by J. C. Burke
‘It’s unseasonably humid for October,’ Victoria says. ‘Will you have a coffee later?’
‘No,’ Evie answers, sitting down at the table. ‘My heart’s racing enough.’
Victoria pulls out the chair next to Evie’s. Evie glances at her watch. Twelve minutes to go.
‘I wouldn’t have you here if I didn’t think you could do this.’ Victoria takes her hand. ‘You know that, don’t you?’
Evie nods.
‘You don’t realise the strength you possess. When I was sixteen, I didn’t have what you have. Nothing near it.’
‘I’m almost seventeen.’
‘Even at twenty-one I didn’t have your … sensitivity,’ Victoria tells her. ‘So don’t be scared. Remember you’re the one running the show.’
‘It’s not that I’m scared, exactly. I was scared with Athena, petrified, ’cause I didn’t understand. It was all so new. It’s … different this time.’ Evie places her hands on her chest. ‘It’s, it’s … I can’t even describe it. It’s like … I can’t breathe. And yet I can.’ Evie opens her mouth, puffing out the air. ‘See.’
‘How long have you felt like this?’
‘Since last week when you came over,’ Evie tells her. ‘Mum reckons I had a panic attack that night, but I didn’t. I know I didn’t. It was Caz. It was her way of saying she doesn’t want her mother present.’
‘Hmm, I wondered that,’ Victoria says, as she takes a jug of water into the sitting room. ‘Caz did die during an asthma attack. Sometimes the younger spirits get too close when they’re desperate to tell you something. They don’t understand … the boundaries. If this happens again, especially when you’re communicating with them, it’s important you cut them off there and then. Say goodbye and make it very clear that the communication is over.’
Evie checks her wrist. Nine minutes now.
‘Oh, can you grab the mugs on the sink and bring them in here?’ Victoria calls. ‘Nora’s a complete caffeine-head.’
A proper ouija board sits in the middle of the table. A little gasp escapes from Evie but Victoria keeps talking.
‘What a shame to be doing this on such a beautiful day,’ she says, drawing the curtains on the morning sun. ‘But it’s less distracting in the dark. You know, it’s better to do this sort of thing at night – less electrical interference. Which also means you have to be careful on what we call “weather days” – storms and the like.’ Victoria’s voice has changed, commanding yet distant, and Evie understands this is all for her. The years of experience her grandmother was never able to pass on is being passed on now. ‘I like this room because it feels good,’ Victoria continues. ‘It’s important to pick a room you feel comfortable in. It helps the nerves. One’s always a little uncomfortable with this sort of thing. That’s only natural. But fear, real fear, only interferes with the process.’ Turning away from the curtains, she faces Evie, her eyes glazed and flickering. ‘It’s important not to be afraid.’ Then she whispers, ‘There’s nothing to be afraid of.’
Evie stands there, the lump in her throat tight. For a minute, no one speaks.
‘Anyway, not to worry.’ Victoria’s voice returns to normal. ‘Sometimes it can’t be exactly how you want it. Like I said, a séance is better at night but we had to make this one in the day because it was the only time that suited them. Perhaps the aura’s a little –’
‘Them!’ The lump in Evie’s throat pops. ‘Them?’
‘Nora’s coming with a friend.’
‘Who?’ Evie shakes her head. ‘I thought –’
‘It’s all right, Evie,’ she soothes. ‘Okay? He’s an old family friend. I’ve met him before. I don’t think she intends him to stay.’
‘But, why’s he coming at all?’
Victoria is standing at a cupboard, staring inside at the shelves. ‘She says she needs him close by because of what happened last time. She said it was too upsetting to drive. This family friend is like her backbone. She relies heavily on him. He doesn’t seem to mind, either.’
‘Oh.’
‘I’ve never had a meeting with Nora during the day. She’s always visited at night. She says she needs time afterwards to get her head together. But she wanted this friend to drive her, and a Saturday morning was convenient because her daughter helps in the business. She’s a bit like a slave, the poor daughter. I think she’s only about your age. I gather they don’t have any kind of relationship – Nora and her daughter, that is.’ Victoria is searching for something on the shelves. ‘That’s the thing about Nora – her business is everything. She was a refugee from Romania and now she’s a very ambitious woman building a whole new life. That’s what I sense about her – it’s all about escaping the past.’
Evie checks her watch. Four minutes.
‘She was okay about coming, wasn’t she?’
‘Yes! Look, everything’s … over the top with Nora. She thinks she’s the only busy person on earth. It’s just the way she is. Nothing’s simple.’
‘Is there anything else I should know about her?’ Evie asks.
‘Just what I said before. What I sense about her. She’s a survivor and that’s made her tough. You’ll see that. She was already pregnant with Caz when she and her husband fled Bucharest.’ Victoria unrolls two white candles from some tissue paper.
‘Romania?’
‘Yes. They came from the city of Bucharest.’
‘That guy Zac’s family’s from there.’
‘It’s a small world,’ Victoria says. ‘Now, Nora has a successful business.’
‘What sort of business?’
‘A modelling deportment school for ladies. I don’t like to get her on the topic or she’ll talk for hours.’
‘It’s not the “Venus Cuza”, is it?’
‘That’s it. The Venus Cuza Ladies College. She named it after some beach resort in Romania.’
Evie giggles. At school they refer to it as the ‘Penis Abuser’. ‘I pass it almost every day,’ she says. ‘It’s just near my school.’
Victoria places the candles on either side of the talking board. ‘White candles attract the good entities.’ The flippant talk is over. ‘One candle on the right. One candle on the left.’ She looks up at Evie and nods at her. She knows Victoria senses her fear. ‘Okay, Evie.’
‘I don’t know if I can use Grandma’s board, Victoria. I’m not … ready,’ Evie stammers. ‘I wouldn’t know how to handle its power. It’s too much for me.’
‘There you go underestimating yourself again,’ Victoria tells her. ‘You have the board at home?’
‘Yes,’ Evie hears her voice squeak. ‘I keep it in my bedroom cupboard.’
‘Your grandmother’s board is very special, just like she was, Evie. You’re just like her. So be strong. You’re the one in charge. Not those that come to speak to you.’
A light breeze sneaks into the room. Evie shivers.
Victoria keeps talking. ‘The needle, or the planchette as it’s traditionally called, sits up, like that.’ Victoria’s fingers lightly tip the needle upwards. ‘When you made the board with the girls, you used a glass. The planchette does the same thing – it’s a pointer. It points to the letters.’
Evie sighs. Her breath feels tight and short again. She looks at her watch and understands. It’s eleven o’clock. It’s time.
‘I will ask permission to speak to Caz. When she’s ready, the needle will point to “YES”. It’s not until then that we start the questions. Then, when we’re finished, we move the pointer to “GOODBYE” to indicate the meeting’s over. It’s especially important to do this with young spirits or they’ll hang around.’
‘Ooh.’ Evie frowns. ‘Lots to know.’
‘Yes,’ Victoria says, turning towards the front door and running her hands along the creases of her skirt. ‘Yes, lots to know, but those with the gift learn quickly.’
‘I’m cold,’ Evie murmurs. As she breathes out, a white steam curls from her mouth. ‘Oh god, I’m really, really cold.�
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‘That’s because they’re almost here.’ Victoria places her hand on the front door handle and waits.
The three knocks reverberate in Evie’s chest. She jumps with each one.
Nora Cuza is tall. Her hair is bleached ash blonde and she wears it tight in a bun at the nape of her neck. The make-up on her face is thick yet it can’t hide what Evie sees. Her perfume is sweet, too sweet for a woman of her years. It sits rancid on her flesh, making Evie’s guts turn.
In spite of the warm day, the man standing close to her wears a black leather coat. He’s not as tall. His skin is thick and poxy, and his jaw seems too large for his face.
‘Nora.’ Victoria’s hand sits gently on Evie’s back as she starts the introductions. ‘This is Evie. Evie, this is Nora Cuza.’
‘She’s a striking girl, isn’t she?’ Nora’s green eyes flick up and down as she inspects the young woman before her. ‘Good colouring.’
The man smiles and nods.
These strangers make Evie uncomfortable. Again, the weight starts to settle itself on her chest, each movement of her lungs tighter than the breath before.
‘Evie, I would like to introduce you to a dear friend of our family.’ Nora’s eyes still scan her. ‘This is Ingy. He holds us together. He was very close to Caz, especially after her father died.’
Ingy reaches out his hand to Evie. Her chest clamps tighter. He touches her on the shoulder and gives a little bow. ‘Hello, Evie.’ His accent is thick. ‘I hear you have many things to tell Nora.’
‘Coffee, anyone?’
Evie is grateful for the diversion.
‘Oh, thank you, Victoria. You always know. It keeps me going.’
‘Ingy?’
‘Black with five sugars would be lovely.’ He winks at Evie. ‘I need sweetening.’
Victoria goes to the kitchen. ‘I won’t be a minute,’ she calls.
Ingy stands there as Nora gets comfortable at the table. Her eyes are still glued to Evie. Turning away, Evie pretends to fix the curtains. She concentrates on keeping her breath steady. ‘In – out – in – out,’ she guides it through her body.
‘Victoria tells me you think my daughter contacted you.’ She clutches a large white handbag, which Evie noticed the minute she walked in. It’s hideous. The gold chains clink together as she digs around in it, pulling out a handful of tissues, which she begins to fold. ‘I’m very interested as to why she would have done that. I mean, why would she try to speak with you? She never met you. You would have been too young. What are you now – seventeen?’
‘Almost.’
‘That’s how old my other daughter, Paris, is.’
Her gold fingernails tap the wooden table. ‘What is your school?’
‘Goulburn Street Girls.’
‘So, you’re smart. Good. I hope you’re not going to waste my time.’
Evie shrugs.
‘What’s your major?’
‘Art.’
‘My business is near your school.’
‘Yes.’
‘You should come and see us. We have lots of pretty girls like you. Don’t we, Ingy?’
Ingy nods as he takes something out of his jacket. ‘Here.’ With a smile, he passes Evie a business card. His fingers are cold as he presses it into her palm. ‘Lucky last,’ he says. ‘I’m getting my new ones on Monday.’
Without looking at it, Evie places it on the coffee table and attempts to fake a smile. What she really feels like is throwing up.
Nora Cuza keeps talking and Evie swallows the bile that’s burning in her throat.
‘Ingy runs the money side of things. He took over after my husband, Janos, god bless him –’ she strikes her heart – ‘passed away. I lost my Caz and my Janos within two years of each other. Ingy saved us. We will be forever grateful to him.’ She strikes her heart again. ‘I don’t know how I keep going.’
‘She is remarkable,’ Ingy tells Evie. ‘Remarkable.’
‘But unlucky,’ she sighs. ‘Too much pain for one person.’
The hairs on Evie’s arms tingle and weave along her skin, making her want to crawl away from them, find a dark room and disappear. Caz won’t speak to her while they’re here. Evie is sure of it. Someone is hiding something. Someone isn’t speaking the truth.
When Victoria returns with the coffee, Evie tries to catch her eye. But Victoria isn’t looking at Evie. She’s busy explaining what they’ll do.
‘When the needle points to “YES”, then we may ask questions, but not before that. I will start the call and Evie will take over when Caz is present.’
Ingy stands behind Nora’s chair. Nora’s nails tap each letter on the board.
‘Humph. I don’t understand why we have to use this board,’ Nora mutters. ‘We never had to before. If this girl is so good, why can’t she just speak to her?’
‘Because this is what Evie was doing when Caz spoke to her,’ Victoria explains. ‘So this is the method we should use.’
Nora clicks her tongue. ‘I don’t know what a young girl would be doing playing with one of these, anyway.’
Victoria ignores the comment. ‘Well, let’s see what happens.’
Ingy kisses Nora on the head. ‘I’ll be waiting in the car.’
‘Dear Ingy,’ Nora says as he closes the door. ‘He is my angel.’
Back at the table, Victoria takes a match out of the box. ‘Evie, are you ready?’
Evie wants to say, ‘No. I don’t like her. She shouldn’t be here.’ But she doesn’t.
Victoria lights the candles. The wicks crackle as the match connects. The smell of sulphur mixed with the scent of Nora’s perfume drifts around them. Outside, the noise of the traffic seems to fade and disappear. The only sound is Victoria’s voice asking those at the table to link hands.
Nora takes Evie’s left hand and grips it tightly, her nails pinching into the skin of her palm.
‘Protect those that sit at this table,’ Victoria begins. ‘Guard them and keep them safe. We ask that this calling is safe and harmonious for all. We ask that you speak with us. That you come to us freely and with good will.’
The group sits in silence. Evie is conscious of the air moaning in her throat.
‘Our beloved daughter Caz,’ Victoria calls. ‘We summon you with the power of love and ask that you join us in our circle.’
Victoria unlinks her hands, placing her finger on the heart-shaped pointer. Nora and Evie follow.
‘We wait for you, dear Caz. With patience and good will.’
Heads are lowered. Fingers sit on the pointer. They wait.
It’s Nora’s perfume, but clean and sweet this time, that Evie smells. But how can it be Nora’s? It’s fresh and light like a florist’s in the morning. Evie’s eyes scan the room as she draws it in, the hairs in her nose tickling and twitching.
It passes down her throat and into her chest, dissolving the weight that burdens her lungs. In – out, in – out; at last the air flows freely. In – out, in – out. The thoughts that lingered above her are now absorbed with each breath she takes. Message received. Now Evie understands. Caz is here. But she is hiding.
Victoria calls to the spirit world again. ‘If you would, commune with us, dear Caz. Feel free to move among us. You are safe within our circle.’
They wait. Nothing.
‘This is ridiculous.’ Nora’s teeth are clenched. ‘Ridiculous using this board. Don’t waste my time. I won’t be going until I speak to my Caz!’
‘Nora, please,’ Victoria says. ‘You must be quiet.’
‘Hhhmph.’
‘All help me circle the board with the needle,’ Victoria commands. ‘This may be needed to start things off.’
Around and around the board their fingers move the planchette. ‘Beloved Caz, you are safe with us. Your mother is here. She wishes to hear you. To know you are at peace.’ Victoria nods to Nora.
‘Come, my darling,’ Nora croons. ‘Come. Nu int’eleg. Nu int’eleg. Why will you not speak to Mamma.�
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Above Nora’s head, only Evie hears the words whispered, ‘No Mamma. No Mamma.’
‘Come. Nu int’eleg,’ Nora continues. ‘Mamma cannot go on unless you speak to me. Please, my darling. Speak to me.’
The words hover around Nora’s chair. ‘Never again. Never again,’ it murmurs. ‘Never again. Unforgivable. Unforgivable Mamma. Never again.’
Evie is still sitting at the table when her parents arrive to take her home. Victoria shakes her head. ‘It didn’t go too well,’ she tells them. ‘Nora’s very good at the dramatic exits and entrances, but she’ll be back.’
Robin rushes to where her daughter is sitting. ‘Evie!’ She turns to Victoria and Nick. ‘I knew this wasn’t a good idea. How could we let her do this?’
‘Please, Robin, let me explain.’
‘What on earth could you say to make this better?’ She puts her hands on Evie’s shoulders. ‘Let’s get you out of here. Come on, Nick.’
‘Mum, it’s not Victoria’s fault,’ Evie sighs. ‘It just wasn’t going to work. It never was.’
‘If you ask me, the whole idea was pretty bloody awful!’
‘Well, it doesn’t matter any more,’ Evie tells her. ‘Nora Cuza thinks I’m the biggest fake in the world. I don’t have anything to tell her.’
‘You mean, that’s it?’
‘Yep.’ Evie lies for the second time. ‘It ended up being … nothing.’
As Evie leaves the flat, her eyes connect with Victoria’s. She knows.
‘Alex is on the phone,’ Robin calls. ‘Evie?’
‘I’ll take it in your room.’ Evie lies on her parents’ bed and picks up the receiver on her father’s bedside table. ‘You can hang up now, Mum.’
‘Hey, I thought you were coming to the movies last night.’ Alex says. ‘What happened?’
‘I got a really bad headache.’ That’s not exactly a lie, Evie thinks. By the time she got back from Victoria’s, her head was thumping. ‘Was it a good night? Who went?’
‘Me and Zac. Um, Seb, Roxy –’
‘Roxy went?’
