25. Primrose Passage #2
“Shake a leg, you lot!” Granny admonished. “I have some shopping to do. I want to get to the market before the best crystals are gone. It’s moonstone season.” She darted ahead and ducked nimbly behind the billboard, Will trailing in her wake.
They emerged into a niche at the center of a lush green park. Weathered wooden benches flanked the path on either side of the bricked-in arch they’d just passed through. Thousands of carved signatures covered the seats. The effect was artistic. More like a tattoo than a tag.
As they made their way out of the park, Maida thought Primrose Court reminded her of many other older urban neighborhoods arranged around parks, but there were subtle differences.
Although they were definitely still in Boston, and in an urban area, it was remarkably quiet here.
The constant background sounds of cars, trucks, planes, people, and humming machines had fallen away.
She heard birdsong and the sound of the breeze.
“Is this the right way?” she asked, staring at the path to the right of where she was standing. Her locket grew warm and buzzed even before the other members of her party could answer in the affirmative.
Peering through a screen of foliage, she caught sight of the expansive, sunlit street just outside the park’s gate.
As she grew closer, she could see a row of shopfronts, all on the ground floor of row houses.
But this wasn’t where she was headed. She was being pulled, as if by magnets or an invisible tether, towards a larger fenced-in lot on the corner. The property stood empty.
She needed to get closer.
In almost no time at all, they were all standing in front of the houseless lot surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. The front gate stood propped open.
Beautiful trees shaded the yard—maples beginning to flame and horse-chestnuts whose leaves had aged to burnished shades of brown.
Maida breathed deeply. The fresh air smelled of fallen leaves, old roses, wood smoke, and coffee.
It swirled in Maida’s nostrils, evoking a feeling of nostalgia, though she wasn’t even sure what she was feeling nostalgic for.
Slowly, she spun in a circle, staring up at the canopy of leaves above.
She was certain she could hear the old trees whispering to her.
Were they welcoming her? Or was that just her imagination?
“My goodness me!” Dr. Dvita exclaimed as they stood in the dappled shade of the yard. “How large the lot looks without the house on it, and how narrow the street has grown! Even the trees aren’t as tall as they should be.”
The trees looked enormous to Maida. Elms, she thought.
A rare sight because a blight destroyed most of the other trees in the city decades ago.
A lovely hedge of rosemary planted along the perimeter of the property was another welcome sight.
Until she noticed a singed section. She pointed at the small garden shed.
The grass in front of it was black and charred. “What happened there?”
“I think that’s the question everyone wants answered.” Arthur sighed. “Do you want to go in?” His hand was resting on the gate, which Maida only saw now was ‘decorated’ with a “No trespassing” sign and purple police tape. The locket shuddered, which made her hesitate.
Dr. Dvita came to her rescue, patting her hand and redirecting her attention to the house across the street. He pointed proudly at the ivy covered mansion on the corner opposite.
“See that gray stone house there, Maida? That is where I grew up. We lived in the third story apartment. The old swing used to hang from that tree.”
Maida pointed up to the eaves of the old home.
“So that’s the garret window where the squirrels used to come in for book club meetings?
” she exclaimed. Her eyes brightened as she recognized the legendary structure.
She remembered the ridiculous sounding tales about his childhood that the doctor used to tell her.
“The same!” Dr. Dvita shimmied as he laughed. “You forget nothing!”
“How could I forget a family of literate squirrels?” Maida felt her lips curling into a smile. She’d always assumed the doctor was telling her tall tales, of course. But just then, a big-toothed, bushy tailed rodent wearing a waistcoat dashed across the roofline and under the eaves.
Maida gasped. “The squirrels are real?”
“Of course. I’m quite creative, but I didn’t make them up.
” Dr. Dvita blinked. He squinted at the house and frowned as his eyes pored over the property, taking in all the details.
She could see him weighing and measuring the differences in his mind.
“My family were boarders, mind you. We didn’t own the house. ”
“That’s quite enough reminiscing,” Granny Luna scolded. “Let’s leave these kids to their business, Tarquin. We’ll be heading off to the market, now.” Granny Luna linked her arm with the doctor’s. “Shall we meet you back here in an hour or so?”
“Don’t buy anything I wouldn’t buy,” Will called after them. “But do buy me some of the pickled lemons?”
When Granny and the doctor were out of earshot Will spoke again. “I do think Granny may have a shopping problem.”
Arthur glanced at his watch. “The apothecary should be open any moment now. It’s just down the street this way.”
Out of habit Maida stopped at the curb, looking both ways for cars. But there were none.
“They don’t allow cars here.” Arthur put a hand on her arm and stepped into the street with her. “But you do have to look out for the K-bikes.”
“K-bikes?” Maida asked.
“It’s the modern version of a broomstick,” Will supplied.
“Kinetic bikes. Environmentally friendly. They resemble Ordinary bikes, so they can be used almost anywhere without drawing too much attention. As long as the riders stay on the ground,” Arthur explained.
As if on cue, a dark-haired, teenage girl in a scarlet sweater and a matching hand knit hat came flying at top speed around the corner.
Her black hair was streaming out behind her and her cheeks were pink.
She seemed to be in a hurry. Without even casting a glance back at them, she swung her leg over the bar and dismounted while the bike was still rolling.
The bike came to a halt as soon as her feet hit the ground.
She plucked a small purse out of the basket before ducking into one of the stores down the street.
The sign on the sandwich board in front of the shop read Galaxy Pets.
Maida watched with interest as the bike parked itself in a rack in front of the shop.
Arthur dropped Maida’s hand. His eyes narrowed, and he frowned, looking from Maida to the shop and back to her, as if he was torn about which way he wanted to go.
“Pretty girl,” Maida commented.
“That was my daughter, Rosie,” Arthur grumbled.
“And she absolutely should have been watching where she was going. And wearing a helmet.” He had a pained look on his face as he turned back to the shops.
“Do you mind if we head over to the apothecary to see Lucretia now?” He eyed the two shops.
“I think I probably should pop next door and speak with Rosie about her driving afterward.”