by Dani Corlee
“Good. I hope to meet you again in better circumstances. Ladies...” He gestured a greeting to the three women and went on his way.
Kim felt she was still blushing, her ears feeling hot.
“Look at her!” Lucille laughed, teasing her. Kim laughed too and tried to divert their attention from her. “So, Samia, what were you telling us?”
More interested in the man who had crashed into Kim than her own story, Samia turned to Lucille while they started their walk again.
“Who is he? A mechanic who works around here?” She giggled. “I believe Kim will often be seen here from now on!”
“What are you talking about!” Kim protested, pausing when Lucille started talking again.
“That dude? He's my kinda guy... Hot! He works there,” she replied, gesturing with her head to a big car repair place in one of the side streets. She stopped, relishing what she was going to tell them.
“Have you already seen that logo?”
“Who doesn't know it!” the two witches replied in unison.
Chassey and Sons had been well known for some generations in the car repair field.
“Well,” Lucille continued, chewing more quickly on her gum, “he is the Son on call.”
“Really? What is he doing here?” Kim asked, amazed.
“Why does he work as one of his workers?” Samia added.
“His family has lived here for centuries. They own a mansion just outside the town, which sits far back from the road with acres of cultivated fields, lawns, and gardens. You know, one of those places with a white-columned veranda, Gone with the Wind style. The story of that family is quite interesting, too.”
“Is it?” Kim asked.
“Yes. Matthew, the guy you just saw, should be a witch.” Lucille grinned, waiting for their reaction.
Kim and Samia widened their eyes with surprise. “What do you mean?” Samia asked.
“His great-great-grand, heck, I don't remember how many generations I should go back. Anyway, his ancestors were witches. But they only had male offspring and, therefore, their witch progeny ended with them.”
“That's terrible,” Samia murmured, shaking her head.
Kim was surprised. “I know lots of couples who only have sons. I suppose it is a big and general problem for the witches.”
“Yes, and no. Usually, the witch genes can pass down if the man has daughters. But we cannot skip more than one generation. After that, the gene is lost.”
Lucille stopped to breathe and to chew her gum a little. “So, what do you think?” she said giving a conspiratorial push to Kim with her shoulder.
“About what?” she replied, pretending to be annoyed.
“Don't play dumb! About Matthew!”
“Yes, he's cute.”
“Cute?” Samia raised her eyebrow and laughed. “He's not the kind of guy to be called cute.”
“I mean, he's not the kind of guy I can date. And to be honest, I haven't any interest in dating anyone right now.”
Lucille looked at her bewildered. “What's wrong with him? His being so irresistibly sexy? Or his being extremely rich?”
“Just that. He's... too much for me. That's all.”
“Come on, he's a hot dude, and single. And you are a hot chick, and single.” Lucille kept on nodding, envisioning herself as a sort of Cupid for her friend.
“Don't get any strange ideas. I'm not here to find a man. I come from a failed marriage, a difficult divorce, and I don't feel like embarking on a new relationship. Moreover, I'm not the right type for him.”
Lucille looked at her, bewildered. “Why? What is the right type for him?”
“Have you really looked at him? He surely dates beautiful women, glamorous women. From his same social class. You don't get a sandwich if you are used to lobsters!”
“A sandwich?” Lucille opened her arms in a defeated gesture. “Forget it,” she mumbled, all enthusiasm lost, while Samia made a grimace and shrugged. “Let's go and try on some nice dresses and forget about the men!”
CHAPTER 13
“Shall we go? Shall we go?” With the impatience typical of childhood, Aurora jiggled about without giving her mom a break.
“I've told you already we'll go. I wonder how we can take him to the vet.” Kim looked at Mr. Stevenson, who was placidly dozing on the armchair. “We should put him in a cat carrier, but I wonder if he will stay calm and—most of all—if we will be able to make him enter it. We still don't know whether he is a house cat or a semi-wild one. He even scares me a little sometimes. I wouldn't want him to hurt you!”
“Come on, here is the cat carrier! Shall we go now?” With a rapid movement of her hand, Aurora made a brand-new cat basket appear on the tea table.
Her hands on her waist, Kim whispered, “Little insolent girl. How many times shall I tell you I don't want you to make spells? You are allowed to make them only at the magic school. What could have happened if Granny would have gotten downstairs when the cat carrier appeared?
“Sorry!” Aurora answered, with her pretty little face faking a penitent expression. “Can we go now?”
“OK, step back, I'll try to make him go inside.”
Aurora looked up at her mom. “Why? We don't need to do anything but ask.” Then, turning to the cat she gently said “Mr. Stevenson? Do you mind entering the basket? We should go to the doctor.”
The cat moved one ear towards Aurora. He opened one eye, then the other. He stood up and stretched his muscles, arching his back and then his forelegs as well. After a huge yawn, with an agile jump he entered into the cat carrier, where, with some difficulties due to his size, he curled up and went back to his nap.
“See?” Aurora smirked. “Just ask politely!” she added.
Kim rolled her eyes. It was really incredible to be given a manners lesson by her four-year-old daughter. But in her heart she was happy Aurora had learned to be polite.
Driving to the vet's office didn't take long. The place was modern and clean, stress-free, and, most of all, joyful, and Kim was pleased by the professionalism showed by the receptionist who welcomed them and took them to the waiting room.
“We'll call you when the doctor is ready,” she said, giving Aurora a box of colored pencils and a coloring book full of animals.
“I think we should have taken an appointment,” Kim whispered to Aurora looking at all the people waiting. Mr. Stevenson was still sleeping peacefully, unaware of his looming destiny, or at least he didn't show any sign of concern for the imminent medical examination. Before checking her coloring book, Aurora decided to introduce herself to all the animals waiting for the doctor.
“Aurora, what are you doing there? Do not disturb these people.” Kim tried to call her back to her seat.
“No, don't worry, she isn't disturbing us. She's so cute!” The disapproving look Kim gave to Aurora was followed by a chorus of compliments. Soon Aurora become friends with all the animals in the room. Kim was soon worried Aurora was going to do something strange. There was a big dog who probably had a broken leg and he clearly limped when he tried to move towards Aurora, who had asked his owner permission to caress him. Aurora talked to the dog, asking him about his problem, and he whined. After a while and few caresses later, the dog started merrily trotting around, waving his tail. An old lady kept a cat basket on her lap, with a cat inside with a bad wound on her ear. The cat had kept scratching furiously on her basket to get out and to be cuddled by Aurora, and when the owner freed her, after a few minutes of cuddles she seemed recovered. Even the golden fish in a small fishbowl started happily leaping after Aurora talked to him.
Regardless of her tries to have Aurora sit down near her, her daughter kept on talking to the animals and to their owners who were extremely surprised, but also pleased, by the sudden healing. Time had passed quickly before it was their turn, probably because the animals seemed perfectly healthy and they didn't need a long visit.
The doctor's assistant led the way, taking them to the office.
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While entering, the doctor turned showing a young and pleasant face, taking Kim by surprise. She didn't know why she was expecting an old doctor, with a benevolent look, glasses, and probably a white beard. The emerald-green eyes of the doctor stood out because of his suntan and they were smiling. He showed the slim but well-formed body of someone used to playing sports without being a gym-addicted.
No! Two handsome men in only two days is too much! Kim thought, laughing to herself.
After the presentations, the doctor turned to Mr. Stevenson, making Aurora giggle. “Hello, young man, what about getting out of there?”
The laconic mew was accompanied with a huge yawn, after which Mr. Stevenson deigned to get out to be examined, and despite Kim's fears, he was extremely calm and patient.
“Doctor...”
“Call me James,” was the quick reply. Soon after, he added, slightly embarrassed, “If you don't mind, of course.”
“Not at all! I'm Kim.” She smiled. “We found this cat, or better, he found us. My daughter insists on keeping him as our house pet, but we don't know if he has any owners or his character and therefore I'm a little puzzled. Don't you put those things... those microchips on cats? If he has one, we might be able to trace the owners, right?”
“Well, many families nowadays ask for a microchip implant.” He then lowered his voice and continued, “I don't like to call them owners, I prefer the word families.”
Then, still keeping on checking the cat, he started talking aloud again. “This big, cute cat is healthy. He has a good disposition and looks clever. Aren't you?” He scratched his head and Mr. Stevenson purred aloud, trying to rub his side on the vet's arm. James kept on examining the cat, who was incredibly quiet considering the vet was touching him all over.
“A little bird told me... or maybe it was the tortoise?” The doctor scratched his chin with a pensive look. “Well, anyway, I've been told someone talked to all the animals in the waiting room, even making them feel much better. Do you know anything about it?” He leaned towards Aurora his face in front of hers, who widened her eyes and gestured no with her head, afraid of being scolded.
“You are good at animals. I'm pretty sure you would be a perfect vet to take my place when I’ll be too old. Do you like horses?” Aurora smiled and nodded, still a little hesitant.
“I live on a ranch just outside the town. I have many horses and teach riding. Come and visit me!”
While talking, he stood up and looked at Kim, so that the invitation seemed directed to her, even though he was still talking to Aurora.
“He hasn't got the microchip. I think he must be three years old. Considering cats' age, I would say he's a thirty-year-old smart, handsome guy. Just like me.” He kept on scratching him. “Oh! Thirty-year-old, I mean, not smart and handsome,” he added, a little embarrassed, thinking he might have put his foot in it.
Kim and Aurora laughed.
“I've never seen him around. We might pin a note with his picture on the notice board so that if he got lost, his family or someone who knows him might recognize him. Ask the receptionist to take a picture of him. For now, you can take him back to your house!”
Aurora clapped her hands, jumping around with happiness.
“Did you hear, Mr. Stevenson? You will come with us! You'll see, it will be fun!” The cat turned towards her and meowed quietly while looking at her, almost giving her the impression he had understood and wanted to answer by thanking her.
“So, what about Saturday morning?” the vet asked Kim.
“What about it?” she replied with a puzzled look.
“Your visit to my equestrian center. During the week in the afternoon I'm here and in the morning I suppose she has school.” He stopped and turning to Aurora asking: “School or preschool?”
“Preschool,” Aurora answered promptly. I'm four,” she added, showing four of her fingers.
The vet nodded. “On Saturday afternoons the stables have many visitors; most of them book in advance and I'm afraid Aurora might not find a free pony to ride.”
“Oh, but we don't want to disturb you,” Kim said, a little embarrassed, while Aurora started jumping and clapping her hands repeating, “A pony! I'll ride a pony!”
“No bother! I would be happy to have you two visit my place.”
Kim noted how his eyes smiled while talking about his center. “You love that place, don't you?”
He nodded. “I'm very proud of it, it was the dream of my life, and I'm sure you two would love it too. Aurora would enjoy it a lot.” He turned again to Aurora. “Wouldn't you?”
It wasn't necessary to ask her, her smile was more than sufficient. She looked at her mom, her hands joined to beg her, with dreaming eyes.
Kim sighed, “OK! OK... we'll come.”
“Shall we say at 10.30?”
Kim smiled at the vet, thanking him for the invitation and for the time he’d spent with Mr. Stevenson, losing herself for a while in his green eyes.
On her way back home, Kim and Aurora spotted their neighbor Michelle in front of her house looking up at one of their windows. They entered their house's driveway and parked the car. Getting out, Kim turned and looked at Michelle.
“Hi!” she said and tried a smile.
The other woman looked at her with an expression that Kim could not tell whether it was scared or suspicious.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, not knowing what else to say.
Michelle pointed at one of the windows of Kim's house and said in a dull tone, “There was a woman screaming loudly.”
“Uh!” was the only reply. Aurora and Kim rushed inside and she shouted a quick thanks.
“Mom, Moooom!” Kim ran upstairs, taking two steps at the time. Her mom was near the toilet, her hand on her chest, with a scared look, showing a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She swallowed and, pointing to her room, she said in a strangled voice, “There's a panther on your bed!”
Kim's mouth fell open. A panther? She pushed Aurora behind her and hesitantly tiptoed to her room's entrance. She blessed her magical powers. This was one of those times a spell could be really useful and if she were quick enough her mom wouldn't even notice. She wasn't certain about what spell to use, but she was sure that anything could do. After all, she was getting used to trying changing the color of a sweater and having it turning into a top, or worse, into a saucepan. She couldn't do anything bad enough to a wild beast and she was sure Lucille could rescue the animal and send it to an appropriate place.
She looked inside, but there was no sign of a panther, or of any other animal. She crouched down and tried to look behind the bed, believing a panther couldn't hide in such a short place. Could it be there? She held her breath. She saw something beyond the bed. Something black was moving and...
“Argh!” she screamed and leaped back with fear when the black thing leaped on the bed. Linda and Aurora screamed too and embraced each other for reciprocal support.
Kim leaned on the doorjamb, touching her cheeks that were burning. “Get down immediately!”
Mr. Stevenson looked at her with a careless gaze as if to say, who, me? And replied with a loud meow.
Linda and Aurora rushed to the door and looked inside.
Linda was speechless. “I swear! It wasn't a cat. It cannot be him. It was huge!” she said in a high-pitched tone, flapping her hands nervously.
“I went upstairs to look for my phone because I wanted to call you and, while passing your room, in the corner of my eye I saw a movement and looked inside. There was a panther!”
“Mom, let's go down. Let's have tea.”
Aurora shrugged. Looking at her mom with her eyes wide open and shaking her head, she murmured, “I don't know, I wasn't here!”
“I'm not mad, I swear it, I'm not mad.” Linda continued.
“It must have been him, Mom. Probably a tree cast a shadow on the bed near him and the impression was of something much bigger than a cat,” Kim invented on the spot.
Lind
a shook her head.
“What did you want to tell me, by the way?”
“I had a call from the office. One of my most important clients asked for my presence for a new project. I have to go. And you know what? I was really sorry to go, but now I prefer to be back home.” She took a deep breath. “And if you were wise enough, you would come with me. This house has something really strange about it. I measured it again and again with my laser yardstick and the measurements seem to be really odd. I'm sorry to say, I'm happy to leave!”
