by Laura DeLuca
“You are cleansed,” Darlene whispered. “So mote it be.”
Then the ritual was over. Darlene released the corners and the Gods to their realms, and Rebecca found herself alone with just her boyfriend’s mother. She was still enchanting, but not quite so unearthly. Around them, darkness had already fallen. It hadn’t felt like the ritual had taken hours, but time always did move differently in the sanctity of the circle.
Together, they cleaned up the ritual tools and packed them back into Darlene’s bag, which reminded Rebecca of the bottomless carpet bag of Mary Poppins, it was filled with so many endless wonders. Once everything was cleaned up, Darlene ordered Chinese takeout, and they sat and watched Practical Magic and The Mists of Avalon. Both the meal and the movies helped to ground them and bring them back to the physical world.
“Unless my third eye is out of focus, I think I sense a definite change in your aura,” Darlene told her with a satisfied smile as the credits began to roll on the second film. “The dark patches have faded, and you seem bathed in blue light.”
Rebecca wasn’t one hundred percent sure what that meant without consulting her book on auras, but she definitely did feel completely different. Again, her eyes grew moist, but this time, it was with an almost desperate relief. She felt clean, pure and … whole. She felt like herself again. She was no longer weighed down by fear. Yet, she was so overwhelmed with emotions, she could barely speak.
“Thank you, Darlene … you have no idea … I mean … I feel….”
Rebecca could only stutter incoherently, but even if Darlene didn’t have an advanced sixth sense, she didn’t need words to know what Rebecca was thinking. She could read the gratitude in her expression. Darlene pulled her close.
“It will still take time, you know, before everything goes back to the way it was,” Darlene said. “But I think you’ll find yourself more open to healing in all its forms. Just take things slowly.”
Rebecca nodded and fought back a yawn. She wasn’t sure why she was so tired. Darlene had done all the work. Still, it was a good kind of exhaustion. One that was well-earned. Though it was only eleven o’clock and she had slept in that morning, Rebecca found herself yearning for sleep.
Darlene immediately understood. “It’s often draining to invoke such powerful energies. You should get some rest, sweetheart. Tomorrow you will start on a new road.”
Rebecca yawned again before giving Darlene a goodnight hug and thanking her one last time. She didn’t even think to ask if she was spending the night at the apartment or driving back home. She was too tired to plan that far ahead. Giving into the exhaustion, Rebecca brushed her teeth and pulled on a pair of soft flannels. She climbed into her bed and fell into the first peaceful sleep she had known in a long time.
Chapter Twenty
The next morning when Rebecca opened her eyes, it was like déjà vu. She woke up alone in her bed to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee. A peek at the clock told her it was almost noon. She couldn’t believe she had slept for over twelve hours again. However, there was one important difference that kept her from thinking she had somehow lapsed into a bad version of Groundhog Day. When Rebecca pulled herself from the bed, she felt invigorated, even happy for the first time in what seemed like forever. She couldn’t wait until Justyn got home so she could tell him she wouldn’t be leaving after all.
When Rebecca walked out into the living room, she expected to find Darlene waiting there. However, all signs of the High Priestess were gone, including her crystals and smudge sticks. Only the lingering scent of sage and incense gave any indication she had been there at all. Instead, she found Justyn standing at the counter, looking divine in his baggy black pants and fishnet sleeves. He watched in silence as the coffee dripped into the pot—something he would only be doing if he was in deep thought. He didn’t even notice her come into the room, which only lent more credence to her theory. Normally, it was impossible for her to sneak up on him. He was the one who had the ability to move as silently as a ghost. Rebecca was satisfied if she moved without bumping into anything.
She watched him for a while, almost overwhelmed by the flood of love she felt for him. Not many guys would have been as understanding as he was. Most would have felt bad for her, but thrown in the towel after one or two attempts. Not Justyn. He never gave up. He never lost faith in her. At that moment, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
Rebecca took a few steps toward him, and for the first time since the attack, reached for him without fear. Gently, she wrapped her arms around his waist. She laid her head against his back for just a moment, savoring the familiar contours of his body. At first, she felt him jerk in response to the unexpected touch, but then he grasped one of her hands with an almost frantic longing. When he finally turned and looked at her, his eyes were moist with emotion. She smiled softly and reached up to touch his cheek, meeting his gaze without flinching.
“‘Hey there, sir, don’t I … know you … from somewhere?’” Rebecca whispered.
It was one of the only meaningful lines she had in the play. It indicated that even in her madness, Lucy recognized her long-lost husband as soon as he stepped off the boat in London. Of course, Sweeney Todd was too revolted by her dirt and rags, and more than likely her smell, to really look at Lucy. Luckily, Rebecca’s boyfriend felt differently. His dark eyes drank her in with an almost unquenchable thirst. She knew in that instant, everything was going to be all right between them.
“Oh, Becca!”
He threw his arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest. The embrace was desperate, yet gentle. She knew he was still worried he might frighten her. But though the fear still lingered to some extent and probably always would, it was no longer misplaced. She felt safe in his arms again. It was the only place she wanted to be. They stayed that way for what felt like forever, just holding one another without speaking. Physically they had experienced so much more over the last year, yet that innocent expression of love was one of the most intimate moments they had ever shared, one they both knew had solidified their connection.
“Thank you,” Rebecca whispered, once they separated. “Thank you for calling Darlene. I don’t know what made you do it, but I think you just might have saved my life.”
Justyn smiled. “Then we’re finally even.” He kissed her cheek, poured her a cup of coffee, and brought out a box of cereal. He was quiet again for a minute, not quite sure of what to say. “So, Darlene helped you?”
“More than I thought possible,” Rebecca admitted, but didn’t go into details. The intimacy of the ritual, as Darlene had said, was a woman’s mystery. “You may still have to be a little patient with me in some areas.” Rebecca felt herself blush. “But for the most part, I think I’m going to be okay now.”
“I can be patient. It’s moments like this that I missed the most. Just sitting beside you and holding your hand.” He reached across the table, lifted her hand, and kissed each of her fingers. Then noticing the bandage was still on her arm, he kissed that gently as well. “Are you sure you’re all right, Becca, emotionally and physically?”
With a small smile, Rebecca reached out with her free hand and touched first the small mark above his eye and then his shoulder. Though it was covered by his shirt, she knew exactly where the horrible scar from the bullet wound lay.
“We both have scars now, but I’ll learn to live with mine, the same way you learned to live with yours.”
He nodded in approval and pulled her close again. “Gods, Becca. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too,” she admitted. “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you.”
He shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“It’s generous of you to say that, but I still feel bad for pushing you away.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for putting up with me—for always taking care of me, even when I didn’t want you to.”
“We take care of each other,” Justyn corrected. “That’s what makes this work. Spe
aking of which—why don’t you go hop in the shower? I have another little surprise planned.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What kind of surprise?”
“You’ll see,” he said mysteriously. “Now go get dressed.”
Twenty minutes later, Rebecca was freshly showered and pulling her hair into a ponytail as she followed Justyn out to the car. They weren’t on the road long when they passed by a little fruit and vegetable stand selling the last of their meager wares from the final fall harvest. It was mostly pumpkins and squashes, so Rebecca was surprised when Justyn pulled into their driveway.
“We’re going grocery shopping?” she teased. “You should have told me. I feel underdressed.”
Justyn rolled his eyes. “Ha, ha. I’m just stopping here to pick something up. Then we’ll be heading to our real destination.”
The woman who manned the stand looked to be nearly a hundred, with a stooped back and wispy gray hair surrounding her sun-bleached skin. Rebecca watched from the passenger seat as Justyn greeted her with his normal charming smile. He whispered something to her, and she nodded approvingly as he rifled through fruits and greenery until he found what he was looking for. He handed her a ten-dollar bill and shook his head when she tried to offer him change. Then she noticed them both laugh and smile as they held up their almost identical pentacle necklaces. Rebecca had never noticed it before she started to study the Craft, but there really were witches everywhere. Justyn chatted with the crone for a few more minutes, and Rebecca saw them both mouth the words “blessed be” before he finally came back to the car with a perfectly round apple and two tiny bundles of late-blooming wildflowers.
“One for you, my lady.” He handed her the bouquet of sunflowers and bush daisies.
“Why, thank you, Lord Justyn. They’re beautiful,” Rebecca gushed. “But who are the other ones for?”
“Patience is a virtue, my love.”
He winked at her, and she sat back against the seat, defeated. If there was one thing she had learned in a year of dating Justyn, it was that he would never give away a secret. He reveled too much in the final reveal. Luckily, she didn’t have to stay in suspense for long. About fifteen minutes later, Justyn pulled into the parking lot of a mini mall. There were about ten stores lined up, ranging from liquor stores to fast food restaurants. She couldn’t for the life of her guess what Justyn was up to.
“We really are going grocery shopping, aren’t we?” Rebecca gestured to the giant Save-A-Lot they were parked in front of. “Is this your subtle way of telling me I need to start stocking the fridge a little better?”
“If that were the case, I’d have driven to the health food store.” He laughed. “But no, we’re going there.”
Justyn gestured to the smaller shop next door to the supermarket. Outside the elaborate red doors, two bronze oriental dragons stood guard. Above the doorway hung a sign that read simply, Oriental Nails. There was even an ad underneath the sign that announced a mani-pedi combo was on special for only thirty-five dollars. Through the large glass windows, Rebecca could see the massage chairs and foot tubs lined up along one side of the wall. On the other side were tables where little Asian women wearing surgical masks were bent over their patrons, nail polish bottle and brushes in hand.
“We’re going in there?” Rebecca asked, slightly flabbergasted. “Really?”
“I think we deserve a little pampering after all we’ve been through,” Justyn told her.
Rebecca raised an eyebrow. “We. You actually mean to tell me that you’re going into a nail salon?”
“What? I’m secure enough in my manhood to get a manicure. Besides,” he gave his chipped black nail polish a critical stare, “I need a touch-up.”
Rebecca laughed, really laughed, for the first time in what felt like forever. She followed Justyn into the salon, noticing with curiosity that he carried the flowers and apple with him. He gave the Vietnamese receptionist their names. In broken English, she requested they take a seat. Justyn nodded, but before he walked away from the counter, he whispered something to the dark-haired woman. She smiled at him with new respect in her eyes before gesturing to the front of the store. Though Rebecca had no idea what he’d said to her, she wasn’t surprised. Justyn often had that effect on people.
“Are we having a snack before we get started?” Rebecca joked as he tossed the apple up and down. “I know you’re a vegetarian, but I think the flowers might be taking things a little too far.”
Justyn rolled his eyes. “It’s an offering,” he explained. “To Buddha.”
He gestured to the corner of the store where a shrine had been raised in honor of Buddha. There were three statues, all of the same jolly fat man who had his hand on one knee and his large belly protruding. Though each likeness varied slightly, the kind smile on his face was constant. The two smaller statues on either side were made from a maroon-colored stone, while the one in the center was a luxurious golden hue and stood a good three feet high. Each of the effigies clung to their own string of prayer beads. There were also a few carvings of elephants around the perimeter of the mini temple, all of which seemed to have their trunks raised in tribute. The statues were surrounded by bowls of sand filled with literally hundreds of incense sticks, which had long since burned out. In the center, under the largest golden Buddha’s legs, was a bronze offering bowl that was currently empty.
“What are we offering?” Rebecca asked.
“Just a small gift in exchange for His blessing,” he answered.
Justyn knelt beside the statues and bowed deeply. Not wanting to cause either Buddha or his followers any offense, Rebecca followed his lead, bowing so low her forehead actually touched the stone floor. When they finally rose, though they were still on their knees, Justyn took the apple and laid it inside the offering bowl.
“With lights brightly shining,
abolishing this gloom,
I adore the Enlightened One,
the Light of the three worlds.”
Next, one-by-one, he rested each of the flowers beside the apple, pausing after each to lay his hands upon the golden statue in homage. His expression was serious and his eloquent voice solemn as he spoke the words of the ancient Buddhist chant.
“I worship the Buddha with these flowers;
May this virtue be helpful for my emancipation;
Just as these flowers fade,
Our body will undergo decay.”
Lastly, he reached for one of the incense sticks on the side of the statue that had not been used yet. He set the tip aflame with a lighter he pulled from his pocket, and instantly they were surrounded by the intoxicating scent of nag champa smoke, which wrapped them in its calming embrace.
“With perfumed incense
and fragrant smoke
I worship the Exalted One,
who is great and worthy of worship.”
Rebecca listened to him recite, loving the beauty of the words and the meaning within them. She studied the figure of the Buddha, so different from the Goddess she had come to know. Yet somehow, still the same, because they both radiated pure love. They sat there until the incense stick had burned down, and Rebecca felt filled with the same peaceful, calming energy she felt during the cleansing ritual. Once the incense dwindled down, Justyn took her hand and placed it on the large golden belly.
“It’s good luck to touch the belly of Buddha,” he explained with a smile. Then he lent her his hand to help her to her feet so she didn’t prove him wrong by falling on her face.
“Wow, sometimes I swear you’re like a walking encyclopedia. How do you know all this stuff?”
Justyn smiled as they sat down to wait for their turn in the massage chairs. “When I was a kid, Darlene encouraged me to learn about all different religions. She brought me to Christian churches, Jewish Synagogues, and Muslim Mosques. One of my favorite and most meaningful experiences was with a little Buddhist temple back in Vegas. When I was about twelve, I spent a lot of time there. That’s where I learned about
the offerings and the chants. I still decided that Wicca was the right path for me in this life. But really, in the end, all deities are just different aspects of the same creator. People just like to give a face to what they can’t truly grasp in their mortal shells.”
“Darlene has taught you well,” Rebecca whispered, impressed.
“Indeed she has. And apparently she’s also taught you a thing or two.”
Rebecca smiled. “Was this Darlene’s idea?”
“No.” He seemed offended and actually pouted a little. “I thought of it all on my own.”
“You two ready. You come back now, but you pick you color first.”
The little Asian woman interrupted their conversation, and Rebecca had to struggle to understand her thick accent. She looked annoyed as she gestured toward the wall of nail polish behind them and waited for them to make their selections. With a shrug, they stood and studied their choices. Rebecca went for a light tan for her fingers and a darker brown for her toes, thinking they were the perfect fall colors. Justyn, of course, went straight for the black. Nail polish bottles in hand, they followed the woman back to the two massage chairs that had bubbling foot spas already set up beneath them. Along the way, she admired the potted bamboo trees, oriental fans, and the large oil paintings of far-off lands that dotted the walls.
Rebecca sighed as she leaned back against the vibrating chair and soaked her feet in the warm water. A pedicure was a luxury she hadn’t even considered since leaving for college, though her and Carmen had indulged often enough back in high school. Justyn looked pretty comfortable too, despite the fact he was surrounded my mostly middle-aged women, all of whom were giving him strange looks—something that wasn’t uncommon with this black wardrobe and facial piercings. Though, even if he had been dressed in khakis and a polo shirt, they still would have found it odd he was getting a pedicure. Justyn didn’t seem to notice them staring. He was never one to care about what other people considered the norm, which was just one of the many reasons why he had her so smitten. She thought it was adorable when he leaned back into the massage chair and relished every minute of the experience.