure hope so. I just opened my new shop and I can use all of the business I can get. You have to stop by. I want you to meet my best friend Gail, who works with me.”
“I know Gail. You introduced her to me one summer when you brought her home with you.”
“Oh yeah, guess I forgot that.”
“I heard all about the new store. You took up where Meghan and Marv used to be, right?”
“Yeah, they left me the shop and we opened a little while ago. I moved into the back house too. I am just so happy to be home.” I wanted to tell him about my unexpected shop guests but I didn't think he would understand.
“I bet those sisters of yours are happy to have you home too,” he said with a big smile.
“Well, the only one I’ve seen so far is Constance. She has been plying me with her delicatessen delights.”
“Just like her to want to take care of you, always did. By the way, if you haven’t seen our new mayor yet I guess it’s because of all of this hotel development business going on. She’s been pretty busy. Our quiet little beach city is in for a few changes.”
“I like our quiet beach, just the way it is,” I said.
“I do too. I still can’t believe that they want to put a hotel somewhere around the end of the Esplanade. Think you and Constance just may have to make a few changes because of this?” he wondered without really asking.
My older sister Harmony was elected Mayor of New Moon Beach just six months ago and it sounds like she’s been busy, but agreeing to put a big hotel here? What was she thinking?
“With the new hotel will come lots of people and lots of cars. Your sister and her city council friends may just have to hire an assistant for me,” said Officer Parker puffing up his chest. “I have a few potential candidates in mind.”
Officer Parker is hated by most tourists and beach goers, but loved by our city council for all of the funds he generates by giving out parking tickets for unpaid beach meters. There are almost as many parking meters as there are people in New Moon Beach. And while I acknowledge that I might be making a slight exaggeration, it sure feels that way.
“I think that your sister is going to be very happy with the revenues this summer. Looks like none of these tourists can remember to put in their fifty cents an hour for parking. Like today, I’ve already written four tickets.”
“I guess the early bird gets the worm,” I said, feeling sorry for anyone who returned to their car only to find a ticket.
“I know that we need someplace to put all of these tourists, and I’m sure that it will bring more money into New Moon Beach. I just wish they hadn’t chosen right here to put it. I can’t figure out why they didn’t want to put this new hotel venture in Old Moon Bay. Land has got to be cheaper there,” Parker offered.
“Wait a minute. I don’t think that I’m getting all of this. Where did you say they want to build this new hotel?” I asked as I plopped down on the nearest bench ready to now give Officer Parker my undivided attention.
Unfortunately for me, duty called and I observed as a runner frantically raced towards his empty parking meter hoping to outmaneuver Officer Parker. No such luck; at seventy-two he can still move.
I made a mental note to speak directly to Harmony about this crazy hotel buzz and walked away, leaving Parker and the driver in a heated discussion over stupid parking meters before hitting the running trail for another forty-five minutes.
Sweaty, salty and in need of a shower I came home to my little Craftsman-by -the-sea. I barely had time to open my front door before I was shoved into the entryway by a whirlwind named Lucy Schwartz, my next door neighbor.
“Olivia, I am so glad that you finally got home. I wanted to talk with you. By the way, I love what you are wearing. What a great outfit; I especially love the hooded jacket. Lime green and pink, who knew? Do you think that you could make me one? Mr. Schwartz says I need to burn all my old housecoats.”
Turning around to greet Mrs. Schwartz I offered a meek 'Good morning' before she slipped her way fully into my house.
“Oh, I love what you’ve done with the place. Those couches are gorgeous; beige on beige - interesting combination. And you’ve painted your walls, all of them blue, lovely. Meghan and Marv, God rest their souls, would have loved what you’ve done. You've really given the place some life! Those white book cases are gorgeous. Are all those books yours?”
Given no opportunity to answer even one of her questions, I said, “Um, well, now that you’re in, can I offer you a cup of coffee, Lucy?”
“Is that what smells so good in here? Is that Hazelnut coffee I smell?” Looking at the kitchen we both stopped short when we saw spilled coffee grounds all over the counter and floor. “My gosh Olivia, you and Meghan have way too much in common. She was what I’d call a ‘challenged housekeeper’ too.”
Suddenly, something crashed in the back of the house. Mrs. Schwartz looked past me and asked:
“Did you hear something?”
“Just my cat,” I offered. I had my suspicions of how the grounds had come to land all over my floors and counters in the first place, and I’d find out why later. I only hoped they didn’t cause any more mayhem before Mrs. Schwartz left.
Clearing her throat Mrs. Schwartz continued, “You know, before he retired, Mr. Schwartz worked for the Ajax Laundry Company that supplied linens to the big hotels in the City. He told me that there are going to be delivery trucks coming and going at all hours to that new hotel they’re proposing. Have I mentioned that we are concerned? What do we need a hotel right here for?”
“This is the second time today someone has brought up that hotel business. I really don’t know much about it other than a few rumblings that it’s coming. I need to talk to someone about what’s really going on,” I said.
“Well, I got to run right now. Talk some sense into your sister. Sodom and Gomorrah, that’s what this new hotel is going to bring to our little New Moon Beach. I for one cannot understand why Harmony is in support of such a thing. Can you?”
Before I had a chance to respond to Mrs. Sch
wartz, she took notice of Miss Cassandra. “Oh my goodness, you have an orange kitty cat.”
Bending down she scooped Cassandra into her arms as I held my breath and sent my cat a warning look to behave or else. Stroking my cat gently Mrs. Schwartz cooed:
“What a beauty you are. And look at those copper eyes. I thought only black cats had copper eyes, you must be very special.”
With that, Miss Cassandra revved up her purring motor and Mrs. Schwartz looked pleased indeed.
“What’s her name?”
“Miss Cassandra,” I replied, hoping against all hopes that my cat would continue to mind her manners just a little bit longer.
“Well, Olivia, if you ever need any help with Miss Cassandra, just let me know. I am very familiar with the cat species, and I think that your cat and I are going to be great friends.” Mrs. Schwartz winked and offered a quick wave as she walked out my front door. “Bye Bye Miss Cassandra. I’ll come back another time for that cup of coffee, Olivia.”
With that, the whirlwind departed without ever realizing that she had just slammed my front door -- or had Meghan actually done that?
“Humph, Mrs. Schwartz is certainly going to be an interesting neighbor. Guess she doesn’t think much of your housekeeping skills.” Miss Cassandra pawed at the loose coffee grounds and then murmured as she snuggled on the rug in front of the two giant living room bay windows, “She sure had a lot to say about nothing, but she was right about one thing.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“She does need to burn those housecoats,” she said, fighting a big yawn as she struggled to keep one eye open.
“I agree,” I said as I looked out the window at the foaming, blue ocean waves that were so close they seemed ready to crash into my living room.
Seeing all that water, I realized it was time for a shower.
Chapter 5
Thirty minutes later, showered, lotioned up and ready to go, I left my bedroom.
“I thought you’d never finish with all of that girly stuff!” Miss Cassandra shared with a huff. “Do you think you could take any longer with your grooming needs? And you’re not even wearing any makeup today. Come on, we have places to go.”
Rolling my eyes in frustration and feeling more than a little self-conscious because I had avoided make-up this morning, I asked:
“Have you forgotten who’s in charge here?”
“Not one bit,” she said flippantly, offering up an exaggerated stare.
“Hold on a minute my golden kitty cat,” I said. “As my familiar aren’t you supposed to be my special guide, the spiritual one who’s always got my back and provides me with support and direction?”
“I don’t know where you’ve been, Olivia, but that’s what I’ve been doing every day since I moved in with you. I for one would appreciate a little more respect and a lot more gratitude for all of my hard work.”
Looking down at my cat I questioned, “Hard work?”
“Yes. Really Olivia, you are not the smartest witch I have ever served and it is incredibly hard work to keep you out of all of the mystical mayhem you continue to stumble into,” she said as she swiftly moved out of my sight.
While not every witch has their own familiar, all of the witches in my family do. Familiars are supernatural creatures who serve as a devoted friend to individual witches. And one more thing, while not every spirit-mate can, my familiar will warn me when trouble is coming my way. That is, if she is in the right mood and feels compelled to offer her assistance. Apparently that’s what she thought she was doing right now. I guess that I should pay better attention.
After my morning shower, I should have been calm and ready to conquer the world. Unfortunately as the day progressed I found my curiosity getting the better of me, after all, witches are curious by nature. First Officer Parker and then Mrs. Schwartz had crossed my path; both of them going on and on about a hotel in my little city by the beach. How could that have not piqued my curiosity?
I know that I should have called my sister, grabbed a local newspaper or contacted the City Hall. But I was both an inquisitive and an impatient witch and I felt certain that I needed to use my own talents to get the inside scoop of what was actually happening in my town. I would do it in my own way.
I opened my large kitchen, walk-in pantry in search of the herbs I would need. I found them where I had left them, hanging upside down and tied in bunches with a red string around each one. As a practicing witch, I know that herbal powers are only enhanced by keeping them dry and in a dark place like my pantry, so I rarely cracked these doors ajar.
Opening the doors, the aroma of fresh greenery wafted out, consumed my kitchen and tickled my nose as I cut snippets of Bay, Coltsfoot, Damiana, Eyebright and lavender and dropped them into my mortar bowl. Silently I ground them all together. Each of these potent herbs would combine their forces to help me to 'see' what lay in my future. I wish I could say that I like the smell of ground herbs, but they make me sneeze, especially the Coltsfoot!
Pulling down my brewing pot I filled it with warm water and carefully placed it on my stove. My cauldron is not the typical big ugly kind you see in movies and witches don't dance naked around it. Instead of a heavy iron pot with a sling handle, my cauldron is a large round bottomed shiny copper pot. I can easily grab it using either of the two huge wooden handles that protrude from either side of the pot. This lighter version allows me to fill it completely with water and herbs before easily moving it anywhere else.
I added the ground herbs and a pinch of ginger root, pulled off three small mint leaves from the plant on my kitchen sink and added them along with a spoon full of Mugwart. As the water began to bubble and each of the ingredients released their scent, I went in search of my Book of Shadows to help me through.
Looking up with curious eyes Miss Cassandra said, “I haven’t seen you with that book for a while. I was beginning to think that you had given up on magic and witchcraft.”
I pulled my cat onto my lap and petting her slowly and responded, “Witchcraft is not something that I can or cannot give up. It’s who I am. Today I am going to perform a spell and since I’m not always so good at it, I may need your help, so behave please. Oh, and thank you.”
As she pranced off, apparently feeling validated, I’m sure I heard her singing, 'That old’ black magic’s got a hold of me.'
To which I responded: “I don’t do black magic and you know it!”
Sometimes that cat is more trouble than she’s worth. Of course, I’ll keep that thought to myself for now.
Going to the white living room shelves, I withdrew three blue candles and a large seashell that I had taken from the beach just yesterday. It still smelled of the ocean. I opened my Book of Shadows, lit the candles one by one and held the seashell against my heart. As I breathed in the warm mist rising from my pot, I began to read:
Lady Ocean, Mother Sea
I bring my request directly to Thee
From high above
And down below
Wherever your beach winds, choose to blow
Let neither confusion nor unrest rock my home
Or be felt by any I know
Share your greatest wisdom with me
And help me to see what is afoot in my little city by the sea
Repeating the spell three times, I felt the temperature dip and the room darkens as I gazed through the heavy blue mist that filled the space above my cauldron. The scents of flowers and candles had combined to cover the smell of green herbs, making me feel calmer with each minute that passed. Three deep breaths and my mind felt open and ready to receive whatever message was channeled my way.
I could see many shapes reflected in the mist but nothing was clear. The sound of ocean waves grew louder and I again asked Mother Sea to answer my questions. Was a new hotel a sure thing? Where would it go? Would it interfere with Constance’s shop or mine? Instead of an answer from the center of the mist two black eyes began to take shape and stared directly back at
me. Who did those eyes belong to? A lost spirit? A poltergeist? Or wait! Were those the eyes of my father staring right at me?
“Oh boy! Dad, what are you doing here?” I asked, but got no response. “Dad, I didn’t call you, why are you here?”
Again, I received no answer.
I jumped as I felt Miss Cassandra wandering around my feet and heard her whisper:
“Olivia, what have you done now? Your dad gives me the creeps. Did you call him? And if you didn’t, why do you think he chose to show up now?” Pawing at the mist that floated her way Cassandra said, “Do you think he has something to do with this hotel funny business? His appearance does make one wonder.”
Disappointed and more than a little confused, I quickly blew out the candles and returned the shell along with my Book of Shadows to their shelves. Apparently, my answers would have to wait a bit longer before revealing themselves to me.
As I turned off my cauldron, I knew one thing for sure. If this hotel mania actually got off the ground I would be casting more than 'pretty please' spells on whoever it was who was trying to ruin New Moon Beach. And there was one more thing to plague me now; what the heck was my dad doing hanging around my pot? Was he part of the problem? I needed to let my sisters know he was here and fast!
As if responding to my last thoughts Miss Cassandra arched her back and began her cat chatter. Jumping down from the couch, she began to prowl the house. With each step her copper eyes glowed brighter as though she saw things that remained invisible to me, her witch mistress. Was she looking for my dad or some other unknown spirit?
Morning Magic Page 3