Samantha Over A Barrel
Lisa (from Sisters at Heart) pays a visit. Aunt Clara goofs again, and sends Lisa and the Stephens children to Niagara Falls. Samantha's over a barrel trying to manage two crises at once. A semi-sequel to Sisters at Heart, requested by Retro Mania. Reviews appreciated.
Chapter 1: Visitors
The Stevens house had a visitor, a mortal child staying over for a week. Tabitha's friend, Lisa Wilson, daughter of one of Darren's coworkers. Right now, the young black girl was having a delicious breakfast of homemade Belgian waffles with the Stevenses. (1)
"These are wonderful waffles, Mrs. Stevens" said Lisa. "Did you magic them up?"
"No, Lisa," said Samantha smiling. "I used an ingenious mortal device called a waffle iron. Really, it's a lot more fun to do things with your own hands."
"I wouldn't have it any other way" said Darren, kissing Samantha. "We have a rule in this house. No witchcraft!"
"Except for practice and lessons" interjected Adam, rather muffled by his glass of milk.
"Except for practice and lessons" said Samantha as Darren frowned. "Now, don't talk with your mouthful!" she said.
"I guess Tabitha and Adam have to" said Darren resignedly. "However, usually there isn't any witchcraft in this house. But there are plenty of fun, mortal, things to do."
"I'm sure we'll all enjoy ourselves, dear" said Samantha, kissing Darren back.
"I'm sure you will said Darren. I'd love to be in on the fun, but I've got to get going. I have a lot of work to do on that new million-dollar account."
"That's the Canadian account?" asked Samantha.
"Yes, Wentworth County Foundries Inc., in Hamilton, Ontario"(2) said Darren. "No mass marketing, but a lot of tricky promotion to industry insiders."
After Darren left, the children went to the living room.
"I was hoping that you'd be able to do a lot of magic" said Lisa. "It would have been great!"
"Daddy doesn't like magic!" said Adam.
"No" said Tabitha. "Daddy doesn't like seeing a lot of magic around the house. It usually makes him upset. Mommy says it makes him very nervous having to try and cover it up."
"Well, I've always been taught when you're a guest, you follow the rules" said Lisa. "I guess there are plenty of other ways we can have fun."
The first way the children had fun wasn't very creative. They watched television . . . but not for long!
"CRASH!"
An older woman, wearing a flowered hat and a fur stole, crashed to the bottom of the fireplace.
"Oh my stars!" said Samantha, rushing into the room. "Aunt Clara!"
"Oh, er, hello Samantha!" said Aunt Clara, tumbling out in a heap. "A, er, very hard landing this time!"
"Really, Aunt Clara" said Samantha, helping up her aunt and dusting her off. "Sometimes, I think you go through the fireplace just to show off!"
"It would be nice if I did!" said Aunt Clara, slightly indignant. "But, as I told you before, my magic's really been improving since I've worked to fix, er, well, you-know-what!"
"I'm sure it has!" said Samantha kindly. "But, please, let's never discuss it again!"
"Well, er, dear, not a month goes by when Endora won't" said Aunt Clara with the ghost of a smile.
"Oh, don't' worry about it. Mother's handling it very well" said Samantha. "She mostly avoids Darren these days. She has a sharp comment or two saved up if they do run into each other . . . when she thinks he deserves it. It's not what I'd have hoped, but I might say it makes my life easier, not to mention Darren's!"
"I hoped they, um, would bury the hatchet" said Aunt Clara.
"Oh, you're little spell's been a windfall. They've both been a lot calmer" said Samantha smiling. "But let's not talk about it in front of the children!" (3)
"Oh, er, of course not!" said Aunt Clara, having been dusted off, and having collected her bag, looked around and saw the children for the first time. "Adam! Tabitha! And er, who's your little friend?"
"Aunt Clara" said Tabitha and Adam rushing over. Tabitha ran back and pulled Lisa over after the latter hesitated.
"Oh my, come over, my dear" said Aunt Clara after seeing Lisa. "Don't stand on er, formality. Any friend of my great-niece or great-nephew is a great-niece of mine!"
Aunt Clara hugged each of the children in turn.
Lisa took an instant liking to her, as indeed most people did.
Notes
1. Lisa appears in the episode Sisters at Heart. In that episode, Tabitha, upset that another child tells her the two can't be sisters, gives Lisa white spots and herself black spots. Later in the episode, Samantha teaches a racist client of Darren's to reform. Lisa knows that Samantha, Tabitha and Adam and witches/ a warlock.
2. Hamilton, a large Canadian city, had two major steel mills at the time. STELCO (Steel Company of Canada) and DOFASCO (Dominion Foundaries and Steel Company). "Wentworth Country Foundries Inc." is entirely fictional.
3. Refers to my prior story, Aunt Clara's Big Mistake.
