get over that. Nanny Scott was a psychic, not some
black magic practitioner. No one came to your house
that would have harmed you.”
“Nanny Scott was a very powerful woman and like
attracts like. There were some very frightening people
that my mother associated with. I never wanted that
life for you. I wanted you to have a nice quiet
peaceful life.”
“I understand, but what you want isn’t what I want. I
can’t get rid of what is inside me anymore than she
could. I don’t want to. I love being able to do the
things I do. I just wish I could talk to you about them.
“
She put her hand on my arm. She looked rueful. Was
this progress, a breakthrough, right here on our
driveway? I held my breath, waiting to see what she
would say.
Sunday came and I wasn’t even antsy to get back to
the city. I was looking forward to turkey and
everything that came with it. Cooking was a talent
that had been passed down from mother to daughter
in my family. I didn’t get a chance to do it too often,
but I knew all the family recipes. Mom’s opinion was
that everyone had to eat, and if you didn’t know how
to cook, you were a fool. I was about to come
downstairs to see if Mom needed any help, when the
doorbell rang. I waited at the top of the stairs. I
wanted to make sure it was someone I wanted to see
before I made my entrance.
Mom was talking, but I didn’t recognize the other
voice. It sounded like a kid. Curiosity got the better of
me and I had to come down and investigate. Standing
in the doorway was a scrawny teenager with dirty hair
and clothes. He looked about fourteen. It was hard to
tell because he looked so malnourished.
Our stretch of road was a cell phone dead zone, so
we often had stranded motorists coming to our door,
asking to use our phone. This kid didn’t even look old
enough to drive. Something was off about him; I just
couldn’t put my finger on it. He made the hairs on the
back of my neck stand up. I suppose he looked
innocent enough, but I was still going to keep an eye
on him.
“I can’t promise miracles, but I will try.”
I wasn’t going to press my luck. This was almost too
good to be true. I was going inside while the going
was good. Mom very seldom gave an inch and I was
going to take what I could. Before I headed to my
room, I looked back to see my dad with this goofy
grin on his face, giving me a very corny thumbs up.
My family was so weird.
I would never admit this to Mom or Dad, but I
needed some down time and being home let me relax.
I loved Lena, but she was very kinetic and that could
be tiring. I loved school, but it came with a lot of
stress and pressure. This weekend at home was filled
with none of those things. I might never want to live
here, but it was a nice place to visit.
I helped Mom make her pies and the stuffing for the
turkey, which made her happier than a pig in shit. The
house smelled amazing all weekend as my body
recharged itself on homemade healthy food,
something it had been starving for since I had started
school. I napped a lot and wasn’t even made to feel
guilty about it. Dad and I watched TV and played
crib. I went through all the clothes I had left at home
and made a Goodwill bag. I even did a little studying.
It was busy, but I enjoyed it. It was nice to be taken
care of.
Mom noticed I was standing beside her. “Oh, good;
you’re up. Cass, this is Ian. He needs to use the
phone. Can you show him? I need to check the
turkey.”
I looked him up and down. He seemed unfazed by
my death stare. I didn’t know if that was good or bad.
Walking in the middle of nowhere during the coldest
day in October I could remember still seemed fishy. I
walked to my dad’s study. “In there, kid.”
“I’m not a kid,” he bristled.
“Okay, old man, the phone is there on the desk.” This
Ian had some attitude for someone who needed a
favor.
He walked over and looked down. Amusement
crossed his thin face. “Seriously, a dial phone?”
I shrugged. “Mom and Dad don’t believe in replacing
things until they break. It will likely be part of my
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