by Ada Winder
Miriam’s face was also virtually the same, except she looked a little bit more like a woman now.
She also seemed to be more settled in general, as if her spirit had finally calmed down. To Alice, it seemed Miriam was constantly exploring things to think about—theories, alternate lifestyles and religions, philosophy—never able to sit still. But now it seemed she had either found what she had been looking for, or realized there was nothing specific to find.
“Why hello, Miriam.” Alice smiled and hugged her. “Come on in you two!”
Alice waited patiently for Miriam to introduce her companion.
Miriam wasted no time in doing so, and gazing up at her companion while holding on to his arm, said:
“Alice, this is my life-mate Ahmik.”
“You can call me Dennis,” he said, giving Miriam a playfully chastising look.
Alice shook his hand and tried not to stare at him. He wore his hair long and it was dark and silky, like the Indians she had seen on television shows and movies. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt however.
Alice suddenly realized his dark eyes reflected amusement.
“In case you were wondering,” he said, “yes, I am Native—Ojibwe in fact. I left my spear in the car.”
His eyes twinkled.
Alice felt her face grow hot.
“No, I didn’t…I just…Well it’s certainly nice to meet you!” She smiled as widely as she could. “Really, I just…”
He put up a hand.
“It’s okay, I understand. It happens more than you think.” He looked around. “You have a nice home here. Sorry I get to see it under these circumstances.”
Alice waved away his words. “I’m glad you were able to come. You haven’t seen anything yet! Miriam, you can show him around. Why are you guys still standing out there? Come on in!”
Alice ushered them in.
Alice felt some regret that she had not kept up with Miriam more over the years. The last she had heard was she’d been living in Minnesota.
She found herself wondering what kind of life she’d led, and missed the tales of her adventures.
At the moment, Miriam appeared to be content; she and her Indian boyfriend seemed happy with each other. But then again, Miriam always seemed pretty content. Even now, she did not appear to be particularly distraught over the circumstances—it didn’t seem to bother her that her brother was dead.
Alice made a mental note to get her alone as soon as possible so she could have a talk with her.
Alice heard Drew’s cheerful voice as the couple ran into him but her mind was on its way elsewhere. She was now thinking about who else she had lost touch with, who else she needed to check up on, what other relationships she had let disintegrate. Then, as her mind ran across her old friends from college, she heard Elaine’s voice.
Elaine was calling out to her daughters, Jack, and David to come down and meet Dennis.
There was a stampede of shoes coming down the stairs and more voices, then the voices eventually faded as they all headed toward the family room.
Alice considered joining them for a moment, then decided to wait.
Alice saw her opportunity when David, Dennis and Drew were chatting in the family room, and the kids had gone back upstairs, Elaine with them.
She indicated to Miriam that she join her in the kitchen, away from the male bonding.
When Miriam arrived, Alice asked:
“So, what’s been going on? What have you been doing since the last time I saw you?”
“Well, I’ve been working on a reservation in Minnesota. It’s where I met Ahmik.”
She looked back briefly in the direction of the family room.
“But what else have I missed? Please, catch me up on your life, Miriam, I’m curious; it’s been quite a while.”
Miriam paused a moment as she looked at her, then said:
“Well, all right. I have a daughter now.”
Alice felt herself almost choke on air. Miriam had never had any children, and Alice did not know it at the time those decades ago, but as she found out recently, Miriam was barren.
She figured Miriam must have sensed her thoughts for she chuckled.
“No, not my own. Ahmik’s daughter died some time ago and she left a daughter we’re looking after, his granddaughter. She’s really beautiful. Her name is Migisi. She’s twelve.”
Alice smiled, watching how Miriam’s eyes lit up as she spoke of the child.
“So you’re experiencing mothering at last.”
“Well, I experienced some of it once before with Elaine remember? Granted, it stopped when she was school-aged but still. I’ve been experiencing a sort of continuation with Migisi I guess. It’s wonderful.”
Alice smiled at her.
“I’m very happy for you,” she said, meaning it.
Suddenly, Miriam’s expression changed; she looked very serious.
“So what exactly happened to my brother?” she asked.
Alice stiffened.
The way she said it, and the way the dark pupils of those large, hypnotizing sky-blue eyes pointed at her unnerved her.
“What do you mean?” she asked, feeling her heartbeat quicken. She knew it was silly but she couldn’t help it—Miriam had a way of looking at her that made her feel she was seeing into her soul. Alice had forgotten how strange Miriam’s eyes had always seemed to her, to a lot of people. It was her trademark.
“I mean what killed him?”
Why wasn’t she blinking?
Alice looked away, thinking about what she had been told.
“From what I understand, cause of death was a plain old heart attack.”
Miriam nodded although after a few seconds of it, Alice was no longer sure why she was nodding.
“Do you miss him?” Miriam asked.
She was still staring at her like a cobra; those pale blue eyes almost seeming disembodied for they were all Alice was able to see.
“Of course! Every single minute! Quite frankly, I’m surprised you haven’t shown more emotion. Doesn’t this upset you?”
Miriam looked away for a moment at last, freeing Alice from her stare.
“I understand the sadness, but he is always with me. And yes, I am sad at the physical loss of my brother, but I am fully aware that he is just fine, wherever he is. I take comfort in that. It is the one thing that happens to all of us, and it is nothing to be afraid of.”
“I never said I was scared...”
“You didn’t have to.”
Miriam touched Alice’s hand gently. “He’s around. I know it, even if I can’t see him. I can still talk to him if I want. And he can talk back if he wants.” She shrugged. “It’s okay.”
Alice was quiet a moment.
“So tell me, how long have you been settled?” Alice asked.
“I did a lot of traveling before I ‘settled’—which I haven’t really done by the way,” she said. “But I guess that’s nothing new. This time more so in the eastern hemisphere. I met all sorts of people, heard all kinds of stories, listened to many viewpoints. And I’ll tell you this: everyone is right.”
Alice decided not to ask her to decode her statement; Miriam had not changed much after all.
Perhaps she was still smoking marijuana, and that was what was keeping her so mellow. The other drugs she’d been into had clearly fried her brain.
“In fact,” Miriam continued. “Speaking of travels, I brought gifts for everyone. Let’s gather everyone in the family room.”
Miriam set about calling everyone together.
She sent Dennis for her bag, and started sorting through it, pulling out the children’s gifts first.
Alice sighed in relief when she saw that they were semi-normal items.
Miriam took out and presented to Amber and Jade what appeared to be hand-crafted jewelry—bracelets, chains and earrings—as well as a beaded purse for each of them.
Elaine did a good job of appearing grateful although Alice wasn’t sur
e if it was just an act or if she really appreciated the gifts.
“Why thank you, Miriam—they’re lovely. A little old for them but…girls, do you like them?”
Elaine hardly needed to ask—the girls could barely contain their excitement and joy.
They started trying to put all of the items on right away with light chastisement from Elaine to wait until later.
For Jack, Miriam pulled out an art kit, complete with a sketchpad, colored pencils, paint, markers, shading pencils, an easel and other tools.
Jack’s eyes grew round like saucers, his mouth in a huge, surprised smile.
Even Drew appeared to be thrown off guard.
“Wow, Aunt Miriam! How did you know Jack had a thing for art? You know, he told me he wants to be an artist if soccer doesn’t work out—I don’t remember telling you that.”
“Oh, it was told to me.” She looked at Jack. “Never stop expressing yourself through art,” she said. “It is the waking dream.”
The adults tried not to glance at each other while Jack looked confused.
“What does that mean?” he asked his dad.
“You will know,” Miriam answered with a serene smile.
Elaine and Drew sent their children away to hang out with each other elsewhere.
“So what’s for me? A dream catcher?” Elaine said, grinning. She looked at Dennis as if making sure the joke did not offend him but Dennis appeared to be barely paying attention.
Miriam did not return Elaine’s smile; instead, she started fiddling around in her bag.
She pulled out a pink necklace, a separate pink pendant and a stone mostly pink with some black patches.
“I gave your children their names,” Miriam said to Elaine, “and for you, I have more gems. This...”—she indicated the pretty stone in her hand—“...is a rhodonite gemstone. And this is rhodonite jewelry. Wear them—they will help you find your way back home.”
Miriam placed the gifts in Elaine’s hands. Elaine’s expression looked confused initially, then she stared at the gifts as if Miriam had handed her a dirty diaper, but Miriam did not seem to notice, too busy digging in her bag for the next gift.
Alice wasn’t sure why Elaine did not like them; they were quite pretty, even though Miriam had attached strange meaning to them.
“Drew, even though you did not let me name your son Jasper like he should have been named, I have something similar for you.”
She had a small, sly smile on her face.
“Aunt Miriam, I would have let you do it but Lacey...”
Miriam put a finger to her lips and continued.
“I considered sugilite, chrysoprase, citrine, peridot. Any one can work for you. Perhaps you should have them all—but Elaine would get jealous. So I chose peridot.”
She handed him a greenish stone, keychain and a pendant.
“Use it. Keep the stone on you if you can. You will find yourself getting lucky.”
Drew looked appreciative but skeptical.
Miriam smiled and turned to Alice.
Alice felt like it was Christmas and could not believe how giddy and childlike she felt waiting on her gift.
“And for you, Alice.” She pulled out a light pink stone and pendant. “It was a hard decision. But I decided rose quartz was the one for you. You may also have this dress.” She held up what looked like a traditional Native American dress.
“Thank you, Miriam, you didn’t have to...”
Miriam waved her words away. Addressing them all, she said:
“I did not get these things for my health. Use them, hold them, carry them. Do not insult me by pretending you will. Just do it.”
***
“I think we should see a psychic,” Miriam said when they were all gathered in the family room once more after the children had been put to bed. Even Dennis rolled his eyes at this. Drew was about to laugh but he saw there was not a hint of a smile on his aunt’s face.
“You’re serious?” he asked her.
She turned and looked at him with her pale blue eyes, and he saw that she was.
His aunt scared him at times—she always seemed to be stoned out, elsewhere.
“Well I’m certainly not going,” his mom said. “I don’t see the point. I don’t believe in that stuff anyway.”
“Whether or not you believe in it, it’s real,” Miriam said. “You just have to find the right people.”
His mom shrugged her off.
Miriam looked at Elaine.
“Don’t look at me—I’m not going,” Elaine said, her brown hair bouncing as she shook her head.
“May I take your daughters then?”
Drew had to suppress his laughter at this request and Elaine’s face in response to it. He knew Elaine had to restrain herself from being rude.
“No thank you,” she said at last. “I would rather not expose my daughters to such…folly.”
Drew knew she wanted to say “garbage,” or probably even “bullshit.” He loved to see her struggle to be polite but loved it even more when she failed. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those times.
“Suit yourself.”
Miriam looked at Drew.
“Will you bring Jack?”
“I have to go with my sister on this one. I don’t think the children should be exposed to it. But I’ll go. Sounds like fun.”
“Fun? You clearly have the wrong idea about it.”
Miriam turned back to his sister and mother.
“Is there anything you would like me to ask?”
Alice shook her head.
Drew was surprised to see Elaine looking like she was thinking about it.
“I would like to know how he really died, what his last moments were like. But I doubt your ‘psychic’ could tell me that.”
Elaine looked briefly at their mother with something that strangely resembled suspicion.
His mom turned to Miriam and said:
“How about—did he get what he wanted? Did he fulfill all of his desires?”
Miriam nodded her acceptance.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“An’ it harm none, do what thou wilt.” —Wiccan Rede
Summer 1973
Bloomington, Illinois
Beyond assisting her with Elaine, Miriam tried to help Alice.
“You have too many sharp corners,” Miriam had said before moving things around in the house according to feng shui principles she had learned. “The energy has to be just right,” she said. “You need round tables, more space. Put a plant in this corner, bring some greenery in.”
Miriam brought in a few plants, and Alice allowed only the artificial ones. The wind chimes, however, were a no-no. She did, however, allow Miriam to bring in an indoor water fountain—it was either that or goldfish, and Alice certainly did not want another living responsibility.
Alice particularly liked the fountain Miriam had chosen for her as a gift. Miriam had called it kakei. It was a bamboo fountain with water flowing from a bamboo statue into a mint-green bowl surrounded by river stones. It was quite beautiful and made Alice feel soothed whenever she looked at it, watched the water circulate, listened to the water stream. Perhaps it was coincidence, but once Miriam had reorganized the place, she was able to think more clearly; she felt calmer, and things in general seemed to go much better.
As a result of Miriam’s suggestions and talk about plants, Alice began to think about taking up gardening, and eventually considered bringing real plants into the house.
Once gardening had become her interest and she started looking for information about it, Miriam had some tips and advice in that area too. But Miriam had a different kind of knowledge to impart than she was looking for.
Miriam taught her about plants that supposedly had medicinal purposes, passing on information she had garnered while passing through the Caribbean, Central and South America. Bush medicine, she called it.
Alice learned about quinine from the bark of the cinchona tree, used for the treatment of malar
ia. And she learned that, on some islands, Cascarilla or Sweetwood was used to treat stomach irritations and aches. That aloe vera could be used as a purgative to “clean out the system” digestively, and its gel could be used to relieve burns and sunburns. That spotted basil could treat asthma, bronchitis, chest colds, and skin rashes. That the leaves of the breadfruit could be used for high blood pressure, and cera seed for fever and the flu. She was told that yellow sage could relieve the itching of chicken pox.
Rosy periwinkle is only the beginning to curing cancer, Miriam had said, for the cure to every ailment as far as she was concerned, was in nature; part of the reason she was always interested in herbs.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the cure for all types of cancer is right in the bushes of the Congo,” she had stated once. “I would like to visit there someday by the way—I hear they still have dinosaurs.”
Alice could only shake her head, roll her eyes.
Miriam had even wanted to use Blue Flowers on Elaine, for it was said to soothe babies with colic, gas, and constipation but Alice wasn’t yet sold on the healing power of nature just yet—not to that degree.
Still, Alice was not really surprised by Miriam’s theory—to her it made sense that ailments from nature would have their cures in it too—in the bushes and jungles, under the ground and in barks of trees.
Miriam also told Alice about other ways plants were used to treat the body. For instance, she told her about various ways that women used plants to induce a miscarriage when abortion was not available. Miriam told her the details of some of the methods and Alice wished she had met Miriam earlier.
When Miriam was not around and she had some time to herself with Elaine asleep or in school, Alice did a lot of reading about plants in general. She would read the books George brought home, and would check some out from the library regarding the subject. She learned many interesting things; for example, in her gardening research, Alice learned about companion planting: the benefits of planting two or more different plants next to each other for mutual benefit—sometimes by way of keeping away natural pests and improving the overall quality and yield.
She also ended up learning a lot about weeds—how to identify them, how to get rid of them. How pervasive they could be.