The Witch

by Mary Ann Mitchell

  “We’ll look it up in the dictionary later, son.”

  “Aunt Rosemary, what’s a hooey-kooye?”

  “It’s the young girl your uncle is seeing.”

  “Then she’s a who and not a what. Is she as young as Molly?” Stephen kept asking his questions all the way out to the car, and the adults stalled for answers.

  Mabel swung open the door of the car and rushed out to greet her daughter. The two spent five minutes hugging, admiring, and questioning each other until Jacob reminded them that he didn’t plan on paying for overnight parking.

  On the way home, Rosemary and Mabel never stopped talking, and Jacob managed to tune out the shrill voices. He found his way home by rote and pulled into the driveway.

  “What are we doing here?” asked Rosemary.

  “You’re staying with Jacob and Stephen,” Mabel replied.

  “Oh, Jacob, I couldn’t intrude at this time. My goodness, you and Stephen must just be beginning to adjust.”

  “He volunteered as soon as he heard you were coming,” Mabel said.

  I did?

  Jacob realized nothing had been said about where Rosemary would stay until he had suggested his own home. But he thought he hadn’t a choice.

  “If you insist, Jacob. I wouldn’t insult you by refusing.”

  Insult me!

  “It’s going to be a wonderful weekend. We can take Stephen to the zoo and afterward stop to get that awful chili he so loves.” Mabel ran her fingers through Stephen’s hair.

  “It’s Mom’s birthday,” he said.

  Jacob broke the moment of silence by offering to carry Rosemary’s overnight bag into the house.

  “Thank you, Jacob,” Rosemary said, stepping out of the car. “Perhaps we should ask Stephen what he’d like to do today.”

  Behind Stephen’s back Mabel violently shook her head at Rosemary.

  “Hey, buddy, why don’t you run up to your bedroom and get that special birthday card you made for Mom?”

  “But, Dad, it’s not meant for everyone to see.”

  “You showed it to Molly and me, didn’t you?”

  Stephen nodded.

  “Then why not show it to Grandma and Aunt Rosemary?”

  “Because they won’t care.”

  “No, no, Stephen, we do care,” said Rosemary, dropping to her knees in front of the boy. “Grandma and I got so excited about seeing you that we hurriedly started making plans. However, we also want to do something today to remember your mother. Can we sign our names to your birthday card?”

  “Did you forget your card?”

  “I think it would be more special if we signed your card; more likely she’d notice your hand-made card over anybody’s else’s.”

  “There’s plenty of room on the card for everyone’s name,” Stephen said. “I’ll go get it.”

  When the boy ran into the house, Mabel turned to Rosemary.

  “Jacob and Stephen go to the seaside every weekend to visit Cathy. Just once I’d like to wean Stephen away from this obsession.”

  “There’ll come a time soon enough, Mom, when he’ll have such a full life he’ll barely remember what Cathy looked and sounded like. Let him be. If he wants to go to the seaside we can stop on the way back at a nice fish restaurant.”

  “I’m shocked, Mabel.” Jacob stepped forward. “You always ask if he prays for his mother and whether he asks about her.”

  “I know, but a few minutes of prayer is different than spending a week planning for the weekend visit to his dead mother. And taking her own life …”

  “I don’t think Stephen remembers,” said Jacob.

  “My God, he found her hanging in the basement!”

  “Mabel, calm down. He’ll be back soon. I don’t think he clearly remembers what he saw. He was only down there a few seconds when I called him up.”

  “But he’s the one who told you,” Mabel said in a hushed voice.

  “He said he thought Mommy needed help. I didn’t allow him back down in the cellar. Matter of fact, I put the cellar off limits.”

  “Is the door locked?”

  “No, Mabel, locking the door would only draw attention to the basement. Next thing I know I’d find him in front of the basement door with a hand full of bobby pins trying to pry open the lock.”

  “He’s right, Mom.”

  The front door opened, and Stephen came running with his hand-made card.

  Inside the house everyone signed the card but were surprised when Stephen said it wouldn’t be necessary to drive to the seaside to deliver the card.

  “Mom’s still here with Daddy and me. We don’t have to go anywhere else to be near her,” he announced.

  Chapter

  13

  Stephen slowly opened the basement door. The slight squeak made him pause for only a moment. He wore his heavy cable Irish sweater over his pajamas. The sheepskin slippers fit snugly around his feet. He kept one hand pressed against the sweater and used his other hand to hold the banister.

  He didn’t want to use the flashlight until he had managed to descend most of the stairs. Certainly he didn’t want his father to catch him going to the basement. Midway down the stairs he couldn’t wait any longer; he whipped the flashlight from under his sweater and pressed the button. The bright lightcast some shadows, and Stephen turned to make a run back up the steps, but since he didn’t see anything he expected, he stopped.

  Mommy’s spirit might be in the basement, but not her body. His shaky hand scanned the room with his flashlight.

  “It’s after midnight, Mom, happy birthday.” He let go of the banister in order to pull his handmade card from under his sweater. “Everybody signed it. Dad, Grandma, and even Aunt Rosemary. She’s visiting and sleeping upstairs in the guest room. Grandma went home after dinner, but she’ll be back in the morning.”

  Stephen placed the flashlight on a step and folded the card into the shape of an airplane. Holding the card, he swung his arm far back before lurching forward, setting the plane free in the air.

  “Air Mail.” He giggled, moving his foot excitedly, sending the flashlight rolling down the steps one at a time.

  Stephen stood in the dark and looked down at the floor where the flashlight rolled slowly toward the furnace before stopping.

  “Drat!” his little voice muttered. He looked behind him and could see the open door and the moonlight lighting the hallway.

  “Umm, Mom, I’m not supposed to be down here,” he said turning back to the basement floor. He held his breath for several moments, listening for the sound of footsteps. The bedrooms were all on the second floor, he thought; maybe they couldn’t hear what went on in the basement.

  “I should be getting back to bed, but I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday.”

  He thought he heard a whimper, a sad sound that made his heart ache.

  “Mom, is that you? I hope I didn’t make you sad by telling you Aunt Rosemary is here. She doesn’t seem so unhappy having Robin as her child. Robin may not be able to walk, but she’s lots of fun and makes everyone laugh. I think Aunt Rosemary is lucky to have Robin. She’s better at telling jokes than I am. Honestly, I think she may be a little smarter than me, even. Not a lot, but sometimes she understands things I don’t. I know she’s two years older, but I have the feeling she was smarter than me two years ago. Besides, I don’t believe Daddy’s story about witches making putty out of nerves. I don’t think any witch has cursed Robin. She’s too nice.”

  With his eyes he searched for the plane and saw that it had made a perfect landing atop the ugly box.

  “Can you read it, Mommy? If not, maybe the uglies can read it to you.” He thought for a second. “Can they read?”

  The plane tilted and almost fell off the box, but it appeared glued.

  “Come, read it to your mother, little man.”

  Stephen descended one step.

  The furnace clicked off.

  “Little man, don’t make us wait.”

  Stephen quickly r
an down the stairs and picked up the flashlight, almost toppling over into the furnace. His hand barely touched the furnace door, but he pulled back quickly while letting out a small cry: “Ouch.”

  The whimper started again.

  “Don’t worry, Mom, I’m not really hurt.”

  The plane wavered back and forth on top of the box but never fell. Stephen thought it might be taking off. Curious, he took a few steps closer.

  “Mom, is that you or the uglies?”

  Cathy broke free from the arms of death and instantly Stephen felt her presence. He sighed and smiled, knowing he was safe now. He even got up the nerve to move up close to the table.

  “You are doing that, aren’t you, Mom?”

  “Make him hold us in his hands, Mother. Make him accept us.”

  “He is my son. He will know what to do. He has watched me often.”

  “But he hesitates. He fumbles with toys instead of taking up his task.”

  Stephen instantly took a step back, and his eyes widened when the plane burst into flames.

  “Silly games. Silly toys. We are here for revenge.”

  When there was nothing but ash left of the plane, he closed his open mouth and swallowed.

  “Didn’t you like the card, Mom?”

  “It was a beautiful card, sweetness. A beautiful card. Although ruined by the names that followed your own. Give me a better gift, Stephen. Give me your father’s pride and handsomeness. His face, his hands, his body are too perfect. Too much temptation for the young, for the trollops that blindly sin for him.”

  “Mom, I’m getting scared. Something don’t feel right.”

  Cathy stretched out her arms to hold her son, but as happened so many times before, she couldn’t feel the solidness of his body.

  Stephen shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.

  “I have to go now, Mom. I’ll visit again, I promise.”

  “Cowardly, child.”

  “Simpleton!”

  “He mocks us.”

  Growls, groans, whimpers all filled the air, panicking Stephen and driving him up the stairs to slam the door shut behind him.

  Chapter

  14

  “Stephen has a charming babysitter to look after him, don’t you, Stephen?” Grandma had brought over baked goods for breakfast, and Stephen, with a full mouth, couldn’t reply.

  “I’ve been thinking about getting another babysitter,” said Jacob.

  Stephen spit out his food into his plate.

  “That’s disgusting, Stephen. You know you shouldn’t do that.” Grandma grabbed her napkin and tried to wipe Stephen’s chin.

  “But, Dad, I like her. I think she should live here all the time.”

  “She can’t do that, Stephen.” Grandma slipped the plate from under Stephen’s chin and threw the remains of his food in the garbage. “She’s too young to move away from her parents and it wouldn’t look proper. Now, upstairs, brush your teeth, and never spit your food out like that again. Go!”

  Stephen looked at his father.

  “Do what Grandma says, Stephen. We’ll talk about Molly later.”

  “She hasn’t even finished my costume yet.” Stephen’s small hands gripped the table.

  Jacob laughed, but Mabel pulled the boys hands from the table.

  “Upstairs, now!” she barked.

  Stephen rose from the chair so fast it almost tipped over, except Jacob caught the back frame. Stephen ran out of the kitchen.

  “Mom, did you have to do that?”

  “What, Rosemary?”

  “Discipline Stephen like that. I’m supposed to be here to make him feel better and loved. Instead, you’re making it impossible to have any time with him.”

  “Rosemary, Robin is different than other children. She’s …”

  “In a wheelchair,” Rosemary finished.

  “No, I meant she’s not as aggressive as Stephen. He needs to be taught how to behave.”

  “Could you leave that up to me, Mabel?” said Jacob.

  “I didn’t hear you discourage his behavior. Rosemary and I are family but also company, and he must learn how to act when in social situations.”

  “When we were children Mom used to bat us in the head with her bag when she thought no one was looking. Once the mailman caught her and threatened to report her to Social Services.”

  “He should have been minding his own business.”

  “What did you carry in that bag, Mom? Lead?”

  “Rosemary, I barely touched you with the bag. I meant to make you more alert to your surroundings. You and Cathy would drift off into dreamland and paid no attention to what happened around you.”

  “Cathy one time emptied Mom’s bag into a drawer, and for some reason Mom didn’t notice how light it was. Boy, Mom was really embarrassed when she couldn’t pay the bill at the grocery.”

  “Cathy always came up with little spiteful things like that.” Mabel’s eyes watered.

  Jacob reached over and held her hand.

  “Mabel, promise you’ll never hit my son with your monster of a bag.”

  “Jacob …” Tears flowed down Mabel’s cheeks.

  “Mom, Stephen is Jacob’s problem, not yours. You’re the grandma. You’re supposed to have fun with him. He’s supposed to look forward to your spoiling him. Okay?”

  “I’m sorry, Jacob, I’m doing it again.”

  “Yup; at this point I should be sending you home.”

  “Like Cathy did.”

  Jacob nodded.

  “Don’t go home, Mom, just lighten up.” Rosemary stood to walk over to her mother and give her a hug.

  “Stephen will forget all about this,” said Jacob.

  “But not about his babysitter,” said Rosemary. “Why are you thinking about changing sitters? I always thought Molly was conscientious.”

  “I think he’s gotten too close to her. You heard him talk about having her live here.”

  “Yeah, but that’s because he misses the mothering Cathy gave him. That’s where you can come in, Grandma.” Rosemary patted her mother’s shoulders. “Instead of being the bad guy, why don’t you give Stephen unconditional love? He already has Jacob to boss him around.”

  “But—”

  “A grandma’s unconditional love,” interrupted Rosemary.

  Mabel nodded her head.

  “I’m going upstairs to make up with Stephen and find out what he wants to do today. I promise I will not try to affect his decision even if I think it unhealthy.” Mabel stood.

  “Going to visit his mother at the ocean isn’t unhealthy, Mom. Cathy’s only been dead a short time.” Mabel nodded and left the kitchen.

  “Thanks,” said Jacob. “I didn’t think you approved of my fatherly techniques.”

  “Mom’s going to alienate Stephen the same way she did Cathy. I don’t want that to happen. I’m afraid she sees a lot of Cathy in him.

  “As for you, you creep, I never said you made a bad father. A bad husband? Yes. You fool around with Stephen’s babysitter?”

  “Rosemary, why would you think that?”

  “Because I was stupid enough to sleep with you the night before you married Cathy.”

  “Ah, but Cathy and I were not officially married yet.”

  “Come off it, Jacob. You’re a male slut.”

  “And you, Rosemary?”

  “Stupid.”

  Rosemary shivered.

  “Is there a window open?”

  “No. It’s me giving you the shivers,” Jacob said, smirking while picking up the breakfast dishes. He placed the dishes in the sink and ran the cold water over them, getting his own hands wet in the process. Shaking off his hands, he turned to see Rosemary looking out the window and softly walked over behind her and settled his wet fingers on the back of her neck.

  Rosemary jumped to her feet.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, turning the full force of her anger on Jacob.

  “Stop being so jumpy, Ro
semary. You used to have nice soft curves, but now you look like a scarecrow. Divorcing Will certainly didn’t help matters. How much do you weigh now?”

  “None of your business.”

  “Don’t blow up at me because you can’t find a decent boyfriend to soothe your nerves. When’s the last time you went to bed with anyone? Should we count in months or years?”

  “Between you and Will, I’ve had my fill of low-life men. Obviously Cathy felt the same.”

  “We don’t know what was going on with Cathy. She went in and out of her depressions. When we first married, she’d go for days without talking. With the arrival of Stephen she seemed better.”

  “That’s because she had lost a previous baby.”

  “The one she aborted?”

  “She didn’t want to. Mom dragged her into the clinic.”

  “If I count from the date you married Will to the arrival of Robin, I come up with six months.”

  “Will was willing to marry me. The scum who got Cathy pregnant wasn’t. I shouldn’t say that. He and Cathy were both underage. I believe she had just turned sixteen, and the guy wasn’t much older. Everyone except for Cathy wanted the baby gone. She’d remind me yearly of how old that baby would have been.”

  “Stephen served as a replacement?”

  “Never a replacement but a second chance.”

  “Tell them, tell them.” Mabel pushed Stephen into the kitchen in front of her.

  “Let’s go to the zoo,” said Stephen. “And eat chili after we see the animals.”

  “This came from Stephen. I didn’t say anything.”

  Stephen looked up at his grandmother. “You mentioned there’s a new baby gorilla.”

  “But I didn’t say we should go to the zoo to see the gorilla,” Mabel said, looking back and forth between Jacob and Rosemary.

  “Before we gorilla aficionados go to the zoo, I’d better call Will and make sure Robin is all right.”

  Chapter

  15

  “Is Robin going to be all right?” asked Stephen.

  “Sure. Her dad probably fed her something greasy and she has a sensitive stomach.”

  “You feed me greasy food.”

  “Yeah, but you’ve got a tummy of iron,” Jacob said patting his son’s stomach.