Destiny's Gate

by Lee Bice-Matheson

  The Gift

  Early morning rays of sunshine poked through the curtains. I was startled upon awakening in unfamiliar surroundings until I recognized my new bedroom in the manor, as evident by the wallpaper with bright red flowers, and lime green stems and leaves, and curtains with loud green and red polka dots. I reassured myself that I must have had a restful night’s sleep as I stretched out feeling peaceful. Recharged and ready for the day ahead, I bounded out of the brass ensconced antique daybed to land on the cold hardwood floor. A shiver ran up my spine. My luggage was strewn about the room, yet to be unpacked. Reflecting on the big move to the manor, I felt out of sorts, wondering why my grandparents retired early to bed and Hanna was nowhere to be found. She had left a note on the guest room door that read Paige’s crib; very funny. And how did she know that word, crib? Hanna had become unpredictable.

  Distracted, I meandered into the adjoining bathroom. I cast a glance at the claw tub and stared into the antique brass mirror above the pedestal sink. A three tier towel stand made of mahogany wood was conveniently situated next to the counter. The crisp white walls jumped out at me, as I was used to colour. I wondered why the two rooms were decorated in such contrast, white walls versus floral ones. Bygones, as mom often said. And then I remembered grandpa’s tale of the burst pipes Dexter had fixed. I felt safer in the manor, despite the fact my grandparents were twenty yards down the hallway. More importantly, the kitchen was located half way between their bedroom and mine, with access to the culinary delights made by Hanna.

  The piercing clank of steel on steel permeated my thoughts and I smiled. Hanna must be making one of her delicious breakfasts. I threw on a navy blue sweater over flannel lime green pyjamas and stumbled to greet her, stopping abruptly at the entrance. Hanna walked around the kitchen kicking the pans scattered all over the floor and wildly flailed her arms as she repeated, “Who would do this to us?” Hanna spotted me and asked, “Did you have a party last night, Paige, and decide to dismantle the kitchen? What happened to you after school, or for dinner for that matter?” She had a strange look in her eyes.

  The accusatory tone made me feel like an outsider again on this estate. I mirrored her glare. “No, of course not! Why would you think I would do such a thing, Hanna? I met a friend and had dinner at her house.” I lied, to avoid any further conflict.

  Fleeing to my room; tears stung my face as gravity pulled them down to meet my lips. I could taste the salt. I flung myself down on the daybed and wished I was far, far away from here — in Italy to be exact.

  Hanna’s heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor and I heard her speaking to me as she drew closer. “Paige, I’m sorry dear. It was a terrible thing to say. I know you didn’t do it. But who did?” And there she stood in the doorway as if an invisible veil prevented her from entering. Perhaps she was waiting for an invitation. Hanna continued, “Maybe that fellow I met last night. What’s his name, Adam? No Allan. Maybe he did it.” She scratched her right hand.

  I stopped crying and sat up to study Hanna’s tired, ashen face. There was something different about her behaviour and demeanour and I could not help thinking, adults sure do go through some funny stages of life.

  I responded, “Maybe, but Allan seems all right. Dexter hired him to do the landscaping so we’re stuck with him for now. Surely he wouldn’t do this on his first night here at the estate, the first day he was hired? That would be obvious and stupid.”

  “You’re right, Paige. That makes sense, but who then?” Hanna approached the bed and sat next to me as she swung her arm around my back and pulled my head to her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Paige, I’ve been short with you lately. It just seems like things are changing around here and for some reason it seems to be tied to when you first moved in. No offense. Sure your grandfather improved over the summer but his recent set-back has me...uneasy. I feel like something is about to happen, but I don’t know what? Do you ever feel like that, Paige? Honestly... now.”

  I looked deep into her eyes and was surprised that she seemed to be the only adult here that had caught on to my sensitivity. However, something told me not to tell her too much.

  “I don’t know what to say, Hanna. All I know...we have a new guy to help out around the estate to make it look beautiful again — the rose bushes are so overgrown they’re about eight feet tall.” I giggled to lighten the mood.

  Hanna looked through me and said, “You’re right. We should think of the positives.” She quickly stood up and walked out into the hallway as she yelled, “Next time call us when you are not coming home for dinner. Breakfast will be brown bagged today so you’re not late for school.”

  Arriving at Camlachie High as the school bell rang, I glanced at my classroom schedule and searched for room 142. The last to be seated, the teacher readily announced there was a new student from Toronto and called upon me to introduce myself. My face blushed as I stood to address the class.

  “Hi, my name is Paige Maddison and I moved here from Scarborough. Thank you.” I slammed down into my seat.

  The teacher clapped her hands and encouraged the students to do the same. I felt so embarrassed by this old-fashioned approach to welcoming me. One student stared me down with her electric blue eyes. I wondered what that was about. Over the course of the next few days, I tried to remain invisible and did not want to attract any attention.

  * * *

  Free of the shackles of school for the weekend, I felt lazy and relaxed after brunch. I decided to visit the dark room and realized I had not been there since the day I processed the family photo. Thinking about it made me shudder. Walking down the long and narrow hallway towards the locked three quarter length door to the basement, a knot formed in my stomach. I missed Bradley Adam Parkman. There had been no contact since his break up letter to me and after the connection we shared all summer long, I felt incomplete. I hated admitting it to myself but I missed him so.

  I cautiously inserted the skeleton key and heard a faint noise. I quickly spun around to see what it was; nothing was there. Memories of Conall flooded my consciousness. In particular, the day he confronted Brad and I for the first time, and locked his only sister, Mackenzie, in the closet of the dark room. I recoiled from the door and thought, should I go into the dark room or not? Is there something else roaming the estate? I felt silly asking these questions. I locked the door and dashed to my bedroom. As I re-entered my new room, a thought floated into my head: you missed our meeting at noon. I suddenly felt quite ill. I had somehow opened up Pandora’s Box. Each day, I became increasingly aware that someone was watching me. Just thinking about it made my skin crawl. Who could I talk to about that? Ah yes, Peggy! I hit my forehead. That was the meeting I had missed this week.

  I changed into some heavier jeans and a wool sweater over a baby blue, long-sleeved tee shirt. The weather was blustery outside — leaves were blowing around like someone was having a vicious leaf fight. I tied my hair back to stop it from whipping me in the face. Oh, how I loved windy days! They made me feel energized especially when the wind howled as it rippled through the branches of the trees.

  I made my way to Peggy’s house and stopped to observe her talking to a girl on the porch. She looked around my age with shoulder length black hair, tanned skin, and athletic build. I wondered how they knew each other and watched as the stranger left the cottage and marched into the forest on the other side of Peggy’s home. I was unfamiliar with that particular area.

  I heard Peggy’s voice softly speaking in my mind: come in, Paige — don’t just stand there. Peggy waved at me through the screen door. I laughed and scrambled through the gate.

  “So...sorry about missing you the other day. I had a few unexpected things happen.” I fell in through the front door. Briefly, I spied the grey wolf with his intense blue eyes and then blinked and he had vanished. Surely, it was a flashback to the day I hid behind the portal to the forest. I wiped away the concern on my face to smile at Peg
gy and told her how happy I was to come and visit again. Peggy returned the smile and led the way into her communications room.

  “C’mon now, let’s sit and have some tea. And to answer your question, that was Carole. She comes to check on me and see if I need anything from the store. She is lovely. You two could be good friends, Paige. You’re a lot alike.”

  Just how alike are we?

  Peggy responded aloud, “You are both gifted, but each in your own way. Carole is from a local reservation that has been here for generations. She is the great, great, great granddaughter of a Healing Man or what some would call a Medicine Man or Shaman. She brings a tonic to me every so often that keeps me well. Now, if only she could fix my back.”

  “Too bad my dad, the chiropractor, isn’t here. He could have helped you, I’m sure,” I said, as I swivelled to pick up my cup of green tea. Now I was curious about two things: how did Peggy anticipate my arrival and who is this Carole? What would it be like to meet someone else with this gift? Peggy interrupted my thoughts.

  “When your dad gets back, could you please send him down the road to me?” she responded light-heartedly. Peggy had a twinkle in her eyes that revealed her inner child to me. When I looked at her I saw a youthful, blonde hair, blue-eyed child. I smiled with delight.

  As I further examined Peggy, I noticed her pleasant demeanour had quickly dissolved. The twinkle in her eyes disappeared as she grew serious and distant. I lost her for a moment and when she seemed to snap out of it she said in a low tone, “Paige, you are in grave danger. There is something walking the grounds of the O’Brien Estate that is looking for you. You must not search the grounds alone. It does not know what you look like.” And with the last comment, Peggy snapped out of it and sat upright in her chair. “Paige, what is going on at the manor? Has someone new entered the grounds?” She appeared distraught.

  I was quite shocked at her keen sense of awareness of the change on the O’Brien estate and replied, “A new guy arrived and is living over at the condemned cottage. His name is Allan Brewer and he seems harmless enough. He’s a bit odd but quite nice to me. Dexter feels strongly that he is someone to beware of. I don’t know what to think.”

  “What does your gut tell you? Do you feel he’s a good person, or not? Have you touched him in any way?” Peggy straightened up in her rocking chair, placing her hands, palm side up, in her lap.

  “No, I don’t think so. Wait a minute...we touched hands and I noticed a mark on the palm of his left hand and it seemed on fire. There was also a tattoo on his arm above the elbow.”

  “Good thing you’ve come to visit today! I will teach you a more detailed approach to protect yourself. And I see you’ve had a vision of a tribal dance?”

  My eyes widened in disbelief. Now how could Peggy know about the man in tribal head gear dancing behind the guest house? I was beginning to feel nauseated; I had grown accustomed to thinking that at least some of the goings on around the manor were simply part of my imagination. It was reassuring to believe so. Now, things were becoming a little too real.

  What happened next can only be described as if looking down a long and winding tunnel. I had flashbacks to every little dream, vision, scary event that had happened to me before and after we moved to Camlachie: from the dreams of falling over the edge of the ridge onto Conall’s dead body, to hounds snapping at my heels, Mackenzie eerily haunting my old high school and Conall trying to kill my grandfather. I blurted, “Am I living on cursed land?”

  “I don’t know, child! Bad things can happen to anyone, anywhere. We all have the ability to fight against evil and triumph over it. It comes from the pureness of our hearts and genuine love for others. When you put the well-being of a friend or family member before your own, that is the purest form of love and self-sacrifice — unconditional love. And that is what conquers evil. I know you do that already, Paige, from reading your energy. I can see into your soul and I see the white light reflecting all around you. You really want to protect your loved ones, don’t you?”

  Stunned at Peggy’s perception of my inner self, I did not know how to respond. She made me sound like a martyr and that made me feel uncomfortable. I thought back to the day Bradley Adam Parkman was surrounded by Conall’s evil spirit in the cemetery and I was relieved that Conall wasn’t after me. Every person for themself, came to mind. And with that thought flashed the word, stop.

  Peggy arose and sat next to me on the loveseat, gently placing her arm around my shoulders. “Now, Paige, everyone thinks now and then of protecting themselves first so they can help save others another day. You had a normal reaction to fear but you overcame it and helped Bradley, didn’t you? Paige, I know you feel alone, but please don’t. I am here to help you and your mom can help all the way from Italy. You will meet Carole sometime soon, so the two of you can talk about your gift. She is happy with it and maybe Carole can help you to understand it’s a very good thing to have. Would that be okay?”

  It took me a few minutes to take everything in. It seemed like my bond with Peggy was progressing so quickly, part of me wanted to pull away from her. Yet, for some reason, I knew she was on my side and I felt for the first time that I could trust her unconditionally.

  I turned towards Peggy and responded, “That would be great. I am lucky to have you in my life.”

  “We are never alone, Paige. I’m glad to be here for you. Just know that the good spirits from the Other Side are around us, watching over us, protecting us.” Peggy shifted and withdrew her arm to turn and face me. “Every now and then a low energy sneaks in to our sphere just to give us a bit of trouble. Never doubt we will always rise above it. It is in our nature right through to our souls.” She smiled and I felt my neck and shoulders relax.

  I did miss all of my old friends from Scarborough. I had not made the effort or really had the chance to make new friends in Camlachie. Each day, I arrived at school just in time for classes to begin and then straight home to help my grandparents; a new friend would be awesome.

  “Now then, let’s move on to protection lesson number one. Sit up straight and put both feet flat on the floor, hands at your sides and pretend your feet extend down into Mother Earth...breathe in, hold one, two, three, four, breathe out, and again... We will go into a meditative state envisioning in our minds a golden ray of light entering at the tops of our heads from Creator and swirling around in our bodies...and as we breathe out, picture grey mist leaving your body. You are getting rid of any negative energies. Mother Earth cleanses it.”

  At first, I felt ridiculous trying this meditation but listening to Peggy’s voice helped to relax me. As the meditation progressed, I began to feel at peace, almost as if someone were enveloping me in a warm embrace. Whatever was happening, it did not matter to me. It definitely made me feel at one with the world. Peggy coached me for the next half hour and when she asked me to wake up, I felt refreshed, energized and happy.

  “Well, Paige. You are a quick learner. Did you notice anything while you were meditating?” Peggy asked, unable to control the excitement in her voice.

  “Nope. Just that I feel a lot better and refreshed. What should I have noticed?” I asked.

  “Oh nothing, child. I was just wondering...” Peggy replied, as she sat back against the loveseat cushions; a slight frown reflected back to me.

  “Sorry, but it’s time for me to return to the manor. I will be careful. I promise you that.”

  “Paige, remember, do your protection prayers in the morning. Picture Glenda, the Good Witch, in her invisible bubble as she travelled about. That is the white light surrounding you, protecting you. And at night, I want you to repeat a clearing energy prayer.”

  Now what is that? It was one thing to wrap my head around the fact that I am a gifted person, but now I have to change my whole outlook on life and my habits? Part of me was angry and I was surprised by this reaction. I longed for the days when my life was simple, only ha
ving to deal with the people in this world. Now I have to deal with spirits, whether good or bad, in a world that calls them earthbounds or ghosts. How absurd… I longed for my life back in Scarborough. It seemed easier and I only had to look after myself. Where are my parents now that I need them more than ever? And with that query, a response floated into my mind, No one said life is fair, Paige. It’s how we deal with challenges as they present themselves that determines who we are. You are given this gift for a reason. How you handle your gift will reveal who you truly are.

  I stared at Peggy who seemed to be distracted by something in the room. “Did you just say that, Peggy?” I looked imploringly into her eyes.

  “Say what, dear?” Peggy’s twinkle had disappeared.

  “That stuff about life isn’t fair and it’s what we do with our gift...”

  “No, Paige. It wasn’t me,” Peggy replied grinning from ear to ear; her blue eyes now sparkled. “That’s what I was trying to ask you — if you noticed anything in your meditation? There are others here, supporting you.”

  My stomach knotted and I placed my hands on it gently massaging the pain away. Who could it be? I nervously untied my hair from its topknot; my palms clammy. Then I heard, it’s me, Paige. Can’t you tell by my energy, the feel of me around you? It’s Mackenzie. My mother is here too. We’ve talked so many times I thought you would know it was us. I relaxed and nodded to acknowledge her.

  Peggy explained, “You see. You do have a friend named Mackenzie...and her mother. They have made a solemn promise to help you in your journey of discovering your gift. You are never alone. As long as we need them, help comes from many places.” She put her hand on mine and squeezed it tightly. “There is strength in numbers. Don’t you worry, child. When you need it, you’ll have lots of help around you. But remember, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. It is from our fears that low energies gather strength and manifest themselves into things that go bump in the night...”