by Rachel Wells
“Oh you know about Elias as well then?” Nana interrupted with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah, Lucas told me. So when he died, that was O’Leary’s opportunity, right? He must have blackened Mary’s reputation by spreading rumors that she was a witch and then by testifying against her?” Mandy questioned the sequence of events out loud, still trying to make sense of it all.
“Yes. As Mary began to earn a reputation as being successful at healing people, more people began to turn to her in their times of trouble or need instead of turning to the only doctor in town. Because Mary was not a doctor, they were often able to pay her in other forms, such as trading chickens or eggs or milk, or even coffee or fabric. If they couldn’t afford a payment of some sort, Mary would often allow them to owe it to her. The doctor, being an educated man with a professional title, would not take anything other than monetary payment, which was always more than what Mary was asking, and would never allow a debt to go unpaid after treatment. Before Mary came to town, the doctor had been quite successful and was becoming wealthier by the day, at the cost of his patients. As the tides turned, he grew anxious, fearful even, of what was to become of him and his precious title. And so, he wrote this little letter,” Nana motioned to the paper now sitting on the bed between them. “He kept his word. As soon as it was apparent that Elias would not pull through, the doctor began whispering about town here and there. He only had to mention, even just barely hint at the thought of witchcraft to a couple of the farmer’s wives he saw about town, and the gossip began to fly. Spread faster even than the smallpox.” Nana shook her head in disgust.
“And Mary wouldn’t stand up for herself for fear of her sister’s life…” Mandy put two and two together.
“The doctor knew that Mary had a sister because his wife worked in the town’s little post office. Mary had been on friendly terms with his wife and no doubt spoke of her sister when she went in to pick up her mail or send some off. Mary was in a no win situation. If she pled guilty at the trial, the town probably would have spared her life in order to “save” her soul. If she pled innocent it wouldn’t have mattered, she knew her fate was sealed. Too many people were against her. She would also have been damning her sister. She knew Dr. O’Leary was a man of his word, especially in this situation. As the rumors flew about town, people who had once trusted Mary with their health were turning on her. They talked of the strange powders they had seen Mary produce and the unorthodox way in which she treated her patients’ ailments. The powders were simply ground herbs, many are commonly used today. Up until Elias’s death, no one had so much as spoken a peep against Mary or her treatments. Now that the town’s doctor was also pointing fingers at Mary on the witness stand, there was no hope for Mary. After all, back then an educated man’s word was as good as God’s. If he said it then it was true by all means. The doctor had a title, and he used it to heal and to kill, in effect. So rather than stake a position, she simply remained mum on her status, knowing all along what the outcome would be. She would never let her sister take her place,” Nana crossed her arms across her chest, a far off look in her eyes as she contemplated the horridness of the story she had just shared. Mandy and her grandmother sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts about Mary Nasson.
Mandy couldn’t even begin to fathom the terror of what Nana had said. To work so willingly among a town and then to have it turn against you in such a short amount of time, to know that it was either your life or your sister’s in the hands of a vengeful man. To know that someone innocent must die, either to give the doctor back his rightful place in town or as revenge for not backing down. To have a decision like that looming over you, and yet knowing there was no decision to be made, because there always was only one answer. To know that that answer would be the end of your life and the end of any decency left to your name. To take a secret to the grave. Suddenly Mandy realized she was missing something. “Wait, Nana, how did you know about this letter then?”
“I didn’t know, not for sure, but I had a hunch. This was my hunch,” Nana said motioning to the desk where the ripped page of flowers was lying lifelessly.
“But why?” Mandy asked, still confused.
“Well many of Mary’s things have been passed down through the years. As she was our ancestor, I eventually gained ownership of the items. Mostly it was just correspondence, but there was also a couple of books in which Mary kept track of who she had treated and who had paid and how, or who still owed her for her services. Not once in either of those little books was a fatality mentioned until Elias Donagal. That was the last entry. However, under it was written something that I have always found rather cryptic and out of place in the little books. It was a line in Mary’s handwriting that simply said ‘Beneath the heady blooms a vicious secret looms.’ That line has been haunting me since I first laid eyes on it, which as you can imagine was many years ago now. It’s been permanently burned into my memory. I always wondered what it meant. I had scoured the documents that I had for any clues as to what it could be mean, but always came up empty handed. When you told me you had found letters from her and then a paper with flowers that still smelled, something in me just knew that this had to be the key, and it was,” Nana chuckled in conclusion, obviously pleased with herself.
“So what are you going to do now? I mean with the information?” Mandy asked.
“Well…” Nana began but was cut off by the slam of the front door.
“Mandy? We’re home,” Mandy’s mom’s voice came up the stairway.
“Hi, Mom. We’ll be right down,” Mandy called back.
“Oh do you have company?”
“Just Nana.”
Mandy’s grandmother stood up and carefully folded the hidden letter they had discovered back into its original square shape. “I’ll keep this one with me, if that’s all right,” Nana said. “And for the time being, let’s just keep this between us.” Mandy nodded at her grandmother and the two of them headed downstairs.
* * *
Chapter 14
The last half of the week flew by. The flower shop seemed to be extra busy for some reason and consequently Mandy had not had any more time to talk to her grandmother over their findings. Mandy couldn’t help seeing the irony in the situation. In the beginning, when she had first found out about all this healing, she had wanted nothing to do with it. It struck her as funny that now all she wanted to do was find out more. Luckily she had her date with Stephen to distract her. On Thursday night she had called him and firmed up plans. They were going to meet at the Surfside restaurant on Shortsands beach at six and go from there.
Already Mandy liked the direction this date was headed better than her date with Lucas. With Lucas, Ally had insisted on dolling Mandy up and stuffing her into an uncomfortable dress. This time around Ally had not interfered more than to throw a “Have fun!” Mandy’s way as she left work that afternoon. Mandy was free to go home and put on whatever she wanted to wear for her outing. Of course she put on jeans, topped off with a vintage looking blue screen print tee from Old Navy. She grabbed one of her standard hoodies and pulled her hair into a ponytail. “Bye Mom. Bye Dad,” Mandy called as she came down the stairs and headed towards the door, hoping to avoid an interrogation.
“Off to make trouble, Mandster?” Mandy’s dad guffawed.
“I’m just meeting up with Stephen,” Mandy offered, hoping that would satisfy the piranhas. Apparently that was just bait.
“Oh, a date?” Mandy’s mom perked up, suddenly very interested.
“I don’t know. We’re just friends Mom. We’re just gonna get burgers or something and go to the arcade for a while,” Mandy said, feeling her face flush.
“Sounds like a date. Well, have a good time!”
“Don’t stay out too late! Do you have your…” Mandy’s dad began.
“Cell phone? Check. All right guys, I really gotta go or I’m going to be late. You don’t want him to think I stood him up do you?” Mandy tried to ease
out on a note of humor.
“Ok, see you later,” Mandy’s mom said, smiling.
“Bye!” Mandy pulled the front door closed behind her, breathing a sigh of relief. She headed towards the Boat and hopped in, surprised to realize that she had butterflies in her stomach. She parked in the little lot and plopped some change in the meter and headed towards Surfside.
Surfside was just a little hole in the wall restaurant on the strip of sidewalk next to Shortsands Beach. Next to it sat a bowling alley and the Fun’o’Rama. It was Mandy’s kind of place. Utterly laid back and casual with food to match. As she neared it she recognized Stephen sitting on the curb out front. He waved and she waved back, happy she wasn’t the first one here.
“Hi,” Mandy called.
“Hey!” Steve called back. “I was starting to think you had forgotten, or changed your mind,” he laughed.
“Oh, nah. Parents…for some odd reason they like to know where I’m going and who I’m meeting and stuff,” Mandy laughed.
“Yeah, I get that all the time,” Stephen agreed. “Want to go in?”
“Yeah, I’m starving actually,” Mandy said, realizing that she felt completely comfortable around Stephen. He grabbed the door and pulled it open, gesturing for Mandy to go in, but unlike Lucas, this didn’t make Mandy feel weird. It seemed genuine, like Stephen was just minding his manners, rather than trying to impress Mandy and/or whoever happened to be watching.
Mandy walked through the doorway and was met with the aroma of baking pizzas and juicy hamburgers. Her stomach was growling. “What are you gonna get?” she asked, looking over towards Stephen.
“I love a good cheeseburger,” Stephen answered, looking up at the overhead menu.
“Me too!” Mandy said. “Fries and a Coke would make it even better.”
“Then you will have fries and a Coke,” Stephen said grinning at Mandy. He ordered and paid before Mandy could stop him.
“Let me give you money for my half,” Mandy said as they sat on a crumb covered bench at a table with a scratched red veneer.
“No, that’s ok. My treat,” Stephen replied.
“Well then your first roll of quarters at the arcade is on me,” she suggested.
“Deal,” Stephen said easily. Mandy was glad he was allowing her to pay for at least part of the date. It felt more comfortable to her. After all, it was only fair. “So what have you been up to the last week?” Stephen asked.
“Working mostly. The shop’s been busy. How ‘bout you? Ready for school and everything?” Mandy inwardly grimaced as she thought of the impending first day of school.
“Yeah, I guess. Had a good enough summer. I’m ready to get back into the swing of things. Besides it’s the last year of high school. Supposedly it’s a great time in a teenager’s life,” Stephen laughed. “You ready?”
“For school? Not at all, actually. I’m kind of dreading it. I hate being the new girl and not knowing anybody or my way around. Then there’s always the cafeteria…” Mandy trailed off.
“The cafeteria? Is it cursed or something I don’t know about?” Stephen made a face, obviously teasing Mandy.
“No, you know…the cafeteria will be filled with a sea of unfamiliar faces. Will I find someone to sit with or will I be forced to eat by myself…easy road to an anxiety attack,” Mandy shrugged.
“What do you mean will you find someone to sit with? You’ve got me and Ally, and everyone else. So, see, you’re really worrying about nothing! Your actual worry should really be about whether or not it’s safe to eat the unknown substances you will find on your cafeteria tray!” Stephen laughed easily and Mandy found herself joining in, any tension that had threatened to overtake her mood suddenly dissipated.
“53? 53!” A voice called out over the loudspeaker jolting Mandy and Stephen’s attention away from the ominous cafeteria to reality.
“That’s us, I’ll be right back,” Stephen slid out of the booth and headed towards the counter. Mandy watched him walk away thinking that he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. He returned after a moment placing a cheeseburger, and a Coke and fries as promised, in front of Mandy. “Ketchup? Napkins?” Stephen offered politely.
“Yes and yes, please,” Mandy nodded. The burger threatened to be messy, but that’s exactly how Mandy liked them. She added extra ketchup on top for good measure and took a big bite. The ketchup oozed out the bottom end of the sandwich falling without remorse onto Mandy’s jeans. Mandy groaned and Stephen started to laugh. “That would happen to me,” Mandy sighed, scrubbing at the spot. “Slightly embarrassing.”
“Just a little ketchup. Here, we can match. We’ll tell people we’re part of the Ketchup Gang,” Stephen teased. Before Mandy realized what he was getting at he had turned over a little paper cup filled with ketchup onto his pants.
“Stephen!” Mandy gasped.
“What? Now you’re not the odd man out. Besides, it would have happened on its own anyway. Another five minutes and I would have beat you to the punch,” Stephen said agreeably scrubbing at his pants with a napkin. “There, are we sufficiently scrubbed to the same shade of ketchup?” Stephen smiled at Mandy.
Mandy shook her head in disbelief, but leaned over to check the color of the ketchup stain. “Yeah, looks about right,” she admitted. The rest of dinner was easy and free of anymore stains. The conversation rolled without any awkward pauses. By the time they were ready to leave Mandy felt like she had known Stephen for much longer than just the last month. Stephen grabbed the tray and emptied it into the trash can by the door leaving it on top. They stepped out into the summer evening and were greeted by the sultry feel of the late August air.
“Arcade?” Stephen offered.
“Of course,” Mandy agreed. She turned left and was surprised as Stephen caught her hand in his. The butterflies were suddenly back in full force in Mandy’s stomach. Actually they felt more like grasshoppers. Mandy felt the corners of her mouth pulling up in a small satisfied smile as she snuck a peek in Stephen’s direction as he led her towards the arcade. He was smiling too. Mandy felt a blush start as he looked down at her and caught her peeking shyly at him. It didn’t seem to phase him, he just smiled bigger, radiating his happiness at her as he looked her in the eyes.
“You know what? I like you,” Stephen said simply.
Mandy felt the blush darken in color. “I like you too,” she laughed. She felt like she was floating along besides Stephen instead of walking. This was what a date was supposed to feel like.
They entered the arcade and were swallowed up by the noise bouncing back and forth across the space. “Where to?” Stephen practically had to yell in order to be heard over the noise.
“Skee-ball?” Mandy suggested.
“That’s my favorite,” Stephen agreed happily.
“Mine too. It’s the one thing I’m good at,” Mandy smiled. The pair headed over towards the left side of the building which was lined with row after row of skee-ball lanes. Luckily they found two open ones next to each other. Mandy pulled two rolls of quarters from her pocket and handed one to Stephen. “Here. You promised,” she reminded him.
“I always keep my promises,” Stephen said, accepting the roll. The next hour passed unbelievably fast. They played skee-ball until they had amassed what they considered a sufficient amount of tickets, had their fortunes read by Madam Zha-Zha (the scary looking mannequin head in a box), and made faces in the photo booth. They saved the ticket counter for last. There was always a long line of kids waiting impatiently to claim their dime store prizes. They chattered easily until it was their turn to pick out their mementos. “Well, what do you want?” Stephen offered.
“You can pick,” Mandy nodded.
“Turn your back then, I’ll surprise you,” Stephen laughed, making an occasion out of their silly ticket shopping. Mandy laughed but did as she was told. A couple of minutes later Stephen tapped her on the shoulder. “Mandy?” he asked, his voice suddenly sounded serious and formal.
Mandy spun arou
nd wondering at the change in his voice. Stephen was down on one knee with his arm extended towards her. He was holding a very cheap, very gaudy ring. It had a bright red plastic stone on top. “Will you be in the Ketchup Gang forever?” he mocked, voice still somehow serious even as the absurdity of the moment left Mandy breathless from laughter.
“Yes!” Mandy agreed, accepting the ring.
“The color of the gem will forever remind you of our gang,” Stephen continued seriously, although a smile toyed about his mouth. “Does it fit? If not, I can adjust it with my superhuman strength,” he laughed.
“It’s perfect,” Mandy giggled looking down at the ketchup colored ring now sitting grandly on top of her finger.
“Here, I also got dessert,” Stephen said, tossing Mandy a Tootsie-Roll Pop.
“Hey purple is my favorite!” Mandy said, reveling in this small fact.
“I’m good like that,” Stephen said proudly. He reached for her hand and they headed towards the exit. It was dark out now. The moonlight reflected its white face on the water, lending an almost appealing feel to Shortsands Beach. “I had fun tonight,” Stephen said breaking the silence.
“Me too,” Mandy said, giving Stephen’s hand a squeeze. He squeezed back and the grasshoppers began going wild again. “We should do it again sometime.”
“You don’t have to say that,” Stephen said.
“What do you mean? I’m serious.”
“I just mean don’t feel bad if it doesn’t happen. Girls have said stuff like that to me before, but somehow the sometime part never happens. Besides, Ally told me you went out with Lucas, so I just mean I understand if you…”