by Jana LaPelle
In my life, I have become a doctor, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. Sadly, my daughter Audrey would never know her father, but we have been happy together as mother and daughter, and she blessed me by having a daughter of her very own, making me a grandmother to a beautiful, feisty, red-headed grand-daughter, Alexia Lilith. Both my daughter and my grand-daughter favor their father and grandfather in their coloring. I love their auburn hair and green eyes. Knowing what I know, Alexia is special, I believe that she is the one my grandmother was waiting for, but at this time I have no proof of my suspicions. Coincidentally, months before Alexia arrived on the seen I adopted an abandoned infant. My youngest daughter, Ashlinn Ryllae captured my heart the moment I laid eyes on her. Ashlinn, you had the most delicately beautiful features, and I knew that destiny had sent you to me. Honestly, I had been waiting for you to arrive for some time. But that is not where my story begins. Actually, everything that I know to be true today, I learned some time ago, it all began years ago when I met my husband. My handsome Colin Elan, my kindred. Why do I call him my kindred? Well, I’ll get to that as well.
Where to start? Everything in my life up to that point would be a horribly boring tale. A child is born to loving parents, said child goes to school, child grows up, child becomes a young adult and goes off to college to become a doctor and so on and so forth. My tale becomes interesting after college, everything up till that point had been very mundane. Including the fact that my mother confided in me that there are witches in our family line, she insisted that I take her seriously, just in case one of my children were to develop majical abilities. I figured that my mother was a little touched in the head from all the family drama and decided to let that go for the time being. My mother was entitled to her beliefs, and I was entitled to my own. I refused to believe my mother because her insistence that we were from a long line of witches went in direct violation of my very Christian upbringing.
Now that I’m finally writing my story, I find that my thoughts are all over the place, so I will apologize for that and try to get to the point. There is so much to this tale that happened over a relatively short amount of time in the grand scheme of things. So I guess that I’ll start with the day I met my husband, that’s when this whole journey really began. It seems like just yesterday, the memory of my love is still so fresh in my mind. I miss him so very much every day, but I know that when my time comes, we will be together again in The Overworld, yes I said The Overworld, not heaven. Most mortals in this realm believe in our creator and in heaven, but I have a different belief, and that is in The Overworld as in The Realms that have been named since the dawn of time. I know that now, but not when my adventure began.
It’s hard to know what needs to be told and what needs to be left in the past so I will start from the beginning and try to only include the most important of the events that happened that long ago summer. I was finishing my residency when I met my husband. He was larger than life, a handsome Irishman. His auburn hair, tanned skin, freckled features, and brilliant green eyes were absolutely mesmerizing. I think I even stuttered when he smiled down at me and asked me what my name was. I was instantly attracted to him. He was beautiful to behold, and he had eyes only for me. The thought of him warms the cockles of my lonely heart, and my soul aches for him every moment of every day.
Ashlinn and Alexia, if you are reading this, you should know that my husband was a total hottie. Yes, I just said hottie, by the gods and goddesses he was something to behold. I love you girls more than you can imagine and I can only bet that these words are a bit of a shock to you and I can barely contain my laughter as I continue. I can just envision the looks on your beautiful young faces at my use of the term since I will not be around when you read my story. As for my beautiful and amazing daughter, I happen to know that Audrey will never read this journal because I don’t intend for it to be found until after I’m long gone from this world. I don’t know why, or how, or when, but she will not live long enough to see my memoirs, and that saddens me on many levels even though I know we will be reunited in The Overworld. But I digress again, and I must get back to the story you both need to hear, and the story that I finally need to tell. It’s a story of discovery, of love, of survival, of the future, and it’s the story of my young life.
Colin Faolan Elan stole my heart the day we first met. It was love at first sight, I swear by all that is holy that it was. We literally ran right into one another as we rounded a corner, he reached out to steady me, and when my eyes met his, I was instantly home. It was strangely comforting and bizarre at the same time. He apologized profusely and asked me to dinner to make up for his nearly running me over. How could I say no? Why would I say no? I melted once he started speaking, and at that very moment, I could have listened to him talk forever. I was young and on my own and gearing up for a summer off before starting work at a pediatric practice in the fall. Over dinner, we immediately hit it off, and over the course of the next couple of weeks, we began seeing one another. Soon we were planning a trip together that would take us back to his homeland, Ireland. It just so happened to be a coincidence of epic proportions because the Collins’ line was from Ireland and I had always wanted to go for a visit, wanting to learn more of the place my ancestors hailed from.
When Colin heard that, he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, “There ya have it, Joanna, tis meant ta be.” His thickly accented Irish baritone voice melted my heart into a thick puddle of goo.
As my residency came to an end, I eagerly looked forward to my summer vacation with Colin. We had been dating for only three short weeks when it was time for our adventure to begin. I had never been more excited in my life for the next three months to get underway. That’s where my tale begins. Girls, these are the most fascinating chapters of my life, the summer that I was first introduced to majic. Pay close attention girls, you may be surprised by what you learn.
Chapter 1
(The summer of 1980)
Colin and I look around the tiny apartment, one last time. Everything has been shipped to a storage facility in eastern Kentucky to be sorted through upon my return to the states. This place served me well during my residency but it never really felt like home to me, just a place to hang my proverbial hat for the time being, or so the saying goes. I’m eager to start my next adventure with Colin. He takes my hand gaining my attention before taking me in his arms and spinning me around the empty space. “Are ya ready Joanna? Are ya ready ta spend the next three months with me? I have to admit, I never thought this day would come, and now that’s it finally here, I’m na sure I want it ta begin.” He nuzzles my neck and holds me close while we sway to a melody that only the two of us can hear.
His actions speak louder than words, but I’m somewhat baffled by his pronouncement and have to ask, “Colin, what do you mean by that? I thought you were looking forward to this time together.”
“I just do na want this short time together ta come to an end. That’s all. Before ya know it, ya will be back here in da States, starting your position at yer new practice in the fall.” We continue to sway together, and he begins trailing sweet hot kisses up the side of my neck, and I suck in a breath before exhaling and throwing my head back to allow him access to one of my most sensitive spots.
I pull away and smile, “Then it’s a really good thing that you were able to get on with that architecture firm in Lexington, allowing you to work from home. Come on, my dashing Irishman, we have a plane to catch, and I for one can’t wait to see your homeland.”
Together we exit my apartment building for the last time and step out onto the loud and busy streets of Boston, our luggage in hand to hail a cab to the airport. Across the street, a movie theater is advertising the upcoming release of The Empire Strikes Back. Who knew that Star Wars would be such a big hit three years ago? Looking up and down the street I’m distracted by a black and gold Pontiac Firebird T-top. It’s sitting at the light with Blondie’s “Call Me�
� blaring for everyone to hear, the words reverberating in my head. Colin pulls me with him and quickly flags down a yellow cab and stores our luggage in the trunk. Horns begin honking as the light changes and Colin slides in next to me and says to the driver, “Logan International,” turning to me he takes my face in his hands and lands a gentle kiss on my lips before saying, “Let our adventure begin.”
Laughing I throw my arms around him, “It’s only about time, I’ve worked my tail off to get to this point, I’m ready for whatever Ireland throws my way.”
“I certainly hope so mo chroí.”
It doesn’t take us long to get to the airport and get checked in. Before I know it, we’re seated on the plane and ready to go. Colin pulls out a multi-colored cube from his bag, “What’s that?”
“It’s called a Rubik’s Cube. I got it at da gift shop while ya were in the ladies room. From what I gather it’s kind of like a puzzle. I thought it could help occupy our time during our flight.”
“Cool. Okay, so we have three months, and you have made all the arrangements for our little escapade. Do you have an itinerary for me? You know how I like to have a schedule. I’ve been literally dying to ask you about it. So? Where does our adventure begin?”
“Well, ya’ see my bonnie lass, that’s where trust comes in handy. You’re going ta have ta trust that I have everything under control. Do ya trust me, Joanna?” His smirk is barely there, but there none the less.
I quirk a brow, “You know I do, but could you give me a hint at where we’re going first?”
Smiling broadly, he says, “Stone circle. That’s all ya get.” His Irish dialect sounds whimsical.
“But that’s in England. I thought we were going to Ireland?” I state, my confusion evident.
“Yes, but I thought ya would like ta see Stonehenge and some of England before we really get started, we have three months, one week should na be a big deal. We’re scheduled to land in London, and we have reservations ta stay there a couple of nights, from there we‘re going ta rent a car and travel ta Stonehenge and then on ta Wales. I thought it would be rather nice ta start you out in the UK and then we’ll take a ferry over ta the Emerald Isle, the place of majic and the fae folk.”
I narrow my eyes at his words, “Majic? What do you know of majic?”
The look on his face turns serious, “And just what do ya know of majic, Joanna Claire?”
I’m quick to shake my head, “Nothing... I know nothing.” He studies me for a moment, and I begin to fidget, “Give me that cube, how hard can it be to get all the same colors back on all sides?”
Tilting his head, he says, “You’re changing the subject mo chroí, but me thinks dis will be harder than you think.” He hands over the cube. Inwardly, I wonder if he’s talking about the puzzle piece in my hands or what is to come on this journey. I quickly busy myself with it, all the while wondering what he meant and if he truly believes in majic and faeries. Colin’s comments of majic and fae folk have me wondering if my mother’s strange belief in majic could actually be based on fact?
Chapter 2
Our time in England and Wales only lasted about a week. Colin was true to his words and as enjoyable as the UK has been, I’m eager to get to the Emerald Isle. There are so many places to see and visit. I fear that we will not be able to cover them all in our three short months here. We catch a ferry from Holyhead to Dublin and get settled in for our two-hour trek across the Irish Sea. Colin leans in, “So my Joanna, what has ya so quiet, lass. Ya have na been yourself. Na really. Ya have been distant since the flight over. I’ve given ya space, but that doesn’t seem ta have helped. In fact, if anything ya have become more distant. Have I done or said something that has upset ya?”
I knew that this conversation was coming and in retrospect should have said something before now, but I’ve been trying to process his words and what my mother believes to be true. All of which I have chalked up to my mother having an over exaggerated imagination. Sighing heavily, I look up into Colin’s eyes and ask the question that I have been dreading asking, “Do you believe in majic? Not like the sleight of hand that has been shown on TV but like real majic.”
He narrows his eyes at the question, cocking his head to the side, “Is that what has ya upset?”
“I need to know. Do you believe in majic, Colin?”
He assesses me carefully before saying quietly, “Yes, Joanna, I do. Does that bother ya?”
Turning away from his gaze I look out to the tranquil summer sea. It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining brightly overhead, and the skies above are blue. There’s not a cloud in the sky as I watch the coastline of Wales begin to recede. The ocean breeze has my white blond hair whipping about as I ponder his question. I realize that I need to confide in him, especially if we’re going to make a relationship between us work. I look down at my clasped hands before closing my eyes and whisper, taking a leap of faith, “My mother has always believed and said that I’m a descendant of witches. That’s crazy, right? I mean, that’s not possible. I’m a scientist, a doctor. I don’t believe in majic. I believe in the science of healing.”
“Joanna, look at me. What is science? In some cultures, science could be viewed as majic. Ya are a healer. I knew it the very moment that we ran into one another. It’s in yer blood. There is a certain majic in one finding their calling without any other guidance other than following yer heart, and ya found yers. Joanna, majic can come in many forms. We found one another, right? That’s a form of majic. Me hailing from Ireland, and ya from the States, in a whole world full of people, but we found one another. That’s pretty majical if ya ask me.”
Smiling at my love, I say, “I love that you think that our meeting was majical.” Looking down at our clasped hands, our fingers intertwined, I utter, “I’ve always thought that my mother, due to her estranged relationship with her own mother, created a delusional relationship in her mind. I never believed that what she told me about our lineage was true. Now I’m beginning to question everything,” Looking back up I meet his intense green eyes.
Sighing, Colin takes me in, “Joanna, ya have such an analytical mind that it hinders yer ability to see past what ya perceive ta be true and what tis true. Over the next couple o’months, I want ya ta have an open mind. Okay? Ya will see things and experience things that ya will want ta discount, but they will, in fact, be real and actual happenings. Do ya think ya can keep an open mind for me, for us?”
Nodding, I utter, “Yes. I’m curious, now that I have opened myself up to the possibility of majic. Show me, Colin, please. I need to know. I need to understand.”
“Okay. The first step is in believing that we are meant ta be. Do ya believe that? Do ya believe that we were meant ta find one another?’
“Colin, I believe in my heart and soul that we are kindred spirits that we are soul mates, and we are meant to be together, but what does that have to do with anything else?”
“Everything, don’t ya see? We were meant ta find one another so that I could introduce ya ta majic. Majic as I know it and the majic that runs through yer veins. Yer a healer, and a healer’s majic is potent. Joanna, believe it or na, but your majic is channeled ta heal your patients. It’s a talent that often-times can go unnoticed.” If he didn’t sound so crazy, I would be totally caught up in the lyrical sound of his Irish brogue.
“Oh my God, Colin, you believe that I can heal using majic?”
“Yes, I do. Tis yer unique calling.”
Sighing, I look up to see Colin watching me carefully, “I don’t know what to believe anymore?” My breathing has become labored in my distress, and I look away, out to the calm waters beyond to steady myself and my turbulent thoughts, my hair dancing about in the wind.
“Joanna, we have one another. We can face this together. My great-aunt sent me out into the world ta find ya, and I did. We will face everything from this point forward together. Ya said that ya though
t we were kindred spirits, soul mates. My people believe that when we find our kindred that we mate for life, binding our souls ta one another. Joanna Claire, ya are me one and only, ya and I are kindred. Everything changed the day we plowed into one another, I know that ya feel it too, a connection that –“
“That clicked into place the moment I looked into your eyes. Tell me more.” Suddenly, I’m eager to know more. To understand something that is just beyond my grasp.
Colin chuckles and pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head before saying, “All in due time, mo chroí. We’re about ta dock. We’ll have plenty of time ta explore all the possibilities that come our way and plenty of time for ya ta process everything that we have discussed today. Now, let me introduce ya ta Dublin.”
Smiling, I take his hand and push away all my questions and fears for now, “I can’t wait. I’ve been waiting my whole life to visit the Emerald Isle.”
Chapter 3
Dublin was a whirlwind of activity. We stayed three nights, and during that time Colin took me to St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, and Ha’penny Bridge to name a few of Dublin’s tourist attractions. My favorite place that we visited was by far the Old Library at Trinity College. Colin completely understands my fascination with books. It was an amazing work of architecture, and then there were the books, so many books. I was in heaven for a short period of time, but I have to say, that all things considered, I loved the pubs and the nightlife of Dublin. I have never felt more carefree in my entire life. My hair is usually confined by a braid or a ponytail due to the nature of my work, but I have taken to leaving it down so it can be wild and free and Colin is continually playing with my blonde tresses. I love his fascination with my hair. It’s such a stark contrast to his dark auburn locks.
Last night Colin and I danced until the wee hours of the morning as we drank a hearty concoction called a black and tan. If poured correctly, the Guinness, a dark and stout beer, and the Bass Pale Ale separate to make a tasty draught that is fascinating to look at. I have enjoyed our time in Dublin and wish we were staying another night. Colin has been ever the gentleman in our time together, but in my heart, I want more than ever for the two of us to take our relationship to the next level, I’m ready. I need more. I can tell that Colin is holding back and I’m not sure why. Ultimately, I know that he is a bit old fashion.