by Tamara Woods
He seemed to understand her, and gave her chin a gentle head butt in agreement.
"Hmph, he's a menace."
"He's the cutest menace ever, aren't you cutie pie?" Isa cooed at him. He gave her a slow blink and she gave it back.
"Oh, for the love of—" Auntie shook her head in exasperation grumbling as she walked away. "I'm tired of this mess. Too old to deal with a damn kitten trying to take out my favorite curtains. Never had a cat in all my days. Lord have mercy."
"You're a good kittie," Isa whispered in Maddie's hair and he flicked his ears in response. She cuddled him close and walked into her bedroom, curling up on the bed.
She had so much to process from over the last few days. From moving back home to having a new pet, good things had definitely happened.
"Bad things too," she murmured sadly, thinking about Travis. Even if as she'd suspected, she'd been used as a pawn to get to Travis in the first place, he'd come to her rescue that night. And because of that, the police were giving him a much bigger look than they otherwise may have. The obligation to help was real, but how could she find out more? Who could she turn to? It had been so long since she'd been home, like everyone kept reminding her, she rolled her eyes. She was out of the know.
Auntie's house phone rang, startling her, making Maddie jump off her lap in a huff. She hadn't heard that sound in a long time.
"Isa pick up the phone!" Her aunt hollered from the other room.
She picked up the her old phone that was shaped like a red lips and pressed it against her ear. It felt so foreign. "Hello?"
"Hey, Isa this is Meredith." Her voice was soft, almost like she was whispering.
"Meredith, hey! What's up?" she asked, curious.
"Sorry to bother you, I can call back—"
"No, no, I'm good. Are you okay?"
The pause on the phone seemed to stretch forever.
"I don't think so," she said. Her voice broke a little.
"How can I help?"
"Could you and your aunt do the cards, like we used to when we were kids?" she asked.
"I'm sure that would be fine. When do you want to come over?"
"Can I stop by tomorrow after my shift at the store?"
"Sure...sure. Of course," Isa said and then hung up, considering.
Back in the day, her aunt had done readings for only two other kids: Clare and Meredith. Isa had always wondered why she'd taken Meredith under her wing. As she grew older, she realized her aunt tended to take the kids under her wing who especially needed it.
"And that little goth girl don't have nobody at home who paid her any never mind," Auntie used to say when Isa would complain about having to do the readings.
But she wondered why the girl had waited until now to do one. Was this about Chad or something else?
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE NEXT DAY WAS BUSINESS as usual. Isa stood in for her aunt, who had to go in for her annual check-up. Nothing major went down in the shop. She tried to upsale people as unobtrusively as possible. Fortunately, she had a pretty good handle on the merchandise. So it was, "Oh, I love that incense burner. Have you tried these incense sticks? They have a lovely soothing scent for tough days."
She was surprised that it was actually fun.
Of course people came in for the tea. Instead of letting them serve it themselves, she served it for them with recommendations and letting them know where it came from and that they could purchase some for themselves. Out of the 10 people who came in for tea, four of them went home with a box. That increase in sales was really amazing. And soon, people would start to realize what they.
Later than night after dinner, she and her aunt sat in front of the TV watching Wheel of Fortune when Auntie said, "You know, I don't do that thing where you try to push products on people. I had three people stop me in the street today saying you were pushing products on them."
Isa turned in surprise, "I'm going to guess that the people who resulted in the 250 percent sales increase didn't bother mentioning this to you."
"No, probably not," she admitted. "But I'm not doing this for money. I'm here to offer guidance. To offer people an oasis in this harsh world we live in."
Isa stifled the urge to roll her eyes. Didn't the hippies die out decades ago?
"You're not going to help anybody if you're broke and bankrupt."
Hurt flashed in her aunt's eyes and she turned away. Isa felt a pang of regret for her harsh phrasing, but refused to take it back.
"If you want me to help you keep the bookstore, Auntie, things have to change. I'm trying different methods to encourage people to spend more and stay longer. We'll figure out what works best for you, but I have to start somewhere."
Her aunt sighed, and picked non-existent lint off of her caftan. "I know you're only trying to help me. And I know I need the help. I just wish I didn't, that's all. It's hard to see something you've worked so hard and so long on slip right through your fingers. It's happened a lot in this town, you know."
Isa did know. She saw it as she was walking through the downtown. A closer looked showed several shops that had boarded up windows and the trend was happening all over West Virginia. With big box stores coming in, smaller owned businesses often went to the wayside.
"You're not anywhere near there, Auntie. And we're going to work our bootymus maximuses off to make sure you don't."
She surprised a squawk laugh out of her aunt.
Isa's smile melted into a frown. "That reminds me, who is the owner of this building? The word around town is that they're planning on selling. Is that true? I've been looking at your books from the past few years and though your profit margin isn't the best, you don't seem to be in serious trouble."
"Hammill Law Office owns this building," she said. "They bought it offa my old landlord, Steve Greene. He retired and Hammill bought up all the properties he used to own. They haven't said anything to me about selling, but folks are acting like it's a done deal."
Again, another Hammill situation. Cheese and crackers, do these people ever rest?
"It's good that we'll be going to church this weekend then," Isa said, swallowing dramatically.
"Oh girl, you'll be fine! You need a little Jesus in your life anyway."
"Uh-huh. With your voodoo-hoodoo..."
Her aunt's face sobered. "We don't do voodoo in this house. That's very serious business and not to be toyed with. We use our given talents to elevate the lives of those around us."
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh that's right! I forgot to tell you that Meredith was coming tonight," Isa said in a rush.
"That's fine, go on and take her downstairs. I'll meet you all there in a minute," Auntie said.
Isa threw open the door just as Meredith was gearing up for another round of knocks.
"Hey Meredith, Aunt Maybel said she'd meet us down there," Isa said. "We can go on down if you want."
The other woman nodded, shifting back and forth on her feet. She was dressed more like her high school days all in black, except for her orange and purple socks.
"Sure, sure that's fine," she said, her smile more like a grimace.
They took the stairs to the bookshop. Instead going into the hallway to enter the area, Isa pushed a brick on the wall, revealing another set of stairs. Her aunt had said she suspected this building had somehow been a part of the Underground Railroad at one time, but she'd never checked to make sure. Down there was where the real heart of the building lay.
The naked light bulb swung above them, casting shadows around them. Isa used to hate walking down this part of the staircase where the air was thicker and steps seemed extra creeky.
She walked first, and unlocked the massive black door at the bottom with her skeleton key. Only she and Auntie had a copy. The door swung open with a bang and they both jumped.
"Sorry," she whispered. She flicked on the light switch and there in front of her was the real heart of the store. She flipped on the light switch.
All around them, soft lights flickered on, showcasing the deep plums, emeralds, and maroons her aunt favored. The tapestries on the walls softened the rooms effect, making it feel much less severe than it would otherwise. The room had the oldest books on witchcraft and the occult that her aunt had managed to salvage from her travels all over the world. To her left an ancient fireplace that hadn't been lit in years took up most of the wall. She grabbed the box of matches from the mantle, marveling at how that one room never seemed to get dusty.
Auntie must come down here and dust every so often, she thought. She lit an incense cone there, letting the familiar fragrance soothe her.
Long iron-wrought candelabras stood in the four corners. Just like her mama had performed and her mama before her, Isa went to each candle and let it, whispering a prayer to the North, South, East, and West winds as were her family's element. Cofindagers had been declared witches for hundreds of years, each of them professing some form of the "sight." Fraya had always channeled her energy into the creative, but didn't really acknowledge the family history. Neilina's path was with the animal world, but who knows where she fell with the family lineage?
Isa just performed the rituals as she'd been taught, but didn't believe any of it.
Not really.
The room was dominated by a substantial black circular table that sported deep ridges from decades of use. It too had been around for the ages. Its matching chairs were well-cushioned with high backs. Isa offered Meredith a seat, who took it in reverence.
Meredith had always believed much more than Isa ever did.
In the far reach of the room, Isa put a small tea kettle on for boil. There was a small kitchenette with one burner and a sink. Sometimes fire was needed and others water. She knew her aunt's habits well. She would want tea and cookies afterward. The tea to calm her stomach and the cookies for a sugar kick. She found "the vibe" draining. They had to time prepare. She knew her aunt was readying herself for the process by washing her hands, arms, and face to cleanse herself from the residue from the day. She may even change her clothes, if the spirit moved her.
"Meredith, do you want me to sit over there or at the table? Or would you prefer for me to go away? It's all about what would make you most comfortable."
She shook her head, "Oh no, stay. Please. Sit with us."
Isa nodded. She needed to prepare the tray first. On the small shelf beside of the sink, she picked a tin of coffee, the pack of sugar cookies, and the tea cups. After she'd arranged everything just so, she sat at the table.
They took a few minutes for small talk, not settling on one subject. Isa asked about her family and how she was doing, just like you would do at any other social gathering. She hadn't sat in on a reading in a while, but she remembered this tactic of helping the client to relax. She supposed even if you were a skeptic like herself, sitting down in front of someone and thinking they were going to be able to see through all of your secrets was unnerving.
The teapot started whistling. "Do you still like Earl Grey, Meredith with cream and sugar?" Isa asked.
She startled, her mouth dropping showing off her tongue ring. It had a ying yang symbol on its ball. "How do you remember that after all this time?"
She shrugged. "Some people remember astrological signs. I remember drinks."
Just then, Auntie rushed through the door, her freshly sprayed perfume melding well with the incense. Her caftan was a dark purple now and her head scarf matched with silver specks on it.
"Nothing for me, thank you." Auntie said, taking her seat at the table. This too was familiar. She would a tea afterward, just to make sure she didn't accidentally spill something on the cards.
"All righty, I'll grab tea for me and Meredith then."
She placed the well-loved tray on the rail car cart and assembled all of the teas for them, a black tea with cherry blossom flavor for herself. The cups were all mismatched, from an antique shop in Charleston that she and her aunt had visited years ago. She made quick order of the work and pushed the cart over. She made the tea, and handed Meredith hers, who seemed to warm her hands on the cup. She murmured a thanks.
"Meredith, go on and choose which deck you want me to use. You know where they are. Pick the bag that seems to call to you and we'll go from there."
Beside an overflowing bookcase was a wall mounted shelf filled to the brim with all sort of witchy business. The shelf her aunt was indicating held bags of all manners of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some with motley fabric of a makeshift of different cloths, others were in heavy velvet in royal colors that matched the room.
Meredith nodded and walked past the shelf once, looking at each bag. Then she did a curious thing. She closed her eyes reached her hand out, as though she was waiting for something. And she pointed at a beautiful velvet purple one.
"These were a gift when I was trianhopping from from Chicago to St. Louis." Auntie walked over and picked the bag carefully off of the shelf.
Isa's eyebrows rose. Her aunt used to hop from train to train? That took some nerves of steel. And who gave the gift?
"Take the seat that feels most comfortable to you and we'll sit ourselves around you accordingly."
Auntie had always maintained that choice in all things was one of the highest responsibilities and privileges that people have.
"We must do the most to not take choice away from people," she used to say. "Sometimes choice is all somebody's got."
Meredith sat at the head of the table, Auntie sat to her left, and Isa to her right.
Aunt Maybel pulled the cards out of the satchel. They had a dark cast to them, handcrafted and beautiful. However, if an inanimate object could have a feeling, this one felt dark to Isa.
"You must have some serious thoughts on your mind," Auntie said, her voice a low tone.
Meredith nodded and she licked her lips nervously. "What do I need to do?"
Auntie opened a drawer on the cart and pulled out an onyx tray and a satchel of sage. "I'm going to light this sage bundle and smudge the cards to clean them of any lingering energy. Then I hand them to you. You shuffle them until you feel you're done. Then hand them back."
Meredith nodded solemnly. Isa wanted to make a biting comment that it was all merely a mirage, but she couldn't find the voice to do so. Her aunt took a lighter out of her bra and lit the bundle. She blew out the flame and allowed the smoke to run across the cards. She whispered something under her breath. Everyone was silent for a moment. She put the sage on the tray after she was finished. The effect of all of the different scents in the room was starting to go to Isa's head.
She passed the cards to Meredith who took them with a shaky hand. She started to shuffle them and one card flew out from the stack. She went to pick it up.
"No, leave it." Aunt Maybel's voice rang with authority. "If the card wants to be in the spread, so be it."
Meredith nodded again, and after a few more shuffles, handed the pile back.
"What did you come here to figure out tonight Meredith?" Auntie asked, her voice gentle. "What do you seek?"
"I wanted to know...I wanted..." At that moment, she seemed like the Meredith who would come over even when Isa wasn't home, just to have someone to talk to after school. "Am I forgiven?"
"You want forgiveness? From whom?" Auntie asked.
Meredith's swallow was audible. "From Chad."
Isa's eyes widened and she looked down at her hands in her lap, so no one would see her expression. Forgiveness from Chad? Did that mean Meredith killed him? But if she had, would she come here and be so blatant about it all? That doesn't make sense. Before he was gone, they didn't even let people know they were together.
Her aunt started laying cards out in no real order that Isa could see. She'd been reading cards for decades so it was probably a spread she'd learned back in the day. She clasped her hands on the table in front of herself, studying the cards for a long moment. Gathering her thoughts.
"This doesn't look good at all," Meredith murmured, her
voice low.
"It might not be the cheeriest reading," Auntie admitted. "But there are a lot of dark things hanging around Chad. It's not a surprise that some of it seeped into the reading."
Isa looked down at the cards, trying to discern where her aunt would go with this reading. Would it effect the directions she took?
Her aunt pointed to the first card she laid down, the one that had jumped out of Meredith's hands- a couple standing close to each other, with a tree behind them. They looked like they were rapt for each other's attention, or smothering each other. The duality of meaning.
"The Lovers," Aunt Maybel said. "There was love in your relationship. It looks like you had to make a decision in the past with this relationship. And that decision's ramifications are still being felt by you."
Meredith's small gasp confirmed Auntie's supposition.
She nodded moving to the next card. A man had seven swords on his shoulders and he appeared to be trying to sneak away. "7 of Swords—You weren't open about your relationship. Because it was a secret, lies were told to keep that public appearance."
Meredith's hand was on her mouth.
Next was a woman sitting on a throne, a sword in one hand, the other hand had an open palm up. "The Queen of Swords. You did not like that you had to keep things quiet, did you? You've always been an honest person. The sneaking around tore you up." Auntie looked down again and looked at Meredith, her eyes soft. "You had words with him, didn't you? Oh honey."
Meredith's whimper was muffled. Isa took a sip of her tea instead of interrogating her old friend about an argument that she'd apparently had with her dead lover. Did the conversation get too heated and that's why he ended up in the pinsetter?
"This is not a good reading at all." Meredith's voice was muffled. She closed her eyes so tightly and a tear squeezed out.
"Meredith, you already knew. You been knew what was going on with you two, was no good for you," Auntie's voice was gentle, but firm. She pointed to The Devil card and his face seemed to almost sneer at them. "I don't know what was dragging down your relationship. But it was something even more than the secrets. Something you couldn't stand."