The Child Lives On
Chapter Twenty Four
When Emily was eight years old, she loved to frolic in the meadows and wander through the woods near her uncle's farm. On a day in May, when she was out gathering flowers, she chanced upon an old worn out cottage. Sitting in a rickety old chair by the door was an old woman, extremely thin and wrinkled with a face like a hatchet with a squint. "Good morning, child," said the old woman. "What brings you out this way?"
"Flowers," said Emily. "Would you like some?"
"I would indeed."
Not easily frightened in those days, Emily skipped over to the old woman and gave her the flowers.
"What do you charge for these flowers?" asked the old woman.
"Charge?" asked Emily.
"Perhaps a coin?"
"Oh, you don't have to pay me. I will gladly give them to you."
"What a sweet unselfish child. Perhaps I will grant you a wish."
"A wish?"
"Would you like to marry a handsome prince when you grow up?"
"I don't want to grow up."
"And why not, pray tell?"
"Grown up people are busy and worried and angry and mean and greedy and..."
"Would you remain a child forever?"
"Oh yes. Yes I would, gladly."
"I know of a way."
Emily thought the old woman must be teasing her. "If you know of a way, why don't you use it yourself?"
"It's too late for me, I'm afraid."
"Too late?"
"You see, it freezes you where you are."
"Oh, I don't want to freeze." Emily hugged her little shoulders.
"What a dear child. I mean, you would remain the age that you are. If you are eight, you will always be eight. If you are twenty, you will always be twenty, and so on."
"I think I understand."
"Of course, it will cost you."
"I thought it was for the flowers."
"Forget the flowers!"
Startled, Emily jumped and tried to run away; but the old woman grabbed the hem of her dress, and held her back. With her most ingratiating smile, which isn't easy without teeth, the old woman said, calmly, "What I ask is neither dangerous nor difficult. You must simply return to this cottage everyday until the end of summer."
"Why?" asked Emily.
"I must pass on my knowledge before I pass on."
Without thinking it through (and what child ever does?), Emily agreed to the request. Most days, she brought her cousin Clara with her. However, she didn't tell Clara about the bargain. She simply said, "This lady will give us treats," and Clara would follow right along. What child doesn't like treats?
Throughout the summer, the old woman taught Emily all about herbs, tonics, tinctures, essential oils and everything you might find in a modern day health food store. In addition, Emily tended the garden, gathered firewood and cleaned the cottage. On the last day of summer, she returned alone.
"Now, my child," said the old woman, "it is time to fulfill my end of the bargain. Are you sure you do not wish to grow up?"
"I didn't work all summer for nothing," said Emily.
"This treatment comes with a condition."
"A what?"
"A caveat."
"Such big words."
"Simply speaking, you must remain a virgin."
Now it so happens, Emily had no idea what a virgin was. When the old woman described what a virgin was, and how one loses one's virginity, Emily was appalled. "I certainly don't want to do that!" she said, emphatically.
"In case you change your mind," said the old woman, "there's something I must tell you: If you were to lose your virginity, you would revert to your true age - which would be a horrible shock to the gentleman, I'm sure. Now that you know, do you still wish to proceed?"
Emily didn't hesitate. "Yes, please."
"Very well."
The old woman stood up straight and still, closed her eyes, raised her hands in the air, and remained in that position for some time, mumbling incoherently. Emily watched curiously. Was she supposed to feel something? All of a sudden, the old woman collapsed on the ground in a heap. Emily was at a loss. "Did it work?" she asked. The old woman didn't answer.
Emily crept up to the old woman and touched her arm. The arm was as cold as ice. Emily covered the old woman with a blanket and ran for help.
By then, it was too late.
THE END