Chapter 3

Hair

"Now you see me, now you don't!"

"Oh, WOW!"

"You've been dazzled~!" I performed my new trick for Lila, who watched with wide eyes. Over the past few weeks, my father had taught me eight new tricks that I wanted to show Lila. I had the day off from training and finally got a day to spend with my only friend.

"Sigmund..." She started. "I have something horrid to tell you." I gazed at her, puzzled as to what she could mean.

"What is it, Lila?"

"I heard a few of the townspeople talking harshly of you and your family."

"Did you?"

"Yes, I did. Mrs. Anne and Elaine at the market place, Betsy and Thomas and even your own blood, Isis."

"Isis?! No, I don't believe you!"

"Sigmund, why are you shouting?"

"LEAVE ME BE, LILA!" I ran away from her, tears streaming down my face. All those people talking about me? Isis? My own sister? I rushed into the barn where my mother fed the chickens. She turned to me.

"Sigmund, son! What's the matter? Why are you sobbing?"

"Mama! Mama please, tell me where Papa is. I need him!"

"He's in the raspberry patch darling..." I dashed out again, quickly growing tired. I dropped down on my knees and covered my face, crying. "PAPA! PAPA! PLEASE!" And as if my prayers had been answered, my father stood in front of me, carrying a basket of berries. He quickly dropped the basket at my dramatic crying and knelt down beside me.

"My son-"

"Papa! The town has been talking about me! About us! A-and Isis-"

"Sigmund, I told you things would be rough, didn't I?"

"Yes but-"

"You must handle your own Sigmund."

With that, my father stood up and walked in the direction of our home, leaving me alone. No sympathy at all. No kind words. No comforting. Nothing.

I cried, picking myself up and walking down to the riverbank again to be alone. It was quiet, only the sound of rushing water and the croaking of the toads kept me company. I sat at the river's edge and looked into the water. My wavy reflection looked back at me, crying with me.

"Why do I have to be a sorcerer?" I asked my reflection. "Why can't I just be normal?" I stood up, angered by what Lila had told me. "I HATE them! ALL OF THEM! They envy me because I'm better than them! ALL OF THEM!" I was so young when I realized the deep and dark feelings of hate. And things only got worse from there.

—

"Sigmund! Supper!" I sat at the table for Sunday supper with my family. My mother joined us, setting fresh baked rolls and a pitcher of water on the table in front of us.

"Say grace, Isis." My mother spoke gently to my sister. She closed her eyes and set her hands on her lap.

"Please bless this food, my God. Bless our market and our family as well." I mumbled at the last part before saying 'amen'. I kept quiet during dinner, which concerned my mother.

"How was your day with Lila, son?" She asked me. I glanced at her and looked back down again at my food.

"Fine, Mama..." I answered quickly. I spoke nothing more. My sister swallowed her food quickly before speaking.

"Don't you have anything more to add? You always do." I slammed my spoon down on the table.

"DO YOU EVEN CARE?!" I shouted. Isis gasped.

"What are you saying brother? What's wrong with you?"

"Don't YOU have anything to add about what you spoke to the people of our town? I've heard the talk, Isis! I heard all about you!"

"That's enough Sigmund!" My father yelled.

I tipped over my bowl of soup, letting it spill on my sister's dress before running to my room. I didn't apologize to my sister, and she didn't apologize to me. That confirmed the rumors, in my opinion. I locked my room door and rested on my bed. My mother knocked on the door.

"Sigmund, please. Apologize to Isis. Please come out and eat with us." I hid my face in my pillow.

"LEAVE ME BE!" I cried. "This town is full of GOSSIPS!"

"Dear son, Isis is sorry. She is."

"I want to hear it from her mouth!" My mother gave up on getting me out of my room. My father didn't come to my room door either. I didn't mind, I wanted to be alone that night.

Monday morning, I headed out to the market place to buy dairy from Mrs. Anne, a woman whom Lila had told me gossiped about me and my family. When I walked into town, many people pointed and stared at me, whispering to their friends. I ignored them all and stood in front of Mrs. Anne's wooden cart. She smiled at me, having no idea that I knew of her sin.

"Sigmund! Look how big you're getting. Your mother needs to feed you more though, you're a pile of bones!" She laughed at her own joke. My face remained neutral.

"Two pounds cheddar." I ordered. She glanced at me, noticing my attitude.

"What ever is the matter, son?"

"I'm not your son." She stood quiet for a second. The harsh tone in my voice must have startled her.

"Sigmund?"

"WOMAN! TWO POUNDS CHEDDAR!"

My shouting caused attention to the little wooden cart. People around me whispered and gave me anything but pleasant looks. Mrs. Anne did as I asked. I paid her and went on my way. As I headed on the trail back home, Lila and her family strolled past me. Lila came to quick stop and rushed to my side.

"Sigmund! Hallo, Sigmund!"

"Hallo, Lila. I must be on my way at the moment."

"Oh, please come meet my family. Please do." I sighed and followed Lila over to her parents. Her mother bowed and her father removed his hat to shake my hand.

"We've heard about your magic from Lila." Her mother told me. "It sounds lovely. Marvelous, really!"

"You two have been spending quiet a lot of time together." Her father added. "I'm glad my dear daughter has a friend like you. You have a real talent!"

"Danke both..."I mumbled. "But I must be on my way now."

"Why yes, of course. Go on home to your mother." Lila's mother told me. "She wants her son home soon. My Lila may be over later as well."

"Alright then. Auf Wiedersehen to you both!"

I waved goodbye to them all and followed the path into the daisy field. When all was clear, I used my newest trick and materialized myself to my family's property. My father gasped when I appeared in the raspberry fields along side him.

"Where have you come from?" He asked me. I smiled at him and held up my basket.

"The market place, Papa. I didn't want to walk."

He laughed and picked a few raspberries off the bushes. I did the same, dropping a few in the basket along with the cheddar. My father ran his fingers through my hair suddenly, the same way he'd done before. He was definitely inspecting it. I looked up at him. "What is it, Papa?"

"Stand still Sigmund. Please." I did as he asked, popping a few more berries into my mouth. I suddenly felt my father's hands tense up atop the crown of my head. He lifted the basket from the ground and started walking, rushing really. "Come along now son. We must get home."

"What's wrong, Papa?" I asked, struggling to keep up with his fast pace. He didn't answer me.

Once home, he rushed over to my mother who was washing clothes in the kitchen drop sink. He pulled her aside and whispered something to her, causing her to glace at me. She then approached me and inspected my hair as my father had. A soft gasp escaped her lips. She sat at our round stone dinner table and held her hands to her chest. Tears adorned her face.

"My son. It's true, it's really happening. Bless you, Sigmund!" She raised her hand above her head, her eyes were shut and her mouth moved, though only a quiet mumble could be heard. She had started praying as she usually did. I wanted to know what they were seeing on my head. It was concerning me.

I rushed to my parent's room to use the mirror. That's when I saw it. The roots of my hair had started to turn an inhuman platinum, silver. I gasped, touching my hair softly.

"M-mein...oh my." I touched my hair again. What did this mean? Was I turning elderly? My hair was slowly turning as my father's had. The more power I began to gain, the more silver my hair would become.

—

"Do you see it?"

"Ja! It's grey Sigmund." I had asked Lila to take a look at my hair. My eyes drooped when she told me she could see the silver. "It's really shiny too."

"Is it?"

"Ja!" I touched the top of my head and sighed.

"Oh..."I mumbled. I sat down next to her on the river's edge and dipped my feet into the clear, blue water. Slowly, I saw Lila reaching her hand over to hold mine. I quickly snatched my hand away. She looked up at me.

"I'm sorry..."She said to me. I didn't reply. I looked down at the water, watching the fish play. Lila kept quiet as I thought to myself.

"That's quite alright." I said softly to her. She gazed at me, a smile coming to her face.

"I actually like your new hair." She added. "I really do."

"Danke, Lila."