Shasta Summer

by Teresa Geering

  “How would you like blonde hair instead?”

  Summer was surprised and excited by the question. It was what she had overheard Aunt May and Merlin discussing. “I would love it,” she said.

  “Well, when you have finished breakfast and the chores are done, we’ll do it. That’s settled,” said May partly to herself.

  Hurriedly, Summer finished her breakfast, put her cereal bowl by the sink to be washed and rushed into the bedroom to make her bed. Excited, she began to imagine herself with blonde hair. Caught up in her enthusiasm, Merlin jumped on the bed as she made it and rolled on his back for his tummy to be tickled.

  “How do you think I will look with blonde hair, Merlin?” she asked.

  “I’m sure it’ll look lovely,” said Merlin.

  As the sun was so warm, May decided to change Summer’s hair outside by the old well at the top of the garden. In readiness for the spell she had already combined equal quantities of white jasmine, white rose petals that had been kissed by the evening rain, and petals from the flower of equilibrium. To this she had added eight drops of rainwater and, on a whim, some oils. To her way of thinking, spells came mostly by instinct and experience. Shaking the potion together in a phial, she poured it onto Summer’s hair whilst singing a rhyme quietly to herself, ending with ‘so let it be’.

  May was also aware that this magic hair tonic would clear Summer’s mind and awaken her senses around her crown Chakra - the powerful energy point at the top of her head - preparing the way for telepathic insight. At the very least she would have great clarity, and perhaps even realise her true destiny. That would rely to a certain extent on Abelia, of course, and how much Summer was prepared to open her mind.

  May wrapped Summer’s hair in a towel to absorb the surplus water, gave it a quick rub and removed the towel. She gasped in amazement. Summer’s hair had certainly grown during the time that she had been staying here but it now seemed much longer and the colour was beautiful.

  “Oh, Summer, come and let’s find you a mirror,” she said. “I think you’ll be very pleased.”

  They both hurried into the bedroom to look in the mirror. Summer was so surprised at the change in herself, she almost missed the chair and sat on the floor. Could that really be her, she wondered. She looked so different and so much older. Strangely, her hair had dried almost immediately and was now past her shoulders.

  “What do you think?” asked her aunt.

  “I…I… oh, Aunt May, I can’t believe it. I look so different and I feel as if I should have always been blonde. It makes me look and feel so much older than I am.”

  “Oh yes, my Shasta., oh yes”. May whispered silently.

  Putting her arms round Summer, she pulled her up and they walked hand-in-hand into the sunlight of the garden. Merlin watched from a distance. 'Oh, my beloved, how enchanting you look,' he thought to himself. 'Shasta Day will be wonderful. I can feel it in my old bones.'

  Chapter 6

  May was aware that Summer would have to meet Abelia before long, but she wanted to prepare her first. Since she had changed Summer’s hair to blonde, the child seemed not only to grow in height, but also to have matured into a beautiful young woman.

  Summer seemed to have taken this in her stride, laughing many times when she had tried to fit into clothes and footwear that was much too small for her now. Consequently, May, with Summer’s help, had done a few spells which provided Summer with new clothes and shoes. Sometimes they used conventional means; more often they just used magic. as the mood took them. Summer showed a natural aptitude for it all. May was aware of the strength of her magical powers but even she hadn’t expected such a drastic change.

  Oh yes, this was indeed Shasta reincarnated.

  Thinking back, she had known this on the day Summer was born, even though she had red hair. She hadn’t said anything to her sister, of course. May had looked into the baby’s eyes and known, felt, that this was Shasta. She just couldn’t wait for Shasta Day in the village. She, of course, would play a leading role, introducing Shasta to the villagers. In the past they had made do with a substitute; one of the local girls would take the part. This time they had the real thing.

  The problem was should she now refer to Summer as Shasta or Summer? She would have to approach the child and seek out her feelings on the matter. No one in the village had remarked on the change in Summer. After all, this was Shasta, and magic was part of the history it was steeped in. However, only white magic was ever used, and only for the good of all mankind.

  She decided to ask 'The Eye of Erasmus' as Summer was in bed, asleep. Merlin had been lying by Summer's feet but had now walked out to May.

  “Come Merlin,” May said, “let us light the candle and consult the book.”

  With that, Merlin followed May to her bedroom, his tail held aloft expectantly.

  May faced her altar. As the sun had now fully set, she anointed her white candle with acacia oil and placed a bay leaf from her spice jar on the altar. Having already cut the appropriate flower from the garden in readiness, she placed it in a bowl of water beside the lit candle. Then she began to speak her usual incantation, finishing with “So let it be”.

  Burning the leaf in the candle's flame, May breathed in slowly and deeply six times. On the last breath out, she blew out the candle. Lifting up the book, she carried it across to her bed. The eye only became visible when the book was lifted up.

  Erasmus lazily opened his eye.

  “Good evening, May. I thought it was the child.”

  “Oh good evening, Erasmus, sorry to disturb you. You may go back to sleep. I’ll do this myself this time but be assured the child will come.”

  Merlin lay beside her on the bed during this exchange of words. He was a bit wary of Erasmus.

  “Well, Merlin, what shall we ask first”?

  “Oh, I think we have to ask if we should call Summer Shasta, that is the most important thing,” Merlin replied.

  May phrased the question in her mind and the book flew open. They both looked at the rhyme and came up with the answer, “Yes, but don’t force it.”

  “Well that certainly answers the question, May. Maybe we should talk to Summer in the morning.”

  “I think we had another question, Merlin, something to do with human form, I think.”.

  “Oh please, don’t tease me, May, especially not now. I’d love to be human for Shasta Day, you know that. What are my chances, do you think? I would be happy with just one day as a human with my mistress, that’s all I ask.”

  Very well, are you ready?” asked May.

  “Absolutely,” said Merlin.

  May concentrated on the question for him and again the book opened. This time the rhyme was easier but even she was startled by the answer.

  “What does it say?” said Merlin.

  “Oh I don’t think you want to know, Merlin,” said May.

  “Please don’t tease me, May. Tell me quick,” Merlin almost shouted.

  And May said, “The rhyme informs you to be prepared for the unexpected.”

  “Oh,” said Merlin.

  He didn’t know what to make of that. Well he would just have to wait and see, but he didn’t hold out much hope.

  Chapter 7

  “Well,” said May the following morning after breakfast, the chores having been dealt with.,“I think it’s about time we humoured your father and taught you something about plants, my dear. We could spend some time in the garden this morning. How would you like that?”

  “I think that’s a lovely idea, Aunt”.

  May noticed that even Summer’s speech had matured but wisely decided not to remark on it. The difficulty was to remember not to call her Shasta yet. That would come soon enough, though. May walked ahead of Summer into the garden, towards the shed which stood to the side on its own. Ivy and honeysuckle had been encouraged to grow up over it so that it blended in with the rest of the garden. While May was in the shed picking up the gardening tools, Summer stood looking at
the garden in awe. There were so many flowers and bushes of all descriptions. This encouraged her to wander around and she checked out each bush in case she missed something.

  Unlike the garden at home, Aunt May’s garden seemed to take on its own life, making its own decisions about what would grow and where. The path from the cottage meandered through the garden and invited you to walk down and admire everything to the left and right of it. Soft fruit bushes of peaches, blueberries and apricots grew in profusion everywhere. In some cases they were quite tall. This encouraged the likes of fuchsias and day lilies to peep around them, inviting the admirer to look beyond the bushes at them. Some sunflowers stood quietly erect, while others bent their heads to look at smaller plants below. Heavily perfumed jasmine and sweet peas climbed up anything that stood still long enough to support them. Here and there were mature trees of willow and oak which provided some relief from the relentless sunshine. Growing beneath the trees were primroses and forget-me-nots, intertwined with small bits of lavender which seemed to have sneaked in when no one was looking. Even Summer knew that it was very unusual for spring flowers to grow in the height of summer. In this garden there were no allowances made for the change in seasons. Everything grew as and when it felt the desire. Consequently there was a surprise at every twist and turn of the path.

  Following quietly in her tracks were May and Merlin, reluctant to intrude on her solitude. Summer had so much to discover. Questions could be answered at a later time, if necessary.

  To the left of her was a well with a small bucket and cup attached by a chain. Summer peered in at the water inside which was crystal clear. Feeling a need to quench her thirst, she dipped the cup in the well and filled it. As she bought it up to her mouth, she noticed that it seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. Curiously, she lifted the cup to her lips and drank thirstily. Although it was icy cold, she noticed that it had a kind of sweet taste. Refreshed, she looked to the end of the garden. Slightly off to the right she noticed a gate that she hadn’t seen before. Wondering where it might lead, she walked towards it. Very gentle music seemed to emanate from the area, like tinkling bells ringing in the gentle breeze. May had many wind chimes in the garden but none of them sounded anything like this. She wouldn’t have been at all surprised to see faeries and elves at work there.

  “Get real, Summer, this is the real world”. This was spoken by Summer out loud in a very mature womanly voice. “But this is Shasta, isn’t it?” she said more softly to herself. Aunt May had said Faery Cove was around here somewhere at the bottom of the garden. As she put her hand on the gate, something stopped her from opening it. She began to feel hesitant and unsure of herself.

  May, realising Summer’s dilemma, said, “Have you enjoyed your wander round the garden? Merlin and I thought we would give you a chance to look around on your own for a while. What do you think?”

  “I always thought my parents' garden was amazing, but this is so perfect, Aunt May, I feel as if I’ve always belonged here.”

  Inside, May felt a deep contentment, and Merlin beside her began to purr happily. The three of them turned in silence and began to wander back through the garden. Every so often, Summer would ask the name of a flower or May would point out various other plants, explaining what family they belonged to. At one point Summer passed a birdbath on the ground. It looked like an old up-turned dustbin lid filled with water. Inside were various large stones for birds to perch on to drink. It amused Summer to see frogs swimming in it, while others sunbathed on the stones. Some birds had taken the risk and were drinking beside them, while others formed an orderly queue, waiting their turn of pecking order. She was aware of a little robin which seemed to follow her movements with his head before feigning disinterest.

  At one point May decided that a bit of weeding was called for. The two of them set about it in a companionable silence while Merlin lay beside them with his head resting on his paws, cat napping. Summer realised that, although the garden seemed exceptionally hot, she no longer seemed to burn as much since her hair had been changed to blonde. She was beginning to turn a deep tan and she embraced it.

  “Does it ever rain here, Aunt May?”

  “Yes, my child, but it’s only very gentle rain, at night, just enough to give the flowers a drink. It can be very refreshing to walk in the rain. I frequently do it. Remember, Summer, the water of life is in a single raindrop. I think it’s time we had a drink now. All this talk of water is making me feel thirsty.”

  “I think that would be lovely, thank you, Aunt,” said Summer.

  Together they walked up to the kitchen. Merlin, having woken and stretched, was following in their wake.

  “I think we will have some lemonade,” said May.

  Going to the fridge to fetch the jug of lemonade, she realised that she hadn’t made any.

  “Oh dear, I seem to have forgotten to make any. How silly of me,” she said. “Well, Summer, there seems to be only one solution, and that is to use a little bit of magic,” said May. “Perhaps you would like to give it a try.”

  “I…. I…. well if you think I can, Aunt.”

  “I know you can,” said her aunt. “It just takes confidence, that’s all.”

  “What do I do first?”

  “Cut the lemons in half,” said May, “then squeeze the juice into the jug.”

  Summer did that and asked, “What next?”

  “Add some sugar,” said May. “You will know how much.”

  While she did this, May went to the herb garden outside the door and picked some mint.

  “Now fill the jug with water, Summer, up to the brim.” May meanwhile rinsed off the mint.

  Summer automatically took the mint from her Aunt and dropped it into the jug. At the same time Summer whispered, “Lemonade be.”

  “What do I do now, Aunt?”

  May laughed and said, “Well I don’t know about you, Summer, but I am going to get a glass and drink some.”

  “But what about the little bit of magic?” Summer asked, feeling a bit deflated after all the effort.

  “You’ve already done that,” said May.

  “But I haven’t done anything,” said Summer.

  “Think back to when you dropped the mint into the jug. What did you say to yourself?”

  “I don’t remember saying anything at all,” said Summer.

  Of course the child wouldn’t remember, thought May. I have to forget that this is Shasta and think of her as Summer still. This was a new experience for Summer but with her subconscious knowledge of her old ways, she would now automatically say the words. But the Summer of today wouldn’t be aware of what she was doing yet.

  Pouring out two glasses of lemonade, May sat pondering for a couple of moments. She had to remember that she was talking to a child, even though Summer’s looks and manners belied that. She also seemed to be growing steadily on a daily basis.

  May began to speak, choosing her words carefully. “When certain special people come to Shasta, my lovely, they automatically inherit the gift of the village which is to perform magic by spell casting. Mostly, they are not aware that this has happened to them. In some cases, chosen ones are also given the gift of second sight, which means that they can see what will happen in the future. This all happened to you when you came to stay here. The gift of second sight will mature over the time that you are here. Don’t concern yourself too much, my love, it’s all perfectly normal for Shasta. May I suggest that you have a bit of a lay down now with Primrose? Merlin is already in your room in the wicker chair, probably dreaming about a nice bit of fish.”

  This made Summer laugh and, with that, she made her way to her room. Merlin was indeed curled up in the wicker chair just as May had predicted. How did she know that? Maybe this was something to do with the second sight that May had been talking about. Slipping her feet out of her sandals, she pulled the patchwork cover over herself and lay down with Primrose.

  She had many questions that she wanted to think about while she was laying
here. Then maybe she would go to sleep. She certainly did feel tired. Yawning, she turned on her side and yielded herself to sleep. Unbeknown to her, Merlin had been awake, watching his beloved Shasta. How beautiful she has grown, he thought. Silently he jumped off of the wicker chair and padded across the room before jumping onto the foot of the bed. Curling up and settling himself, he gave a deep sigh and wondered if he would be human again for Shasta Night. With that thought he too drifted into sleep.

  Later that evening, May was sitting in the garden on the swing seat, nibbling on a piece of cheese. The rain was just starting to fall gently and it was cooling to her skin after experiencing the heat of the sun all day. The night of the full moon always made her restless. Yes, it was expected that she should howl at it like the wolf, but she was getting to old for all that. She had lived too many lives. There had been at least five before this one. She would pay her respects to it later this evening. Somehow she felt that this would be the night for her beloved mistress to meet Abelia. She hadn’t exactly told the truth about Merlin to Summer.

  When the original Shasta had come to the village in her caravan all those years ago, May befriended her. Shasta and Merlin inevitably became quite fond of each other and .... and that’s enough of that thinking, May, she told herself before paying her respects to the moon.

  Chapter 8

  Summer found it impossible to sleep that night; so many things were going through her head. She was dreaming that Merlin was human, a lovely thought but impossible. Lying on her stomach, she reached her arms out under the pillow and found something soft. Pulling it out, she discovered it was a little muslin bag filled with lavender.

  I suppose it was put there by Aunt May to satisfy my energy needs and to give me wonderful dreams. That was the idea of lavender bags. Well how did I know that? thought Summer, and remembered the conversation she had had earlier with her aunt about the village giving privileges to certain people. She tried to go back to sleep but found it impossible. She was very hungry and had no idea what the time was. Come to think of it, she didn’t recall having seen a clock here at all.