Chapter Four
1261 Words
Bodhi left the little cafe with a smile on his tanned face, he rubbed his goatee thoughtfully. There was something about that silver-haired young woman that left him wanting to get to know her more. Her freckle-faced friend was quite outspoken while Esmy, well she seemed more alluring in her quiet demeanor. Her eyes did more speaking than her voice. He liked that, she almost seemed to beckon him there.
Bodhi was lost in his thoughts as he was walking down the sidewalk towards the shops and didn't see his aunt, although she is hard to miss in her bright red outfit defying her age. She always reminded him of Aunt Francis from the book "Practical Magic", giving zero cares if people didn't like her and dressing how she wanted. He could almost hear her "brewing" her favorite libation with some sort of cute little rhyme, paying tribute to Shakespeare's witches, before drinking it. He bumped right into her, knocking the old woman right on her rear, with a soft umph.
"I'm so sorry Aunt Circe, I wasn't paying attention," he said to her as helped the poor woman up, trying to dust her off, as he picked up her big red sun hat. His aunt smiled at him with a blank look in her eye. "Aunt Circe, are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked a worried tone to his voice, he searched her face for any sign of pain.
She looked at him, her eyes clouded over, " The fables are true. The maiden you shall meet is made only for you, her heartache and strife-filled her life. The owl and the witch were a match made by the Heavens, a gift from above to be fiercely protected." Her eyes cleared and she looked at her nephew like nothing happened. " Oh, hello, Bodhi, how are you this pleasant afternoon? The goddess sure did give us a lovely day, didn't she? There isn't a cloud in the sky!"
Bodhi looked at his aunt with questioning eyes, unsure of what just happened, " Auntie, what did you mean by "the fables are true"?
Circe looked at her nephew, shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about dear. I was on my way to the cafe for a piece of Miss Mary's apple pie. I have been craving that all morning. Ever since a young lady with fiery red hair and freckles came into my shop looking for a gift for her friend and smelling like the most amazing cinnamon rolls I have ever smelled! Now let's go get a piece." With that, she tried to drag her beloved nephew back to the cafe from where he just left.
He smiled at his aunt and shook his head. "Sorry, Aunt Circe, I just left there and while I would love another piece of that pie, I already had one. Maybe another day? Besides, I have to get back to work, mom and dad will kill me if I don't get back over there and finish that garden for them!" He said with a small chuckle, thinking of the massive herb garden he needed to tend to. His mother was a touch of a kitchen witch, with a dash of green witch mixed in, so they had multiple massive gardens on their lands.
She smiled at Bodhi with a motherly love in her eyes, patted his cheek with her slightly wrinkled hand, and told him to head home then, she on the other hand was getting that pie before they sold out. As she headed towards the cafe, almost skipping with happiness, Bodhi just shook his head and smiled at the eccentric old lady. How could you not love that woman? She spoke her mind and did what she wanted. She also helped raise him since she never had children of her own. She treated both Bodhi and his sister as if they were her children too, also helping them in all their childhood shenanigans.
Meanwhile at the cafe. Sherry and Esmy were seriously contemplating that pie the handsome stranger had suggested even though they had just finished two of the most delicious crab cake sandwiches and fries they have ever eaten. The bun was toasted to perfection, there was a perfect amount of crab. This cafe's food had an almost magical quality in how scrumptious it was. They looked up as the door opened again letting more patrons in to enjoy a late lunch. They were talking about the celebration tonight and how many different people were going to be shifting.
Sherry looked up as the old woman from the shop entered smiling pleasantly at the waitress as she went to the counter. Taking one of the empty seats there. Sherry poked Esmy in the ribs and whispered,"That's the old woman from the shop! The one that got really weird and said she couldn't help me to help you."
Esmy almost choked on her coffee, "You know what, I want a piece of that pie." She decided she wanted to stay and watch the old lady her curiosity getting the better of her and her judgment. Her mother's warning nagging ever so faintly in the back of her head. Though, something was telling her she needed to stay put. The waitress brought over their dessert.
Circe happened to chose that moment to look in the girls' direction. Slowly she rose and came to the girls but neither was afraid of this old lady. She was calm in her actions as she approached the ladies, her eyes beginning to cloud over as she looked into Esmy's grey eyes.
"Your stories are true young lady, a bringer of light to end the darkness will appear, shadows of the painful past will dissipate, as love and peace are lying in wait", she said in yet another riddle. Her eyes returned to the clear state and she smiled at the ladies as if nothing happened.
" I see you ladies got the pie, isn't it amazing? Miss Mary knows how to work her kitchen magic for sure here." Circe said looking down at the girls' table. They both looked at her with a puzzled look on their faces as she walked away, her bright red outfit and matching hat standing out in the crowd. She returned to her seat and continued her animated conversation with the waitress.
"What do you think she meant by that?" Esmy asked as she looked at her friend. A nagging feeling of remembrance tugging at the recesses of her mind.
Sherry shrugged shoulders, looked down at the pie, and said, "Don't know, and right now this pie is too good to worry about what a peculiar old lady was rambling about." She gave a little moan of delight as she put a piece of the warm cinnamon apple goodness in her mouth. The crust was just perfectly flaky. The tender cinnamon apple filling reminding them both of the cinnamon candy apples they would get at the fairs at the end of summer. It was warmed and the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top was the perfect accent to all the other salty and spicy flavors of the pie.
Esmy just looked at the lady silently enjoying the pie while contemplating what the old woman had said. All while trying to push back the picture of the dark-haired, muscled almost god-like man walking away in his tight jeans that invaded her thoughts. She hoped she got to see him again.
- Writer
