together, one might find lawn darts while looking for week old Krispy Kreme donuts. These attributes, however, were not the main draw for Gratisians to keep coming back year after year.
Cozette’s people were hoodoo folk, and her mother, Odette, was the most prominent root doctor in the county. When she was growing up, they lived in the Neck in a single wide trailer, hidden by brambles and live oaks from the dirt road that wound in front. In that trailer she learned that even the most sophisticated people would spend good money on supernatural assistance. Everyone wanted an advantage. Many Monday mornings folks would find chicken bones and feathers at their front door, evidence of the hex put on them by Odette the night before.
Cozette didn’t believe in hoodoo, but she knew a product that could market itself. When she first opened the store she found a supplier of small bottles of elixirs out of south Alabama. They purported to assist users in various endeavors.
Card players would get Lucky Gambler elixirs, adulterers would get Forgiveness elixirs, and so on depending on the need. Cozette, being a natural entrepreneur, cut out the middle man and started making the elixirs herself. She contracted with a plant in Albany and bottled her own line of mystical, hoodoo-based liquids. She called them “The Root Doctor’s Own.”
She was able to secure large batches of off-quality men’s colognes which, along with distilled water, made up the ingredients for her potions. With their high alcohol content they would last. People lost faith in potions that smelled sour after a few weeks. Her personal favorite was Aqua Velva, as it was the easiest to acquire. She also used English Leather when it was available, and got favorable comments on a batch made from an eleven year old stock of Hai Karate.
The people who used these potions wanted some ritual to accompany them. Cozette made one up and printed it on the back of each bottle. It read, “Pour into tub of bathwater, get into the tub and anoint top of head. Pour tub water into bucket and mop hearth of home while reciting the 23rd Psalm. Open third eye and concentrate on object of desire. Be with God. Love the spirits.” After a couple of years she modified the instructions to include showering in regular water after bathing. Too many women were casting spells before a date and getting rejected for smelling like their dad’s cologne.
A few hours after his meeting with Kero and Newt, Delroy walked into Cozette’s. He loved the place. It felt like authentic Gratis to him, like a little of the town that existed before the new developments changed it. He bought every type of elixir Cozette sold, although he didn’t believe in hoodoo. They were Gratis’ folk art and their labels spoke more about the town’s people than any history book could.
He also came here to talk to Cozette when he needed information. He liked her and trusted her. They knew each other for years and both recognized a real native when they saw one. She also knew more about what was happening in town than just about anyone. People talked to Cozette and she was smart enough to listen.
Today, Delroy came seeking the biggest favor he had ever asked of anyone.
“What’s wrong with you, Delroy?” Cozette saw the worry hanging on him like a cheap jacket.
“Cozette, I need your help. Can we go to your back room?”
There, Delroy recounted his early morning visit with Kero and Newt. Cozette already knew about everything else.
“Cozette, this thing is going to get hot. Knox won’t care who gets hurt. I can’t say that I blame him, but I’m worried about my nephew and niece. I wonder if you’d be willing to take them for a while, just until I figure out whether anyone is going to want to do anything to them. I know it’s a lot, but I’m worried as hell.”
Cozette considered his request, looking at the worn man in front of her.
I ought to say no
, she thought.
“Delroy, I’ll take those kids.
Cozette’s people were hoodoo folk, and her mother, Odette, was the most prominent root doctor in the county. When she was growing up, they lived in the Neck in a single wide trailer, hidden by brambles and live oaks from the dirt road that wound in front. In that trailer she learned that even the most sophisticated people would spend good money on supernatural assistance. Everyone wanted an advantage. Many Monday mornings folks would find chicken bones and feathers at their front door, evidence of the hex put on them by Odette the night before.
Cozette didn’t believe in hoodoo, but she knew a product that could market itself. When she first opened the store she found a supplier of small bottles of elixirs out of south Alabama. They purported to assist users in various endeavors.
Card players would get Lucky Gambler elixirs, adulterers would get Forgiveness elixirs, and so on depending on the need. Cozette, being a natural entrepreneur, cut out the middle man and started making the elixirs herself. She contracted with a plant in Albany and bottled her own line of mystical, hoodoo-based liquids. She called them “The Root Doctor’s Own.”
She was able to secure large batches of off-quality men’s colognes which, along with distilled water, made up the ingredients for her potions. With their high alcohol content they would last. People lost faith in potions that smelled sour after a few weeks. Her personal favorite was Aqua Velva, as it was the easiest to acquire. She also used English Leather when it was available, and got favorable comments on a batch made from an eleven year old stock of Hai Karate.
The people who used these potions wanted some ritual to accompany them. Cozette made one up and printed it on the back of each bottle. It read, “Pour into tub of bathwater, get into the tub and anoint top of head. Pour tub water into bucket and mop hearth of home while reciting the 23rd Psalm. Open third eye and concentrate on object of desire. Be with God. Love the spirits.” After a couple of years she modified the instructions to include showering in regular water after bathing. Too many women were casting spells before a date and getting rejected for smelling like their dad’s cologne.
A few hours after his meeting with Kero and Newt, Delroy walked into Cozette’s. He loved the place. It felt like authentic Gratis to him, like a little of the town that existed before the new developments changed it. He bought every type of elixir Cozette sold, although he didn’t believe in hoodoo. They were Gratis’ folk art and their labels spoke more about the town’s people than any history book could.
He also came here to talk to Cozette when he needed information. He liked her and trusted her. They knew each other for years and both recognized a real native when they saw one. She also knew more about what was happening in town than just about anyone. People talked to Cozette and she was smart enough to listen.
Today, Delroy came seeking the biggest favor he had ever asked of anyone.
“What’s wrong with you, Delroy?” Cozette saw the worry hanging on him like a cheap jacket.
“Cozette, I need your help. Can we go to your back room?”
There, Delroy recounted his early morning visit with Kero and Newt. Cozette already knew about everything else.
“Cozette, this thing is going to get hot. Knox won’t care who gets hurt. I can’t say that I blame him, but I’m worried about my nephew and niece. I wonder if you’d be willing to take them for a while, just until I figure out whether anyone is going to want to do anything to them. I know it’s a lot, but I’m worried as hell.”
Cozette considered his request, looking at the worn man in front of her.
I ought to say no
, she thought.
“Delroy, I’ll take those kids.
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