CHAPTER THIRTY
“I can’t believe the solution was beside me for hundreds of years,” said Grover, following the others. “Shouldn’t I have felt it?”
“Maybe,” said Irene. “Maybe she didn’t know it was hidden.”
The bell above the door chimed as they opened it, more than a dozen men and women entering the space.
“Be there in a minute,” called the woman. “I’m just openin’.”
They said nothing, waiting for the woman to appear. When she did, she stared at them, then smiled.
“Well, good morning. You wantin’ water again?”
“No, ma’am. We need a little magic,” said Gaspar. The woman stared at him a for minute, then just laughed.
“I’m afraid the magic shop is around the corner. I don’t know anything about magic.”
“But your ancestor did,” said Irene. “Melba, or Nel. She knew powerful magic.”
“How did you know about her?” asked the older woman.
“It’s a long story,” said Ruby. “We think that you, Winnie Parker, have some of that magic within you and can help lift a hundreds-year-old curse.”
The woman stared at them and just laughed. When she realized that no one else was laughing, she took a seat, just staring at them.
“You can’t be serious. I’m nothing but a businesswoman. I’ve never shown any signs of havin’ skill,” she said innocently.
“That might be,” said Ruby, “but we believe you can lift this curse either way. We know what was said to place the curse, and we think we can figure out what to say to lift it.”
“You’re really serious?”
“As a heart attack,” said Gaspar. “We’d like to ask you to come with us. Please.”
“But my store is open. I make a lot of money this time of day.”
“My brother and I will stay,” said Antoine, nodding at Rafe. “We can watch the store. We’ve worked in our parents’ store for years.”
“It’s true,” smiled Irene. “You might be shy a few sweets when we get back, but we’ll pay for ‘em.” She stared at the group again, wondering if they’d all lost their minds.
Stranger things have happened in New Orleans, and she couldn’t deny that she’d felt the twinges of magic in her fingertips before.
Times when good luck suddenly appeared for her, in spite of all that was happening around her.
“Alright. I’ll give you one hour,” she said. Grover suddenly showed himself, smiling at the woman.
“One hour should do it.”
“Why couldn’t we just do it under the tree?” she asked as they explained it all to her in the car.
“Ruby and I don’t think it would cover all the people the man hurt. If we do it where the curse was done, then there’s a better chance this will all lift away.”
“Well, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, but I do believe all these folks deserve some peace.”
Irene had to do a lot of explaining to the owners of the property to let them know why Bennett Hampton should be allowed on the property, just for a brief time. Finally, they agreed to give him thirty minutes. That was all they would need.
“We think that this is the bedroom that the curse would have been delivered from,” said Gaspar. “Mama and Miss Ruby have written out a counter-curse – I can’t believe I’m saying that – that should lift this one.”
“You can’t believe you’re saying it, and I can’t believe I’m doin’ it,” said Winnie.
“Don’t do it!” yelled Melba, appearing in the room. “Don’t do this!”
“Uh, is she real?” asked Winnie.
“Well, she was,” said Ruby. “She’s the one that placed the curse. Your ancestor, Melba.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Winnie, staring at the spirit.
“Do not lift this curse! They all deserve to suffer and die for what they’ve done.”
“You know, the world is different, and there’s too much hate and suffering nowadays. I don’t want to be a part of that. If I can help, I will.” She turned to Ruby and Irene, who handed her a sheet of paper.
“Just recite it exactly like that,” said Ruby.
“The killing is done, your curse is now lifted. They have paid enough, given enough, and the time has come to end this. You are free to travel with the angels, or the devil, should he come for you. It ends here and now. The debt has been paid.”
They all waited, holding their breath as if something magical would happen. Floating angels or fairy dust, something to tell them that the curse was lifted.
“I don’t hear anything,” said Bennett.
“I don’t either,” said Gaspar.
“No, I mean, I hear nothing. No voices, no whispers, nothing. I think it’s gone,” he smiled.
Winnie stared at her ancestor, who only stared back in disbelief.
“You have no idea what you’ve done,” said Melba. “They are all evil.”
“I’m truly sorry you feel that way,” said Bennett. “I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to make up for my ancestors’ mistakes, their crimes. But it stopped long before I was born. Your curse drove them mad, not allowing them to make things right.
“I don’t condone what they did. I want nothing to do with it. But I cannot change what was done in the past. I will strive to change things for the future. You have my word,” he said to the spirit. Melba just stared at him, shaking her head, and slowly disappeared.
“Why am I still here?” asked Grover.
“I think we have to get you back to the Square,” said Ruby.
Driving as fast as they could, they arrived in the Square just in time for the nine a.m. mass. The bells echoed throughout the city, and Grover smiled, lifting his face to the sun.
“I love the sound of the bells. They always brought me peace,” he whispered.
“You’re free to go home now, child,” said Irene. “Your family is waiting for you.”
“Thank you. Thank you all for believing in me,” he said, smiling at them. He turned toward the cathedral and started walking, then disappeared just as he hit the doors.
“Is he gone, Mama?” asked Miller.
“He’s gone, baby. He’ll see his mama and daddy, his sister and her family, even his wife. Hopefully, he gets a chance at a new life, wherever he is.”
“Can we take down your treehouse?” smirked Ghost.
“Yes,” she laughed. “I think we’re done, right, Bennett?”
“Yes, ma’am, we’re done. Unfortunately, I have some answers to give to a few people.
The folks in Mississippi deserve an explanation for what I did.
I hope they’ll allow me to build them a new house.
If not, I guess I’ll need a good lawyer and a psychologist that will tell the world I wasn’t in my right mind. ”
“You tried to make things right, honey,” said Ruby. “You were just doin’ it in all the wrong ways. Maybe now you can truly get some rest.”
“I didn’t deserve your kindness and help, not after the way I treated all of you. I’m truly sorry for that, but I can honestly say I wasn’t in my right mind. I just wanted those damn voices to go away.”
“And have they?” asked Nine.
“So far, so good,” he smiled. “I’ll let you know if they return. For now, I’m going to shower, eat, sleep, and then take a little trip up north.”
The man stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. He pushed his children and wife behind, as if to protect them.
“You’re all kinds of crazy, ain’t you?” said Thompson.
“I suppose I am,” said Bennett. “But I’m trying really hard to make things right.
I know you don’t believe me, but I was haunted by our ancestor and others.
I just want to make things right for you and your family.
I’ve bought back your farm from the bank, and I’m willing to build you a new house, anything you like. ”
“Why? It was an electrical fire. They proved it.”
“My men may have sped that up,” frowned Bennett.
“As much as I’d like to blame you,” smirked Thompson, “it was faulty wiring. The investigators proved it.”
“Either way, will you let me help you? We are, after all, distant cousins,” he smiled.
Thompson’s wife smiled at him, giving a short nod. They’d been living in their camper until they could afford to rebuild. This would help them to build the home they always dreamed of.
“Alright. We accept as long as you promise to come and visit when it’s done,” he said, shaking his hand. Bennett laughed, nodding at him.
“On my word of honor, I’ll be back.”