sense of sadness for the past or for the future to come, but either way, this man was reluctant to tell me what I wanted him to share with me. Finally, he clasped his hands and whispered, “You’re a witch, child. You come from a bloodline of powerful witches.”
Chapter Eleven
His words punched me in the gut. I wasn’t sure why. In my heart, I believed that I was a witch. I’d even told Piku that earlier, but to hear him say those words, it took my breath away.
I stepped back, my legs hit the bed and my bottom landed on the edge. My heart pounded against my chest as if it were trying to find a way out of my body. The world I called my own had caved in around me. I remembered Tolbalth talking about witches and how despicable they were, but he’d never told me why he felt that way.
Then the thought hit me like a ton of bricks. If Tolbalth knew I was a witch, he’d stop loving me the way my mother stopped loving me. I’m sure of it. I couldn’t breathe at the thought of such a thing.
“It’s not true. It can’t be.” My eyes scanned his face for that underlying reassurance that it wasn’t true. It was different when I had first thought it was true and Piku had tried to talk me out of it. But having the witch doctor confirm what I thought, it nearly tore me in two. That glimmer in his expression that would relieve my mind and tell me this whole thing was part of an elaborate scheme to make me feel uneasy wasn’t there. I glanced at Piku. He stared at me oddly, probably trying to pull his thoughts together, too.
“Don’t stare at me like that,” I told my white tiger.
The old man tightened his lips into a straight line. “It is true, Zadie.”
“My mother was a witch. Is that what she’s trying to tell me when she comes to my room on the nights surrounding my birthday? Why doesn’t she come at any other time?”
“Your birth was the one and only time she saw you. The only time she was able to hold you in her arms and caress your skin. She can visit you through her memories, but her memories of you are limited to that one event. So, each year, during the days surrounding your birthday, she comes to you.”
“Where is she? Why did she leave me?”
“There are some things better left unanswered.” He moved closer to me and took my hands again. “Tolbalth loves you like his own child. Bask in that knowledge, child. Stop searching for an answer you don’t want the answer to.”
I shook my head. “I think you’re a fool, old man.” Stepping closer to the door, I knew my manners were misplaced, so I turned around one last time and said, “But I mean that with no disrespect.”
Piku stood by my side as I turned to storm out the door. But when I stepped out, I heard the last words the old man said to me, “He has always loved you, but there will come a time when you question that love, Zadie. Don’t let the past consume the present!” He yelled toward my back as Piku and I moved through the forest on our way home.
His words kept replaying in mind. What did he mean? Why couldn’t my mother find me? My mind was stuck in this fear that my father would walk away from me in the same way my mother had. Maybe, she knew I had this thing inside of me. Was it evil? I’d only heard Father talk about witches a couple times in my life and it was never favorable. He’d hate me for sure.
The trek through the forest allowed me to process everything the old man had said. Was any of it true? How could it be? What did he know? But what if it was true? I stopped.
Piku stopped and turned toward me. “I didn’t know, Zadie.”
“What? That I had this witch inside of me? This thing growing in my body like a creature with powers?”
“A witch doesn’t grow inside of you, Zadie.” Piku glanced out toward the sky. “We need to get you home. Tolbalth will be on a rampage searching for you if you’re missing when the sun goes down.”
I knelt down next to Piku and stared into his eyes. Running my
Chapter Eleven
His words punched me in the gut. I wasn’t sure why. In my heart, I believed that I was a witch. I’d even told Piku that earlier, but to hear him say those words, it took my breath away.
I stepped back, my legs hit the bed and my bottom landed on the edge. My heart pounded against my chest as if it were trying to find a way out of my body. The world I called my own had caved in around me. I remembered Tolbalth talking about witches and how despicable they were, but he’d never told me why he felt that way.
Then the thought hit me like a ton of bricks. If Tolbalth knew I was a witch, he’d stop loving me the way my mother stopped loving me. I’m sure of it. I couldn’t breathe at the thought of such a thing.
“It’s not true. It can’t be.” My eyes scanned his face for that underlying reassurance that it wasn’t true. It was different when I had first thought it was true and Piku had tried to talk me out of it. But having the witch doctor confirm what I thought, it nearly tore me in two. That glimmer in his expression that would relieve my mind and tell me this whole thing was part of an elaborate scheme to make me feel uneasy wasn’t there. I glanced at Piku. He stared at me oddly, probably trying to pull his thoughts together, too.
“Don’t stare at me like that,” I told my white tiger.
The old man tightened his lips into a straight line. “It is true, Zadie.”
“My mother was a witch. Is that what she’s trying to tell me when she comes to my room on the nights surrounding my birthday? Why doesn’t she come at any other time?”
“Your birth was the one and only time she saw you. The only time she was able to hold you in her arms and caress your skin. She can visit you through her memories, but her memories of you are limited to that one event. So, each year, during the days surrounding your birthday, she comes to you.”
“Where is she? Why did she leave me?”
“There are some things better left unanswered.” He moved closer to me and took my hands again. “Tolbalth loves you like his own child. Bask in that knowledge, child. Stop searching for an answer you don’t want the answer to.”
I shook my head. “I think you’re a fool, old man.” Stepping closer to the door, I knew my manners were misplaced, so I turned around one last time and said, “But I mean that with no disrespect.”
Piku stood by my side as I turned to storm out the door. But when I stepped out, I heard the last words the old man said to me, “He has always loved you, but there will come a time when you question that love, Zadie. Don’t let the past consume the present!” He yelled toward my back as Piku and I moved through the forest on our way home.
His words kept replaying in mind. What did he mean? Why couldn’t my mother find me? My mind was stuck in this fear that my father would walk away from me in the same way my mother had. Maybe, she knew I had this thing inside of me. Was it evil? I’d only heard Father talk about witches a couple times in my life and it was never favorable. He’d hate me for sure.
The trek through the forest allowed me to process everything the old man had said. Was any of it true? How could it be? What did he know? But what if it was true? I stopped.
Piku stopped and turned toward me. “I didn’t know, Zadie.”
“What? That I had this witch inside of me? This thing growing in my body like a creature with powers?”
“A witch doesn’t grow inside of you, Zadie.” Piku glanced out toward the sky. “We need to get you home. Tolbalth will be on a rampage searching for you if you’re missing when the sun goes down.”
I knelt down next to Piku and stared into his eyes. Running my
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