Chapter 3
My party was going dismally, and it was all the fault of those stupid Snowflake Lobos. I don’t know what their coach said to them at halftime, but they came roaring onto the field for the second half and proceeded to slaughter our team like a well-oiled machine. The final score of the game ended up being forty-two to twenty-one.
Several of the Sedona football players were here, drowning their sorrows in my pink lemonade, while girlfriends hung on their shoulders attempting to cheer them. Shelly was sitting on Brad’s lap at the picnic table, her arms draped around him as she tried to give him a pep talk. A group of girls clustered around the stereo kept playing melancholy songs one right after another, only serving to enhance the gloomy mood.
Sighing, I jumped off the small half wall surrounding Grandma’s well-groomed backyard. I walked under the hanging Chinese lanterns into the kitchen, letting the screen door bang shut behind me.
“Having fun?” Grandma asked, pulling a pan of her steaming enchiladas from the oven, filling the air with wonderful aromas.
I released a pitiful harrumph. Grandma cast a quick glance at me.
“Don’t worry, Lollipop. It’ll get better I’m sure.”
“We should’ve planned this party for tomorrow.” I descended with a sigh into a chair at her small dining table, laying my forehead on it.
Grandma place the enchiladas on the stovetop with a soft clunk. She came and sat next to me, covering my hand with hers.
“Everything will be all right. Let’s get the food served and open presents. That always makes everyone feel more festive.” When I didn’t move, she pushed my shoulder. “Go on outside, and put on some livelier music. It will help.”
Pushing away from the table, I meandered through the door and across the porch to the stereo. I picked through the selections before pulling the slow-playing mood music out and putting in my favorite pop artist.
As the strong beat poured through the air, Grandma began bringing the food to the table. Shelly hopped up to help, and I snagged a classmate named Wes to keep the fast music playing, and followed her.
We quickly had the table loaded with the most delicious looking meal of red and green enchiladas with Spanish rice. The chips and salsa, along with a mouthwatering seven-layer dip, soon had everyone looking a bit peppier.
Grandma had placed several folding tables end to end to make one giant table decorated in bright fiesta colors. In the middle of each of the tables were sombrero hats, their brims filled with chips, and a bowl of either salsa or dip sitting in the top of the hat. As she predicted, my guests were soon sitting around the array, talking and laughing while the late night meal continued.
We had a good time visiting and joking with one another, and when everyone looked like they were finished eating, Grandma surprised me with a giant donkey-shaped piñata. A couple of the guys helped her string it from the large tree in the middle of the yard.
Since I was the birthday girl, I got nominated to go first. After I was blindfolded, I made a few feeble attempts to hit the swinging cardboard animal but only managed to connect with it once, and that was only a slight brush. I eagerly pulled off the blindfold and passed it on to someone else before I made myself look any more foolish.
As it turned out, the piñata was exactly what the guys from the football team needed to get them going. They started eagerly taking turns, each one trying to outdo the next while their girlfriends laughed and cheered them on. I suddenly realized we were all having a great time, and my eyes sought out my grandma who was watching the whole game with a large smile on her face. She snuck a quick wink at me. Smiling back, I moved toward the rear of the group since some of the guys were getting pretty aggressive with the baseball bat.
Finally, the piñata gave a great crack as Brad whacked it super hard. Candy flew everywhere. Shelly ran over with a squeal to pull Brad’s blindfold off and give him a little kiss on the lips, while the other kids scrambled at their feet gathering candy. I laughed to myself at the funny picture they all made and wished I had a camera to capture the moment.
“Time for presents!” Grandma called above the din. She grabbed my arm, shuttling me to sit near a table piled with several gift bags. She placed a funny looking bow on my head and handed me a present to open.
“This one is from Maggie Pratt,” she said, reading the tag.
I shot Maggie a smile and began removing the tissue paper from the bag. Maggie and I had chemistry together, and she was a really sweet girl.
I opened presents for about ten minutes while Grandma wrote everything down on a list so I could send thank you notes later. When we were all done, I was sitting next to a nice stack of gifts and feeling a little overwhelmed at everyone’s generosity. Grandma went into the house and proceeded to bring out my birthday cake.
I had to admit the three-tiered, star-shaped cake was pretty impressive. Each point held one candle with one more in the center of the top layer, making a total of sixteen. Little white beads accented the pink frosting. My friends broke into singing the happy birthday song while Grandma lit the candles.
“Make a wish!” someone yelled as I leaned over to blow the candles out. Amazingly, an unbidden picture of Vance Mangum raced into my mind. I closed my eyes and savored the image for a moment before taking a large breath and blowing out all the candles. The group cheered at my success and began lining up for a piece of cake. When Grandma finished cutting it for everyone, I went and wrapped my arms around her in a giant hug.
“Thank you, Grandma, for everything you’ve done.”
She laughed and hugged me back. “It was the least I could do. I’m just sorry your mom couldn’t get off work so she could join us.”
I nodded. “I do have another surprise for you, though.” She smiled slyly.
“Really?” I looked at her expectantly, wondering what it could possibly be.
“Come with me,” she added, stepping away and gesturing with her index finger for me to follow. She led me into the house, through the kitchen, and into the family room.
“Dad!” I cried when I saw the debonair looking man sitting in the armchair, reading the newspaper.
“Hey, Pumpkin!” He dropped the paper to the floor, jumping to greet me.
We enveloped each other in a deep embrace.
“I thought you were in Denver!” I nuzzled my head against his shoulder, realizing how much I missed him.
“It’s my little girl’s sixteenth birthday! I couldn’t miss it!” He tightened his bear hug hold on me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner, but I came on the earliest flight I could get.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” I hugged him even tighter. “Mom will be so happy to see you. Did she know you were coming?”
“Yes, she did.”
“And she didn’t tell me?” I asked, wondering why she’d kept such a secret from me.
“It was a surprise!” He laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders while we walked toward the kitchen. “Plus, I didn’t want her to get your hopes up in case my flight was delayed for some reason.”
“It’s midnight now, Lollipop,” Grandma broke into our conversation. “It’s probably time for your guests to be getting home. Why don’t you go say goodbye to everyone and get them moving in the right direction? Then you can visit some more with your dad.”
“All right. Be back in a minute!” I bounded out the backdoor with a happy spring in my step. I said goodnight to all my friends and thanked them for coming, opening the side gate to the yard so they could leave easier. I walked with them to the street and waved while they loudly piled into their different vehicles and drove away.
I went back through the gate so I could close and secure it tightly. Then I proceeded to gather plates and cups that hadn’t made it into the garbage can. Soon Grandma was at my side helping me clean. We visited while we made quick work of restoring the place to its normal order.
“Wait! Leave those there,” Grandma said when I started taking down the Chinese lanterns.
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“Okay . . . ” I replied dragging the word a bit and giving her a questioning glance.
She laughed. “I just want to enjoy them a little longer. I like the mood they create.”
I glanced around, nodding in agreement. They did cast an inviting, warm glow around the yard.
After we carried the last of the dishes into the kitchen, I turned to start loading the dishwasher, but Grandma stopped me.
“I can do those later. Come sit at the table for a minute. I want to talk to you about something.”
“All right.” I walked to the table and sat down. “Where did Dad go?” I added, looking around and not seeing him anywhere.
“He’s doing something for me,” Grandma said, lifting a flat, rectangular, black box off the counter. It was tied with a purple ribbon. She came and sat down at the table and pushed the box across the surface toward me.
Even though I knew what was in the box, it still took my breath away when I opened it. My beautiful purple pendant on its silver chain lay stretched across the black, velvet lining. I gently lifted it.
“Thank you, Grandma,” I said, and she helped me fasten it around my neck. I fingered the smooth, purple stone once again. “I can’t stop looking at it. I don’t know why,” I whispered. “It feels special already, almost . . . magical.” I laughed at my stupid statement.
Grandma sat down next to me and reached for my hand.
“I told you there was more, remember?”
I nodded, wondering what else she could possibly have in store.
“I’m going to tell you something you’ll probably find a bit unbelievable. All I ask is that you listen to me openly, without judgment, and try to understand.”
“Okay.” I felt a bit apprehensive at her sudden seriousness.
Grandma squeezed my hand. “I am a witch,” she said with a sudden twinkle in her eye.
I looked at her, scrutinizing carefully, before I burst out laughing.
“Yeah right.” I rolled my eyes, looking round the room. “So is this some kind of candid camera joke you and Dad are trying to pull on me? Nice try. I know you two have a wonderful sense of humor, but sorry, I’m not buying it.”
Grandma patted my hand, stood, and went to grab a candle off the counter. She brought it to the table and set it squarely between us. She cupped her hand around the unlit wick and blew on it slightly. Immediately, it burst into flame.
I jumped up, knocking my chair over in the process, and stood for a moment staring at the flame. After a minute, Grandma pinched it out.
“Oh, I get it,” I said, the pieces of the joke clicking into place for me. “It’s a trick candle! Anyone can do it.”
I leaned over the candle and cupped my hand the same way she did and blew gently on the wick. Though it was slow, the candle sputtered to life once again.
“See!” I gestured proudly. “A trick candle!”
“Well, actually Portia, you’re a witch too.” She smiled gently.
“What?” I stammered, wondering what she hoped to accomplish with this line of play. Had she lost her ever-loving mind? What was going on?
“You’re a descendant of a long line of witches and warlocks,” Grandma said, fixing me with her gaze.
“I thought warlocks are supposed to be evil.” I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.
“Some are. Just like some witches too. As with all things, it’s a matter of choice,” she replied, watching me carefully. “I happen to be the High Priestess for a very good coven, though.”
“A coven?” My mind was spinning like it was on a roller coaster. I took a step away. “You’re the leader of a coven.”
She nodded, maintaining eye contact with me. I could see no hint of teasing on her face.
“No offense, Grandma, but I’m having a bit of trouble believing any of this. I still think you’re trying to pull some big joke over on me, though I don’t know what you hope to accomplish by it.” I stared at her. “I really hope you’re trying to pull a joke on me.” I added the last part slightly under my breath.
“That’s to be expected. Will you allow me to show you something?”
“Be my guest,” I said, waving my hand through the air, wondering what she could possibly be up to.
“Follow me then.”
We left the room and walked down the hall, stopping at her linen closet, which she opened.
“Sheets? That’s what you wanted to show me?” I said sardonically, beginning to feel a little irritated at this continued charade.
Grandma reached into the closet and pressed on something. To my surprise, the whole set of shelves slid to the left, revealing a slim door behind them, the same color as the walls. She opened the door, and I could see a small set of stairs leading down into the earth.
“Now you’re starting to scare me,” I mumbled, suddenly aware there was definitely something serious going on here—much more than a practical joke.
Grandma stepped ahead of me and began to make her way down. As we neared the bottom of the steps, we entered an earthen room, which had many shelves covered with bags and jars of different mixtures.
“This is my supply room where I keep most of my herbs and things I need for rituals,” she explained.
I looked around, still not too convinced, because I knew she used herbs for her shop. This could simply be a storage area, couldn’t it? My mind was grasping at straws.
“Come along.” She waved her hand for me to follow, and I did so, curious to see what else was down here in this place I’d never known existed. We turned the corner into a narrow hallway and followed it to where a dark-cloaked figure stood near a closed door.
“Here’s your robe, Mother,” the figure spoke, holding a dark garment in his arms.
“Dad?” I croaked out. The figure tipped his hood back so I could see his face.
“Well, Pumpkin, what do you think of all this?” He smiled widely at me.
I sputtered and choked before I could speak. “But you’re an encyclopedia salesman!” I blurted. It was all I could say as both he and Grandma laughed.
“That’s just a cover for his real work. Right son?” Grandma patted his hand affectionately, taking the garment from him.
“Which is what? Super warlock?” I exclaimed, feeling as if my whole world had tipped upside down.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, Pumpkin. Try to be patient.” Dad continued smiling. “We’ll explain everything to you.”
“Actually, your dad’s the High Priest of our coven,” Grandma interjected, and I could hear the proud note that rang in her voice.
“This is unbelievable.” I dragged a hand over my face while my brain tried desperately to process all this new information. My whole life suddenly felt like a sham.
Grandma donned her robe. “We’re taking you to meet the rest of them, so please be respectful. I’ll answer your questions later when we’re finished.”
“The rest of them who? The coven? Now?” I asked incredulously, still wondering if there was some way this could all be some sort of giant prank.
Grandma and Dad both nodded simultaneously. Dad opened the door. Grandma walked in first, and he followed. I took a deep breath and stepped through the entryway wondering what I would find.
This room was also made of earth and lit by candles sitting on large, ornate candelabras in each corner. In the center of the space was a round table covered with a red cloth. On it were purple crystals in the shape of a star, with a lit pillar candle in the middle. But what really caught my eye were the cloaked and hooded figures surrounding the table. There were ten other people in the room besides Grandma, Dad, and myself.
Dad spoke first, extending a hand toward me.
“This is my daughter, Portia.”
“Blessed be, Portia,” came the unified reply of both male and female voices.
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. I was sure the shock was apparent on my face. This did not appear to be a gag.
> Grandma came and took my other arm, and together, the two of them led me to the first hooded member of the group.
“This is Portia,” she said to the cloaked individual.
A man’s hands reached out and took both of mine. He brought my knuckles to his lips and kissed them slightly.
“Welcome, Portia. Blessed be,” he said. He dropped my hands and removed the hood of his cloak. “My name is Hal,” he added with a smile.
Grandma led me to the next individual in line, this time a woman.
“This is Portia,” she repeated again.
“Welcome, Portia. Blessed be,” the woman repeated, kissing my knuckles in the same fashion as the man before her and then removed her hood. I was shocked to see Babs, the massage therapist who worked at Grandma’s store. She smiled softly at me.
Grandma continued to lead me around the circle, introducing me to each individual. Each one extended a welcome before they removed their hood. I was amazed to find several people I knew.
Bruce was a local restaurant owner I recognized. Our family had eaten dinner at his place on several occasions. Alice was a Pilates instructor at The Fountains at Fontane, and a good friend of Shelly’s parents. My neighbor Sharon, and her brother, Fred, who lived a couple of houses down from ours were there too. The rest were new to me, though, and I noticed we had reached the last individual in the circle.
“This is Portia,” Grandma said once again.
“Welcome, Portia. Blessed be.”
My heart stopped beating at the sound of his voice, and the light kiss that brushed my knuckles sent static shock through my entire being.
The figure removed his hood, and I stared straight into the bright-blue eyes of Vance Mangum.