Chapter 7: In Which Aunt Clara Makes a Promise She Immediately Regrets

Darren Stephens was struggling to make himself heard over the noise at Grand Central Station.

"I have great news for you, honey" he was saying. "The sleeper leaves in ten minutes. I'll be there at 9:00 tomorrow morning."

"That's great Darren" said Samantha. No, she hadn't flown to see him off, but was talking but the simple expedience of the telephone.

"You know" said Darren. "For once, one of Aunt Clara's goofs seem to have paid off. We get a second honeymoon in Niagara Falls . . . well, with the kids and Aunt Clara along for the ride . . . all expenses paid by Larry. How the kids enjoying themselves?"

"Tabitha's playing with Lisa in their hotel room" said Samantha, truthfully. "Aunt Clara's taken Adam to dinner at the Skylon Tower. Tabitha and Lisa . . . weren't feeling themselves . . . and I've had a long day."

"Good, good" said Darren, robotically. "Later we can go ourselves without the kids . . . wait, you said that Aunt Clara was taking Adam alone?"

He had gone from calm to tense in the snap of an eye.

"Well" said Samantha. "Aunt Clara goofs occasionally. But . . . ."

"Occasionally!" Darren objected. "She dropped the house off at Niagara Falls just this morning!"

"You just said that everything worked out fine!" said Samantha.

"Only by accident!" said Darren.

"Accident, and a little manoeuvring by the best adman in the business" hinted Samantha slyly.

"Well, maybe just a little" said Darren, more calmly. "I guess I'm just a chump for flattery from you."

"As I am from you" said Samantha. "Darren, you know Aunt Clara loves children, especially her grandniece and grandnephew. I wouldn't take away my trust for all the world."

"I guess you're right, Sam" said Darren reluctantly. "I like the old girl. Can I speak to Tabitha?"

"NO" said Samantha abrupt. "Er . . . she's very tired. Adam took a nap during the day, but she thought that being such a big girl, she wouldn't. Now she's asleep."

Samantha was worried Tabitha would spill the beans.

"I thought she was playing with Lisa!" Darren objected.

"She is" said Samantha. "You know little girls Darren! Playing when they should be in bed. I was about to checkup on them!"

"Okay, Sam" said Darren laughing. "See you in the morning."

"I'll see you then, dear!" said Samantha.

Samantha sighed. "That was close. Now, all I have to do is find a way to get Tabitha to want to reverse the spell."

Back at Grand Central Station, Darren was less than reassured.

"Witchcrafted to Niagara Falls today" he said to himself. "What's next I wonder? First thing I do when I get on the train is head to the bar and have myself a couple of good stiff drinks."


Aunt Clara and Adam were enjoying themselves immensely.

Aunt Clara had initially wanted to fly to the top of the tower with Adam and Samantha. However, Samantha had diplomatically said she wanted to stay with Tabitha and Lisa. Adam was far too young to fly on his own, and Aunt Clara wasn't young anymore."

"That, er, won't do" said Aunt Clara reluctantly, to the excited Adam. "I can barely fly myself anymore, and I don't think I'm strong enough to give lessons. But when you do fly, I'll be there on hand to watch." (1)

On Samantha's suggestion, Aunt Clara and Adam took a taxi to the nearby tower. They immediately took the elevators up to the top.

The elevators looked like yellow beetles crawling up the side of the beige concrete. The particular elevator Aunt Clara and Adam were taking gave them a great view of the Canadian Falls. Save for the operator, they had the car to themselves.

"Would you look at that!" said Aunt Clara approvingly, to the young man operating the machine. "It's almost as good as flying."

"We were going to fly here but Mommy didn't want to!" said Adam.

"How did you travel?" said the young man. "By train?"

"No, Daddy's travelling by train" said Adam. "We just popped over by accident."

"Popped over?" said the elevator operator, confused.

"Usually I fly" Aunt Clara explained. "But this sort of, er, just happened."

"Fly?" said the operator.

"Yes, but with all these gadgets you mortals are coming up with" Aunt Clara said, "you're taking all the fun out of being a witch."

"Revolving Dining Room" said the elevator operator quickly, as the elevator went inside the tower top.

No sooner had Aunt Clara and disembarked than the doors to the yellow beetle shut, and the elevator descended back toward the tower's base as quickly as the elevator operator could make it.

Dinner went calmly. Aunt Clara, who only had a passing familiarity with mortal money, ordered the most expensive things on the menu for herself. Fortunately for Darren's wallet, Adam ate free from the kid's menu.

"I never seen the point of these things" Aunt Clara told Adam, as she looked at the multicoloured Canadian bills Samantha had given her. "Since I was a little girl, I was able to understand the point of gold and silver. But these things are just paper."

Adam laughed.

"Oh, well, they're prettier than the ones back home" said Aunt Clara. "Being in, er, different colours and all. I don't think green is Ben Franklin's best colour, anyway. He'd look far better in blue or brown." (2)

They sat at one of the many tables alongside the glass walls that bordered the restaurant. Their particular table had started with a good view of the American Falls, and then a good view of the Canadian cataract. However, as time went on, the restaurant revolved away from the river and gave them a view of the motels on Lundy's Lane and the houses of Niagara Falls. Far in the deepening twilight, they saw the fields of Ontario's Welland County. Then they saw the orchards of Lincoln County and Brock's Monument as the sun set.

"Phooey" said Adam, crossly, as he finished his meal. "I want to see the falls again. The waiter said it'll be lighted up with spotlights."

"Just wait a few minutes, Adam" said Aunt Clara kindly. "We'll be back in, er, oh, ten or twenty minutes or so. That's how long it takes for this place, to, er, well, turn around again."

"Let's speed it up!" said Adam, pointing his finger.

There came an alarming revving of the engine used to revolve the restaurant.

"Oh, er, no, Adam" said Aunt Clara, looking around. "Everybody wants the restaurant to move slowly so, they, can, er, eat without being sick."

"Oh, okay" said Adam, watching a couple of waiters and waitresses making a beeline to the revving engine.

"Now put it back, Adam" said Aunt Clara.

"Calm down, engine" said Adam.

The engine quieted down.

"A nice bit of magic" said Aunt Clara. "But Adam, you, er, well, have to think of others. Now, I don't know about you, but if we went round and round and round and round . . . fast, I think I'd get, sick. In fact, I might be a little sick thinking about it."

Adam looked around.

"I'm sorry Aunt Clara."

"That's alright, there's no harm done" said Aunt Clara, watching as the staff left the motor looking perplexed."

As the two enjoyed their dessert, they likewise enjoyed the view of the nighttime falls lighted up by spotlight. They saw the little tour vessel, the Maid of the Mist, approach the base of the Canadian Falls, and return to her docks down river.

"Boy, that looks like fun" said Adam.

"I'm sure it is" said Aunt Clara. "I'll, oh, tell you what, Adam. First thing tomorrow morning, when your mother is busy with Tabitha and Lisa, and before your father comes home . . . we'll go and do anything you want to. Anything you want at Niagara Falls I mean . . . besides flying."

"Anything?" said Adam. "You promise?"

"Oh, er yes" said Aunt Clara, starting to wonder what she had done now. "I promise . . . anything but flying."

"I want us to go over the falls in a barrow!" said Adam, standing up and jumping up and down on his chair. "A barrel!"

"That's a little dangerous" said Aunt Clara, greatly discomfited. "Beside, we know better than to jump up and down at the table."

"Oh, sorry, I'll sit down" said Adam, doing so. "But you know I'm a warlock!"

"Yes, you are" Aunt Clara allowed.

"And I can't really get hurt!" Adam bragged. "Besides, you said that Uncle Arthur and Cousin Serena would do it."

"Oh, Arthur, how could you!" said Aunt Clara bitterly, remembering her words of the morning. "And you not even being here to, er, blame!"

"And you promised! You promised. You promised!" insisted Adam. "YOU PROMISED!"

"I did, didn't I?" said Aunt Clara, woefully. "It'll be a good chance for us to, er, use to, er, practice, our magic, at least.

"Please!" begged Adam.

"If we must" said Aunt Clara doubtfully. "I just had to go and promise. I guess, we'll, er, go to tomorrow morning and see what we can do."

Aunt Clara wasn't the least bit heartened to hear Adam cheer.


Notes:

(1) Aunt Clara explains her inability to fly to the children she babysits in the first season episode There's No Witch Like an Old Witch.

(2) Aunt Clara conjured up Benjamin Franklin in the episode My Friend Ben.