by Aiden James
“Oh,” said our father, pausing to watch the man for a moment, before turning onto the road that would take us away from the spectacle. “I guess not everyone has moved past Jim Crow.”
“No, not everyone…. But, we knew things would be a little different than up north,” said Mom. “And the people we met while purchasing the house were quite nice. I liked their smiles.”
I couldn’t help snickering. “Are you serious? You decided to move us out of the hometown we grew up in because you liked these people’s smiles?”
A middle-aged African-American man crossed the road ahead of us, jaywalking. Dad politely waited for him to cross, and the man shuffled slowly, delivering a hard stare at the Escalade and its passengers.
“Good thing that guy’s not a wand carrier, huh?”
“Yes, Bas, it is indeed fortunate,” Dad replied, glancing in the mirror again. He let out a slight chuckle. “Actually, that guy’s expression is similar to your typical Chicagoan, if you think about it. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of others like him down here, too…. But, as for the comment to your mom, what have you got against warm and friendly people?”
“Nothing, Just thought it was funny, is all.”
We were on the way down Woodard Street, which kind of reminded me of parts of Wheaton and other suburbs like Elmhurst. Lots of ‘four square’ and ‘craftsman’ homes on either side. Although, just like in many Chicago neighborhoods, one could easily detect an imaginary line that separated the ‘haves’ on the one side of the street from the less-fortunate residents on the other. In this case, the homes on the south side were in much worse shape than those on the north side of Woodard.
“We met a couple of families in the neighborhood who moved here from Wisconsin, to get away from the cold. They seemed nice, too,” said Mom.
“Anyway, why don’t you kids check out the homes up this way?” Dad had just turned right, onto a narrower street called Chaffin’s Bend. “You might see a thing or two that’ll catch your eye.”
Although signs remained of a nearby ‘hood’ lurking just a few blocks away, the trip up to the top of what Dad called ‘Depot Hill’ was more like a trip through deeper layers of Denmark’s storied history. Of course, none of us fully understood the area’s significance to the city at the time, other than the fact we came upon several grand Victorian homes that mom called ‘painted ladies’ based on pink, purple, and green color schemes from the post-Civil War reconstruction period.
It wasn’t enough to elicit ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as our parents might’ve hoped for, since these weren’t homes to rival the massive opulence of Chico Town’s Highland Park area. But, I’ll admit these elaborate 1880s homes stood out sharply compared to the more modest homes we had seen. As I alluded to earlier, I’ve always been drawn to Victorian architecture, either here or in England.
“So, you like?” asked Mom, grinning at our approving nods.
“It’s kinda cool… interesting in a different way,” said Alisia.
“I’m with Alisia on that,” I said, reluctantly giving ground in the tug-o-war for leverage to ensure our stay in Denmark was short and sweet. I intended to go heavy on the ‘short’ aspect. “I think I just spotted a couple of crack dealers back there in an alley, and….”
“And what?” asked Alisia, when I didn’t finish. She followed my gaze and gasped.
Rising like a mini Mount Olympus on the corner of Chaffin’s Bend and Old Dominion Road stood a stately plantation house. Sheltered by majestic trees that were surely as old as it, and the grounds decorated with old statues and park-like gardens, the house looked like it belonged in some classic movie. Not that we hadn’t seen more lavish residences in Chicago—including the aforementioned Highland Park villas and mansions. But, to see this antebellum edifice in the middle of an area that was surrounded by near slum-like conditions just a few blocks away was… well unsettling, to be honest.
Regardless, I had to recover from such an unfavorable reaction… and, quickly.
“Uhhh… what’s a nice place like that doing in a run-down area?”
Not exactly what I wanted to say, but effective enough to allow a retreat and regroup before going on the offensive again.
“The area is in transition—not run down,” said Dad, irritated. I began to wonder if he and Mom had picked one of the more modest houses on either Old Dominion or further down Chaffin’s Bend. That would allow us to abide by ‘The Code’. “Yes, the area needs work, but, this part of town was once the high-society area of Denmark. This house is called ‘Twin Magnolias’ for the majestic trees on either side of the house facing out toward Old Dominion. It once belonged to a wealthy US Senator and Confederate general, Jeremiah Atwater, who was largely responsible for the development and prosperity of Denmark. So, the older folks call it the ‘Old Atwater Place’. The house once sat on over 40 acres of land. The other Victorian homes were added later, as part of a ritzy neighborhood built around this wonderful home at the turn of the twentieth century.”
“It looks like Tara from Gone With The Wind,” said Alisia, reverently.
True. It did look a lot like Tara.
“It’s not near as big as Tara, Alisia,” said Mom, smiling broadly in response to our reactions. It did make it harder to be as disdainful of Denmark. “It was built in 1854, and remained a farm until 1904, when the land was divided up and sold to build the other houses around it that are almost as big.”
“Mini mansions?” I asked, determined to whittle away the magic.
“Yes… in a way. They were considered mansions back in the day, but now a 4500 square foot home is just a big house,” said Dad. “But this place still has two acres of the original lot, and a servants’ cottage and barn still remain as well.”
“How come you two know so much about this place?” asked Alisia. “I assume our new digs will be around here someplace, right?”
I had been scouting the area for the big blue semi carrying our shit from Wheaton. But couldn’t see it anywhere.
“I love history, remember? Once taught it at the University of Chicago… long ago,” said Dad. I had forgotten about that, and surely my sister had, too. Though she was probably too young to remember, if I had the dates of Dad’s tenure right.
Our SUV coasted through the intersection, and moved further down Chaffin’s Bend. A fairly nice bungalow to the left enjoyed a great view of the grand house. And, as the Escalade continued to creep along, I figured this must be our new house… or was it the bigger four-square next to it? Both needed a little work, but our old cape cod was in worse shape when we purchased it. Either house would fit “The Code”, as defined by our extended family, albeit cars and trucks were parked on the street in front of each one.
But Dad kept driving, and my heart sank as the next houses needed serious work. One was leaning and looked like a solid gust would blow it over.
Please dear God, don’t let it be….
I began to scheme about getting the hell out of Denmark by the next morning, sans my sis and parents if necessary. But then Dad pulled into the long gravel drive that led up to the grand old house my sister and I had embarrassingly fawned over. I figured he’d find a place to turn around and exit the property. Until we moved past the barn and I saw the blue semi. We didn’t stop until we were parked next to it, near the rear of the house.
“Mom? Dad? … Does this mean what I think it does?” asked Alisia, her voice hushed.
“Hmmm,” Dad replied, smugly. “If by that, you’re asking ‘will we be living here?’, the answer is… yes.”
My sister squealed in delight, and reached into the front seat to hug our parents… while I looked on in horror. No, check that. I was absolutely mortified.
So much for being ‘deep in the sticks’, and laying low.
“What about The Code?!” I practically yelled, causing my sister to jump in surprise, while my parents regarded me as if I had sprouted a third eye in my forehead. “A place like this has got to cost a million bucks or more
, and we’re not supposed to spend that kind of money! We’re gonna be in serious trouble! …Right?”
“Wrong,” said Dad, compassionately. Though this had to be a sweet moment for him, as he made no effort to diminish the smirk he wore. “We won’t be hearing from the Elders in Europe, if that’s what you’re worried about, son. In fact, they already know about this place. And, because Denmark unfortunately is in an economically depressed area, we paid half of what our previous house cost fifteen years ago.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Watch your tone and word choice, Bas…. But, yes, I am being completely honest with you.” He looked at Mom before continuing. She gave him an approving nod before offering a forgiving smile to me. “We couldn’t have bought a two bedroom bungalow anywhere in Chicago for what this place cost.”
“So, you own it?”
“Yes… we own it.”
It would take time for that notion to settle in, as I still felt homeless in my heart. One can’t just shift gears and forget an investment of time and memories—and I had quite a few from both our old house and Wheaton itself, as well as the rest of Chicago. But for now I could pretend to be a guest in this grand old house. Being the proud owners of a frigging, Cat-Daddy, plantation house was pretty damned cool. Just wished it was in upstate Illinois.
Maybe the idea of residing in a quaint southern town would grow on me. Hell, at least it was far away from our enemies—the family determined to wipe us clean from the face of the earth. Maybe they’d never find us here….
We exited the SUV to climb a flight of wooden steps to the immense back porch that encircled much of the house. Alisia was the last one to join us, and had purposely left her car door open, grinning wickedly as she wiggled her right forefinger behind her to close it.
“Not here… remember?”
Mom’s elation faded slightly from her hissed admonishment. The Escalade’s door was already closing, but my sister lowered her hand and it stopped. She walked back down the steps to the vehicle and closed the door like normal people would do. As people are wont to do anywhere else in America… north or south.
People blissfully ignorant of magic, and a deadly war on the horizon.
Chapter Two
I suppose this is a good place in my story to mention a few very important details before moving forward.
The reference to magic and a coming war are certainly dead giveaways that we are not your typical suburban family seeking a new start in Small Town USA. My parents would appear like anyone else in their late thirties, and Alisia looks and acts like most sixteen-year-olds. As for me, I sometimes act like the eighteen-year-old kid that fits my physical appearance.
My affinity for the Victorian era might stem from the fact I was born in Paris, during a bitterly cold November in 1889. Yes, the very year the Eiffel Tower was erected as the entrance arch to the World’s Fair.
Bet that got you.
So, if you were thinking this was a story about slightly agitated parents moving their beleaguered kids and belongings to get away from big city life, in favor of the stereotypically simpler lifestyle in a quaint little town in the rural south, then this is where you should get off. Get off this train and go find that more typical American drama. Otherwise, get ready to hold on to your seats as we move on in this chronicle. The shit, as they say, is coming... from our enemies and by virtue of whom and what we are.
Since much of what follows after this chapter in my journal is pretty far out there for most people, it seems appropriate to share some of my family’s history first. Especially, the history that impacts the here and now for us in Denmark; as well as the reasons why we have moved five hundred miles to start a brand new life.
I was born after my father and mother had fled America to return to Romania. Ironically, my birth while my parents were stranded in Paris became the catalyst for their decision to return to the United States. To return, and take up the fight against the Mateis—a rival family of warlocks and witches who once held close kinship to my family. A tragic event in 1877 crushed our two families’ friendship, and destroyed all alliances beyond repair. Alliances that were in some parts of the world over one thousand years old.
I will detail that tragedy in due time.
But first, let me start with a fuller introduction to my immediate family. My sister, Alisia, is the only one—other than two of my cousins—to be born in this country. Not only is she native to the red, white, and blue, but she also hails from the town we just left: Wheaton, Illinois. Born in April, 1928, she just celebrated her eighty-sixth birthday.
Yet, she looks barely old enough to request a ‘learner’s permit’. Considering that the rest of us are much older than her, and in some cases look hundreds of years younger, one might say we, and those like us, hold exclusive rights to the legendary fountain of youth. No, we are not fully immortal, though it is difficult to kill a warlock or witch consecrated by naștere la întuneric, or birth to darkness, as it is translated from Romanian to English.
Although I preceded my sister’s arrival on this planet by almost forty years, as the aging process is very slow per the ceremony I just mentioned, I hadn’t reached adolescence yet. So, like Alisia, my formative years were spent in Chicago at first, and in Wheaton from shortly before her birth. Our family resided in three different homes during our ninety-year stay in America’s Christian Mecca, and each residence met the rigorous standards of ‘The Code’ mentioned earlier. By the Roaring Twenties, our line of the Radus had amassed a significant fortune that has since been distributed among a myriad of investments overseen by my father and grandfather. Enough to live lavishly for centuries, it will never happen. Yes, it often sucks, but Blending in Modestly has been the mandate protecting our clan for these many centuries. Temptations to stray are handled harshly. Many of our less scrupulous brethren have paid a steep price for such foolishness, and sometimes it has been with their very lives if they try to live like kings and queens.
I will leave Wheaton alone for now, with a brief mention of a fond memory of Grandpa and me flying up to the famed college’s chapel bell tower last fall, and re-hanging the bell upside down. It caused quite a stir among the students and staff, from what we understand, given the location of the bell and the enormous weight involved. Then, just before a crew was scheduled to fix it a few days later, we returned with Alisia in tow to change it back to its original position—all captured on film by my sis for YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Great fun, though Grandma stepped in to stop Alisia from posting the footage. What a shame.
Why Denmark? Of all places on God’s green earth, why move to a tiny town in Tennessee that until two months ago, I had never heard of? Well, none of us had heard of it. Except for Grandpa. Grandpa said Al Capone once told him about the place, back in the days of Prohibition. If drinking, buying, and selling alcohol didn’t get you arrested, it could get you killed just as much in the south as the north, according to him… but not as well publicized.
Anyway, when the latest Matei vendetta made it far too dangerous to remain in the Chicago area, Grandpa mentioned how he wished for a hideout like Capone once had in Denmark, Tennessee. Obviously, it was more figurative than anything, and moving south was at first dismissed. Las Vegas sounded like a better choice, since blending in with a steady stream of tourists seemed much safer. But, after Grandpa became more and more convinced that the initial idea might be some heaven-sent omen, my folks made arrangements to visit the town of Denmark, check out the available real estate, and… voila! The rest snowballed quickly. When our house in Wheaton sold nearly overnight in a soft market, it seemed like everything—other than Alisia’s and my fractured hearts—supported the move.
My one hundred and twenty-fifth birthday will be here two months from now, in September. I hope by then to discover a genuine silver lining from this move…. Maybe it will come from the fact I look closer to a nineteen-year-old these days. Dad and Mom told me the night before our move that I no longer had to participate in
the middle school/high school circuit—a tour that my poor sis must still deal with for another, oh… thirty to forty years would be my guess. It sucks for her, but hell, I’ve been in high school from the time Elvis Presley first made the airwaves, and on up until Miley Cyrus lost her damned mind. Sixty frigging years of name changes, hair color changes, pretending to ride a bus across town—or even pretending certain homes were where I lived when walking the supposed mile or so home with buddies who now draw social security checks.
Why in the hell would we put up with such a torturous exercise, one might ask? Believe it or not, I have sometimes wondered that myself… but in the end, it has always been easier to try to ‘fit in’ when we can. Less questions and less noticing that my sister and I haven’t aged much over the years. Of course, none of us have aged much during the past one hundred years. Occasionally, Alisia and I have been able to sit out a decade or two from school, disguised as young men and women living as boarders in our own home. Pretty humorous, except when it has sometimes meant ‘bewitching’ the neighbors who had become suspicious.
We won’t spend much time on the eras my parents and grandparents have witnessed in full. But I realize anyone reading this account will want pertinent information, such as birthplaces, birthdates, etc. My father, Gabriel Radu, was born in Poland, while my grandfather and grandmother were on the move from Romania. Things had become too dangerous for them in their homeland, despite witches and witchcraft being held in much higher esteem in Romania than anywhere else in the world. My father was born on January 5th, 1714. According to legend, he was born in what amounted to a barn, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Okay, that last part isn’t true. Just making sure that everyone is with me so far.
My family stayed in Poland for another twenty years, and that’s when the first ‘newcomer’ in nearly three hundred years was added to our clan: my mother. A Warsaw orphan, to this day I’m not sure what her real last name was at the time, so it shouldn’t matter here. She is and has been Silvia Radu since she married my father in 1798. My father would’ve been Alisia’s physical age of sixteen by then, and Mom was slightly older, physically, at the time. Perhaps 1780 was her birth year? That is the standard guess, and Mom’s personality is definitely a Scorpio. We celebrate her birthday on the fifteenth of November each year.