They all sat
down in Bryan’s home, for Bryan was the man’s name. They discussed family
matters and happenings. Demy’s youngest daughter was having another child, and
soon from the look of her. Three grandchildren were due to be married in the
fall. The ‘Actor’, as he was referred to, was playing in the cities of the
north. The fields were yielding a steady crop, the livestock bore many strong
offspring, and all was in a general state of good health. Sasha sat and
listened to them talk to one another as a family. She watched the children play
in front of the fire. They were so happy together. She watched the fire burn
steadily. As it got low she put more logs on before being asked and watched as
the flames climbed higher and let them settle at a gentle roar. She liked a
good fire.
She sat on the
floor near the fire letting it warm her chilled body. She was starting to feel
again, which gave the approaching night a stronger bite. She continued to watch
the many families intermingle to the point of becoming one large mass of
kinship. She lean her back against the stone of the hearth. There was warmth in
the room from more than just the fire. It was beautiful to see.
She didn’t
notice how quiet the room was until she saw the children staring. She cocked
her head to the side mimicking their awe. Bryan looked across his table his
expression unreadable. “How do you make the fire do that?”
Sasha turned
her head towards the flames to find it leaping around her arm as she sat too
close. She lifted her arm further into the lapping yellow tongues only to watch
it pull away from her bare skin. She turned her hand over and over in front of
the flames pushing them further into the fireplace. “I don’t know,” she lied.
She closed her hand into a tight fist and the fire disappeared into embers. She
stood up and quickly walked from the house.
She stood in
the cool air of the deepening night. She had stopped feeling again so the cold
no longer bothered her. She began walking towards the woods when Ma Demy came
tottering out of the cottage. Sasha didn’t turn around to face the old woman,
but she stopped. She could feel the old matron thinking of what to say.
Finally, she
decided and said, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Sasha turned at
this and looked the old woman straight in the eyes. Ma Demy looked right back
and she could see some terrible past coming up to find the girl. She felt sorry
for the child who was too afraid to be found false that she didn’t bother
trying to defend herself.
“You’ve got to
help me with the boys when they come to work on the roof.”
“I thought that
I might no longer be welcome,” the girl replied hollowly after a pause.
Old Ma Demy
shook her head as she laughed, “Well then you’re a fool, as much as you’re a
wonder.”
The old woman
beckoned Sasha back into the house. The girl looked over her shoulder at the
darkening sky beyond and resigned herself to returning. As she stepped through
the door it became apparent that there had been words of warning given to all
not to pry. But it is hard to tell a curious child not to gawk and stare and
probe.
“Are you
witch?” had escaped one of the younger children’s lips before her mother had
even a moment’s thought to contain her.
Sasha looked
down at the young girl as her mother began admonishing her and answered as truthfully
as she could, “Not anymore.”
The questions
could just have easily ended there, but at that the flood gates opened and all
the children wanted to see more “magic”. By the time everyone had turned in,
she had done every mundane trick she could muster, and endeared herself to the
entire house hold. It had been too dark by then for Sasha and Ma Demy to return
back to the hovel, so they were both invited to spend the night. Several of the
boys offered to give up their beds to the travelers.
Sasha could
hear there was much commotion trying to get the younger children to their
various cottages and into bed. She was exhausted by the time they had all been
put out for the night. She pulled herself into bed as Ma Demy went through a
meticulous night time ritual.
“You made quite
an impression, I think,” she said as she climbed under the covers. Sasha just
smiled as the old woman blew out the candle beside the cot.
