My Grandmother was a Witch
Chapter 1
I was 16 years old and my parents had dragged me all the way out here to visit my grandmother on my mom's side. She lived in the country far from New York City. Well, pretty far in my eyes. When I found out that she literally lived steps from the border with Canada I finally broke down and agreed to go with my parents and see her.
Honestly, I didn't want to go but the fact that she was really old – I mean really old – and I was 16 years old, worried Mom. She was afraid that her mother was going to die soon and she wanted to see her, for me to be able to remember her. That alone should have convinced me maybe but I was in a really bad mood. That I had my period and was having really bad cramps didn't help.
Sitting in a car for hours to reach her while bleeding and doing my best not to moan from the cramps was only going to make things worse. I just knew all those bumps in those country roads was going to make things awful, not better.
So there I was, sitting in the back seat. While in the city, traveling on the Interstate hadn't been too bad. Though that was followed by a little two lane road that had more twists and turns than anyone could ever dream of. We went up and we went down.
"Can we stop somewhere, please?" I begged my dad who was driving. Thankfully there was tiny little town followed by tiny little town.
"Sure, we need gas anyway." Jim pulled into this CITGO station that was really small. It had a whole 2 pumps in this little nowhere town but it did have a restroom so I grabbed my purse and hurried to the restroom.
It was just as I had feared. I was having a heavy flow for a change. It didn't happen often but when it did it usually came with the worst cramps. I wasn't peeing yet but I could hear a liquid hitting the water.
"Great." The tampon had soaked up as much blood as it could but there was still blood running out. So I waited till there was nothing left and then I cleaned up and inserted a new tampon. I really wanted for this to be over. I didn't even know how much longer it was going to be. I was in such a foul mood that I hadn't bothered to ask.
Then I peed and cleaned up yet again. Sure enough there was blood. So I flushed it, washed my hands and face with cold water, and then rubbed my hands dry underneath the hot air blower. I grabbed my purse and headed for the car.
Dad was just finishing putting the nozzle away and took his receipt since he was keeping track of what this trip was costing us. "You okay, Katie?"
"I'm fine, Dad." I wasn't going to tell him what was going on with me. It was my problem and I was dealing with it.
I was sitting there waiting for Mom and Dad to come back. Dad had gone to use the restroom and I watched Mom come out carrying a plastic bag with stuff in it.
After getting in the passenger seat and closing the door, she said, "Here, Katie, take these." She handed me a tiny bottle of Tylenol. "I know you're having cramps and these should help. Use this to wash them down, sweetheart." She gave me a bottle of Gatorade.
I was relieved instead of being annoyed. "Thanks, Mom." I took both and opened the bottle, figured out how to remove the seal so I could reach the damn pills, and shook out two since I was hurting. I popped them in my mouth followed by twisting open the Gatorade bottle and washing them down.
Mom offered something that might help. "Maybe your grandmother will have a hot water bottle."
"Maybe." I had used one before and didn't know why I hadn't packed the damn thing. Maybe it was the pain fogging my brain.
Back out onto the little two lane road we went. "How much longer?" Yeah, when I was little I had a terrible, "Are we there yet," syndrome. But I hated car rides when I was little, so there!
Dad glanced at me in the rear view mirror. "About two hours."
That was good so I tried to just relax and simply looked at the trees. It was early fall so the trees out here were amazing. Full of fall colors and looking at all the colors helped take my mind off of my cramps.
"It should be coming up soon, Jim." Mom had a map and had been helping Dad navigate. "There, I think. It's been a long time since I've been here. Not that long really, but long enough and it wasn't fall then." It didn't look the same to her.
Just as I feared we turned onto a rocky, dirt-covered road filled with pot holes. Dad was forced to slow way down before he ruined our suspension or ended up with a flat tire.
This road was a lot like the paved road, full of twists and turns. We went up and then back down. Till finally her house came into view along with the old truck that she used to get around in.
"WOW!" I let my mouth fall open and I was sure my eyes were bugging out. I hadn't never seen pictures of this place.
"This is where I used to live. I grew up here. I'll bet you didn't know your mother used to be a farm girl when I was your age, did you?" Jo hadn't been there for far too long.
I was too shocked and astonished by the look of it to say anything at all. It was either made of yellow bricks or stone. It had two floors, white framed windows, real wood doors, and a thatched roof that looked like dead reeds and it was gorgeous. For a moment at least I forgot all about my cramps.
"Wait till you see the barn. We had horses when I was little. Mama might have gotten rid of them by now. Last I knew it was just her out here," Mom told me.
"Horses?" I had never gone horseback riding. Not out here at least. The State Fair with horses that had seen better days didn't count.
Apparently we were spotted since one of the two wooden doors opened and an older lady stepped outside. I watched as Dad stopped, turned off the car, and Mom got out.
"MAMA!" My mother walked right up to her and hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"I'll get the bags," Jim said and I got out of the car and looked around. I was pretty sure I saw a gate leading to something behind the house but no barn. But it was gorgeous. All the fall trees full of color made this place look magical.
"Katie." I got waved over. "This is my mother, your grandmother."
"Hi," I said simply and could've kicked myself.
"I haven't seen you since you were this tall." The silver-haired woman held her hand way down low. Low enough that I must have been a little kid back then. "You look so much like your mother. Come inside out of this cold weather. It's going to be a hard winter this year." She turned, opened the door, and we followed her inside.
Dad walked in with our suitcases. "Hello, Anna. It's good to see you."
"Welcome, Jim. If you would leave Katie's suitcase here, please? You and Jo will be in my room upstairs."
Jim nodded. He put Kate's suitcase down and carried their suitcases upstairs.
"I only have two bedrooms, I'm sorry to say. Thankfully I have a sleeper sofa." Grams was looking at me.
"I'll live." She started talking to my mom so I looked around. There was a massive fireplace next to stairs leading up. There was also an ottoman and my sleeper sofa that was full of red flowers. It definitely looked like something a grandmother would own.
The ceiling was maybe a little low. It had open wood beams that had been painted white. There were real wood floors and even more real wood steps leading up. She had a little TV in the corner next to the fireplace.
The wall at the window looked really thick. I couldn't help but wonder just what this place was made of. Looking out the window I finally saw the barn and even saw two horses wandering around, eating grass.
"Horseback riding." This trip was finally looking up! A real barn door led me into the kitchen. As old as this place looked, this room was a mix of both really old and very new.
In this room I saw another huge fireplace on one wall. In the middle of the room was a table with bench seating. On the opposite wall was an enormous wood burning cook stove that I assumed was really old. Eighteen inches away on one side of this behemoth was a dishwasher; on the other side and an equal distance away, was a washing machine. Under the window was an old white farmhouse sink and this was where the other door was located. She had open shelving filled with plates and glasses, and cookware was hanging everywhere.
A sliding barn door opened into a huge panty that had nearly everything else. It was obvious that she was serious about her canning. There were quart Mason jars full of who knew what filling shelf, after shelf, after shelf. That was in addition to cases of canned goods from the local grocery store that weren't even open yet.
"I see you found my pantry." I spun around and saw Grams standing there smiling at me.
"It's HUGE!" It was almost as big as the kitchen was and on the backside of the fireplace.
"I need to be ready for winter. I can get snowed in here on occasion. I saw your eyes light up at the horses. You fancy a ride tomorrow, perhaps?" she asked me.
"Yes, please. Though I've never actually done much riding. State Fairs don't count." You didn't get to go anywhere.
"I'll talk your mother into giving you a lesson. I have lots of trails you two can take. She'll show you. How do you feel?" she asked me. "I know it was a long drive."
"I'm fine." I would be fine eventually.
"You have cramps," she said briefly and I was sure I must have given myself away. "I may be old, Katie, but I'm not blind. Why don't you go find your mother and get sheets and a blanket for your bed while I make something up for you."
That had me leaving in search of my parents who I found in a simple bedroom that didn't look anything special. "Sheets, blanket, pillow?" I asked.
"They should be in the closet." Mom moved to the hall closet. She pointed at the closed door. "This is my parents' bedroom. My room is just down the hall. It's tiny, just a twin bed."
"Here." Mom handed over a blanket, a set of sheets, and a pillow for me to use.
I took them downstairs and put them on this dresser-like thing behind the sofa to use later. "Katie?" I heard Grams' voice and went into the kitchen.
Anna had something on the stove and was mixing it. "Once I'm done here this should help with your cramps. It worked wonders for your mother with hers."
"You live here all alone," I said, idly doodling on the kitchen table with my finger.
Anna nodded. "I do. My husband died years ago. He died peacefully in his sleep, thank God. No pain. Your mother had already moved to the city to attend college. She got it into her head that she wanted to be a lawyer.
"I let her chase her dream. I can't complain; she found Jim and had you. It's not too bad living here alone. I have neighbors that come to help on occasion. One chops the wood I need. Another helps me tend to the horses. I'm down to just two now. Sadly my garden is ready for the winter. But I'll plant it again come spring.
"I'm told you have dreams of following your mother and Jim and become another lawyer," Anna said.
"That's the plan. …It smells interesting." I couldn't place the smell. I saw some dried spices which were stored in random size bottles. Not little bottles like Mom would buy in a grocery store. I was pretty sure Grams grew them.
I watched as she poured it out hot into a coffee cup. "Here, sip this for now till it cools a bit and then drink it all down. It should fix your cramps soon."
My mother was at the kitchen entrance. "Your homemade cure, Mama?"
"It worked for you, it'll work for her. Did you three eat anything on the way out?" Anna asked us.
I was standing there sipping my drink that was actually rather tasty and shook my head.
"Jim wanted to get us here. All we had was my shaky memory and written directions from you," Jo replied.
"I thought so. You know where the freezer is, Johanna. I'll get some more wood. You just keep drinking your drink, Katie."
I watched Grams go outside while Mom pulled opened a door in the floor that I hadn't noticed and she went down some really steep steps.
"The freezer's down there?" I was shocked. I saw what I took to be the refrigerator in the kitchen but the freezer was down there?
I watched Mom come back up with something neatly wrapped in white paper and it looked cold even from here. Then she closed the door in the floor and stepped over to the sink, unwrapped it, and ran a thin stream of cold water over it to thaw it.
Grams came in with an armful of wood and Mom went out to get more. "You just keep drinking, dear," Grams told me so I stood there and watched those two. They seemed to know just what they were doing, like it was a well-rehearsed dance.
Mom was watching the roast while Grams was getting potatoes and onions. Mom moved to grab the dutch oven. She poured about half an inch of beef broth in it and set it on the stove while Grams got out a big knife and began chopping.
Mom turned the roast in the sink as the water continued to thaw it. Into the stove went some of the wood. Out of the cupboard came a smaller pot and what Grams had went into it while a little went into the dutch oven already on the stove; Mom tested the heat of the oven.
"Ready yet?" Anna asked.
"Almost, Mama," my mom told her and since my drink was cool enough I drank it down.
"Can I help?"
Anna looked at my mom. "You taught her to cook?"
My mom looked kind of surprised. "I'm pretty sure it all went in one ear and out the other but maybe."
"I was listening. …Mostly. …Occasionally." Okay, I had barely paid attention but I did know some things.
"Prove it." My mom stepped aside and was soon joined by Grams and now both of them were watching me.
"Fine." I checked the roast and turned off the water. Then I picked up the meat, put it on the countertop which was all wood, and looked for the spices I wanted. I sniffed each one to be sure it was what I thought it was and then after patting the roast dry rubbed them into the meat.
Into the dutch oven it went followed by adding Grams's potatoes and onions and putting on the lid. Using pot holders I carefully set it in the oven, swung the door closed, latched it, and turned and smiled at the two of them.
"I stand corrected," my mom said which had me smiling bigger.
"So she was listening." We all turned and saw my dad standing in the doorway watching.
"I'll get the rest of the vegetables. You know how to make the bread," Grams told my mom and suddenly my mother was showing me how to make bread from scratch. FROM SCRATCH!
_/\_
Dinner was great and we sat there at that table sitting on benches and talked. I learned more about my own mother that night than I had in all 16 years previous to that. My grandmother had more stories about her than I thought was possible. And here I thought I knew my own mother.
"Don't listen to everything she says, Katie." Mom got up since everyone was done eating and started cleaning up.
"Come with me, Katie. I need to tend to the horses. I can teach you what I taught your mother." Grams got up and I followed her outside after we put on coats. It was a little chilly outside.
As we left I was learning that this place was heated using the two fireplaces. I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to need that blanket. The fireplace in the living room was right there! My toes just might bake tonight.
"So, Katie, what do you know about horses?"
"Nothing, Grams." I literally knew nothing.
Anna gave a short nod. "Good, it means you don't have to unlearn what someone has taught you wrong, so pay attention."
I didn't understand just why but I did want to learn. I soaked up everything she taught me that night.
"If it's warm enough tomorrow you can wash these two, brush them, and check their feet before going for a ride with your mother. She should still know the woods around here like the back of her hand," Grams said as we walked back to the house.
The barn had electricity so we could see everything out here. It even had hot water.
_/\_
I was sitting there on the sofa that looked and felt so grandmotherly as Grams walked down the stairs and then sat down next to me.
"I'm really glad that you're here, Katie." Then she handed me this bladder that was already full of hot water for me to use because I had cramps earlier.
"Me too, Grams. It's been…educational." I was thinking about all I had learned about my own mother.
"Good, because I have a lot to teach you over the next two days so be ready to learn. This might be my only chance at this. I need you to be ready and keep an open mind." Grams patted my leg and headed back upstairs.
I had no idea what she was talking about. Teach me what? I wanted to be a lawyer and she didn't know the first thing about being a lawyer.
Kind of bored I sat there watching TV. The only real problem with this was the number of channels she had to choose from. ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS and that was it! I did, however, put my hot water bottle where it would do the most good.
When the late local news came up on all the channels worth watching I turned it off and watched the fire. Grams had it burning really high and told me to add wood during the night as needed. This was meant to keep them all warm.
Eventually I gave up and moved the ottoman, removed the cushions and put them on the floor, and pulled my bed out. It wasn't just a mattress. It had this foam thing that had pyramids all over it on top.
With the sheets in place, my lone pillow, and the blanket at the end, I got out my pajamas, stripped down to nothing, and put them on.
It was only while I was pounding on my pillow to soften the thing up that I noticed that my cramps were completely gone. I didn't even know when that had happened. There wasn't so much as a hint of pain. Still I laid on my back and put my hot water bottle on my belly anyway.
"Thanks, Grams!" As I laid down to go to sleep I made a mental note to ask her what that drink was and if she could teach me how to make it. I was sure I could use it again in the future.