Chapter Seven
Victor and Leo walk through the streets of S?o Paulo.
Leo points out some points of interest from growing up in the city.
They walked by some boarded-up stores where Leo used to get candy as a child and a restaurant that had once been an arcade where he would hang out with his friends after school.
They stop in front of the Museu de Arte de S?o Paulo Assis Chateaubriand.
“He finally broke the silence when he made fun of an art piece we were looking at. I started to giggle. Then I pointed out how funny a painting looked, which made him laugh. We ended up enjoying each other’s company.
We got in trouble with our teacher when she overheard us making fun of a piece resembling a penis.
“Eight months later, he brought me back here, just the two of us. It’s when I discovered his love for art. He gave me a private tour, discussing his favorite pieces on display. It was quite charming watching his eyes light up when we arrived at his favorite painting.”
Leo turns around and nods for Victor to follow him across the street.
They walked past some street vendors and into a park.
“We came to this park after the museum and sat on that bench for lunch,” Leo says, pointing to a bench in the shade of a lush tree.
“He got a couple of bags of p?o de queijo from a street vendor that used to be on that corner.
This park was also where we had our first kiss.
He told me how it took him so long to get the courage to ask me out because we always had other friends whenever we hung out.
“We started dating secretly, since no one knew we were gay. After we finished school a year later, he wanted to join the U.S. military because he wanted to leave Brazil and move to the U.S. He knew joining the military would help with his immigration. I decided to stay for a few more years and go to university.”
Leo stops in front of the bench and looks down as he continues, “We kept in touch for almost a year while he was on tour in Southeast Asia, and then I couldn’t reach him.
I thought the worst, but I kept telling myself everything was okay.
It had been almost three months since his last letter arrived when I received a letter from one of his military friends.
“His friend told me that my boyfriend’s platoon had been attacked. They lost several soldiers, including him. I cried for days, but my family and friends didn’t know I was in a gay relationship. It was hard for me to talk about him because he was my first gay lover.
“A little over a year passed, and I started dating someone from my university. We were together for almost two years. He was too afraid to come out, but I wasn’t anymore. I was going to tell my parents I was gay, but he didn’t want them to know we were dating. So, he broke up with me.”
Victor and Leo take a seat on the bench when Leo had his first kiss. “Why did you choose to share this with me?” Victor asks.
Leo looks down at the bench as he moves his hand across the smooth, but still rough surface.
“Because I can tell that you are still in pain. And I wanted to share with you some of the pain I’ve had in my life.
” He looks up at Victor and says, “Sometimes, the pain is what helps us move forward. We shouldn’t fear it.
We should embrace it. It’s what makes us stronger and helps us learn and grow.
It’s only harmful if you don’t learn from it and let it repeat itself. ”
Victor looks off into the park in deep thought.
Many people are enjoying their day. Kids are running around in the play area.
Couples are holding hands, and elderly couples are sitting together, feeding the birds.
Victor places a hand down on the bench to lean on it.
He doesn’t realize he brushed his hand against Leo’s.
Victor gets startled and jerks his hand back.
He looks up and makes eye contact with Leo, but they say nothing.
After a moment, Leo finally breaks the silence, “So, what did you think of Madame Jeanette?”
Victor is caught off guard by Leo’s question. “You two know each other?”
“We do,” Leo nods. “Also, I want to apologize if I scared you the other day in your hotel room.”
Victor’s eyes widened. The realization of everything that happened since his birthday was not a dream.
Everything he saw, smelled, and felt was real.
“So, I wasn’t seeing things? You guys were looking at me.
” He is shocked by his subsequent realization.
“I was naked! You and that Japanese woman both saw me naked!”
Leo couldn’t hide his laughter. “That’s right, Chiyo visited you too. Our apologies. We didn’t mean to startle you or see you naked. It was just a coincidence that it happened.”
Victor crosses his arms, clearly upset. “You could have just introduced yourselves and not remained silent. At least made sure I was dressed before you appeared.”
Leo smiles, “You know you’re cute when you’re angry. Also, we were technically looking at you through the mirror. So, we didn’t know whether or not you’d be clothed. Also, you have no idea how tricky it was to make sure I placed a rune in the right room.”
“Wait,” Victor pauses, “you walked into the elevator when I was heading to my room, and I could have sworn you were standing beside me in the airport restroom. Why didn’t you say anything to me then?”
Leo straightens up and smooths out his shirt.
“I was asked not to engage with you, only observe. Jeanette wanted to have a look at you first. She knew you would visit her while in New Orleans.” Leo crosses his legs and leans back on his hand.
“After your second encounter with her, she and a few others determined I should officially introduce myself to you.”
Victor begins to calm down, but keeps his arms crossed as though he is guarding himself. He looks into the distance and asks, “So, what is going on? Why am I being looked upon, and why did you have to wait to introduce yourself?”
“How much do you know about your grandmother?” Leo probes.
Victor looks back at Leo with a raised eyebrow, “Why are you answering my question with a question?”
“Why don’t you answer mine first so I can give you the proper answer to yours?” Leo winks, giving Victor a sly smirk.
Victor lets out a deep, aggressive breath through his nose. “Fine,” he says pointedly. “I don’t remember much about her. She loved her little family and wanted to ensure we embraced our traditions.”
“What about her tarot cards?” Leo pries.
Victor gives Leo a look of confusion and uncertainty. “Her tarot cards? She never had tarot cards. My mother did.”
“But were those her cards?” Leo implies.
Victor looks down and ponders his answer. “My mom wanted to learn about Tarot. I remember one day when I was younger, she had them laid out on the kitchen table. She was reading a book about each of the cards. But I didn’t think anything of it.”
Victor starts to recall a memory. “A cousin on my dad’s side mentioned that my grandma used to read tarot. She knew my grandma more than me.”
Leo takes a slow and deep breath as he prepares to answer Victor’s questions. “What I’m about to tell you will come as a shock. You will likely experience a mix of emotions, including confusion and anger. But I want you to take what I say and process it.”
Victor looks over at Leo, and after a moment, he nods.
Leo inhales deeply, “Your grandmother was a powerful witch. She was a lot older than you remember. She was well known among others of our kind.”
“Our kind?” Victor inquires.
“Witches. Warlocks. Sorcerers. Wizards. Magicians. Whatever you want to call us,” Leo explains.
“She was excellent at reading tarot cards and was an empath. She was very proficient in other forms of the magical arts. Sadly, your grandmother died before she could get an opportunity to pass down her teachings to your mother.”
Victor doesn’t know how to process what he’s just been told. “Did you know my grandma or mom?”
Leo shakes his head, “No, I never met either of them. But I’ve heard about them in passing conversations. I think Jeanette and Akisha met your mother before she disappeared. Your grandmother’s death was a tragedy and a mystery.”
Leo uncrosses his legs and smooths out his shorts. “As you know, she died from cancer, but most of us think it was a cover for what actually happened. There is also speculation about what happened to your mother. But we don’t have any clear evidence to make a proper determination.”
Victor stands up and wraps his arms around himself. “I need to go for a walk. It’s a lot to process right now.”
“Would you like me to join you?” Leo asks as he stands. Victor nods, and they make their way down a trail in the park. They remain in silence for a while.
Victor finally speaks, “So why am I being told about all this after all this time? Why wasn’t I told when I was younger?”
Leo shrugs and places his hands in his pockets.
“Well, you’ve been off the radar until recently.
We thought when your grandmother died, so did her teachings.
You didn’t come to our attention until about two years ago.
We didn’t even know about you.” Leo pauses for a moment, “Well, Madame Jeanette knew.”
“What do you mean?” Victor inquires.
Leo looks forward down the path. “Well, your mother met Jeanette before you were born. But she doesn’t remember the conversation because your mother put a memory spell on her.”
“Then what did I do to draw your attention?” Victor asks.
“It was a tarot card reading you did on someone who was a warlock. He was impressed by your reading and mentioned it to Jeanette,” Leo replies.
Victor cocks an eyebrow and looks at Leo from the corner of his eye. “I only read tarot cards at parties. I’ve never read them professionally.”
“It was good enough,” Leo responds. “Jeanette wanted to know more about you. When we did some more digging, we realized who you really were—the grandson of Maria Russo. We needed to make every effort to bring you to us, so it wouldn’t seem like we were coming to you.
Akisha explained that we never looked for you because your mother decided to fall off the map. ”
Victor stops and turns to look at Leo. “So, was my trip to New Orleans planned?”
Leo looks at Victor and smiles. “It was a happy coincidence. But also, Jeanette has the ability of premonitions. She also teaches the formal practices of necromancy.”
Victor stops in his tracks. “Necromancy?”
Leo gives Victor an assured look, “Don’t worry, it’s not what you think.”
“That would explain why when she had me do her reading, both “Death” and “The Devil” appeared right away,” Victor proclaims.
Leo tilts his head, pondering, “You’re not wrong. But unlike other necromancers, she ensures that her powers are used appropriately. She hates it when it’s used as Dark Magic. Well, it is Dark Magic, but she teaches it as though it’s not.”
“So why are you telling me all of this?” Victor questions.
Leo turns to face Victor, “I’m kind of like a mentor. I was picked to help you along your way.”
“What if I choose not to?” Victor queries.
“Then I guess we will let you be. But you might change your mind after you discover that untapped energy inside you.” Leo gently tilts his head to the side, gazing deeply into Victor’s eyes.
“You seem to be taking this pretty well. Most people we find who discover they have magic as adults experience mixed emotions, become scared due to their religious background, or are overly excited. But you seem very calm about everything I told you.”
Victor pauses for a moment, then licks his lips before he responds.
“I guess subconsciously, I’ve always known there was something different about me.
Like, how could I read someone’s tarot and understand it without being taught?
Also, my mom did have some lovely necklaces that I now realize could mean something. ”
Victor looks down at his watch. “I need to head back to the hotel and get some sleep. I have to fly back out tonight. I hate these short layovers.” He pauses for a moment before he continues. “How much time can I think all of this over?”
Leo puts his hands on Victor’s shoulders. “Take all the time you need. But I would appreciate it if you don’t take too long.” He takes a maroon business card with silver writing out of his pocket. “When you’re ready, call this number. And this time, someone will answer.”
Victor takes the card from Leo, and then they walk back to the hotel in silence.