Granny never had rest when we werent there. There were always her friends coming and going to see her.
They are always telling me their troubles, she had explained to us, sometimes talking with someone is enough to feel better, to break the dikes of the dam we built to protect our ego. While they keep talking, I make a good tea, I knit, I think about what they are telling me and in the end I give them the little work I made. In that way, as if by magic, sadness disappears.
How can you do that? I asked curiously.
Ive told you, I just have to let them give vent to their feelings and always think about what Im doing. While I keep knitting and they keep talking, I imagine them at peace, light-hearted, so I can charge my work with a positive energy, instilling these nice thoughts into it. Its not difficult, but I need to concentrate a lot, so I use the violet so much, it helps me stay more focused.
I didnt understand much, neither did Sarah.
Granny, Ive heard someone saying that oaks should never be cut down. Is it true? I changed the subject.
Absolutely! Just like an hawthorn branch should never be torn, except for May Day.
But how can you do, if the oak gets ill?.
When an oak gets ill, thats a bad signhowever a part of the trunk must be kept there. Roots are as important as the outer part.
The cut down trunk can be turned into a nice little table.
Thats true, Sarah, an oak should never be completely eliminated, especially when its inside a private garden! The family would crumble.
Sunday evening always came too fast. When we heard the noise of our dads car on the gravel, we were caught by a mix of happiness in seeing our parents again and of melancholy. They usually took us to a nice family pub for dinner on our way home and it was nice to be with them, during those uncommon moments together, but we also knew that we were leaving behind us the magic of the cottage and of our granny.
Luckily our week went by very fast between school and the various volley ball and dance clubs, we came home tired in the evening, mum gave us dinner, she spent some time with us and then we went to bed.
II. Passages towards other realities
The following weekend was mainly rainy and cold.
Thats not bad, our granny told us. She always saw the positive side in every situation.
The new seeds need also rain and I have a lot of work to do. Old Mal invited me to take part in our May Fayre at Higginson Park, Ill have my own stall! Im going to sell mainly knitting and some herbal oils I produce by myself.
Old Mal was a dear family friend.
Thats great, granny! Can we help you sell?, my sister exclaimed enthusiastically.
Of course, Sarah.
Alisons mother used to have a stall too, when they lived in London, in Camden Town, she went on in her dreamy way.
Thats really a very large market!, our granny claimed, brushing poor Kiki.
They sold stones, amulets, incenseyou know, those little sticks which are sweet-smelling if you light them. But she said it has become too commercial now and she doesnt like it anymore. What does commercial mean?
It means that most of the goods are alike, they arent original, they just follow trends. London is a tourist city, people goes to Camden expecting they can find some particular goods. There are various trends: punk, rock, gothic and hippie, but, as she said, they have turned into a commercial style, to avoid disappointing expectations and to be sure theyll sell. Unfortunately, everywhere is like thatexcepting Chalice Wells gardens and the Tor, of course.
Our grannys family came from there, she always took a dreamy mood when she was talking about her village. We had never been there, mum said it was a den for crazy people and granny always scolded her because she didnt understand the magic of that place.
Is old Mal your fiancé?, Sarah asked her impudently.
We had always suspected it, but we had never had the courage to ask her.
Absolutely not! Hes just a dear friend, we keep company to each other. Weve known each other for ages.
Granny had told us again and again that she still missed our grandpa; he had died ten years before. A heart attack, he had passed away from morning to evening, without any notice. Our mum was just eighteen, she had never got over the shock.
We liked old Mal, as she called him. He was tall, with greying hair and a smile which always made you feel well, he could have been the perfect fiancé for granny. He was kind, smiling and he always took strawberry candies for us. He was fond of horses, he had two, Smelly e Shelly, and he was ready to saddle them and take us for a tour whenever we wanted to. I always insisted on not riding Smelly. He was famous in Marlow because he organized the yearly May Fayre with stalls, merry-go-rounds and gastronomic stands. If it wasnt for him, the fair might not be so nice; at least that was what granny kept saying.
While you are knitting, can we watch Harry Potter?, I asked as I turned on the TV.
Thats ok. Im really curious, everyone is talking about that young wizard.
Great! Dad bought us the first boxed set, we could watch the first one today and the second one tomorrow, I suggested.
Well seeyou know, I dont like letting you stay before the TV set for too long.
We crouched down on the sofa for the whole length of the film, spellbound by the story. We knew it by heart, but there was some new detail to be discovered every time. It was absolutely our favourite movie. Granny never stopped knitting, she only got up to make tea. I couldnt understand if she was either following the story or thinking about something else.
So, did you like it?, I asked as soon as the film ended; I was curious to know her point of view.
If I liked it? Its great, girls! The author deserves all the success she is having. Absolutely gifted, a fancy worth of a great mind. Granny was really enthusiastic.
And you still havent watched the second one!.
I especially liked a detail, she went on, The idea of platform 9 and ¾: creating a passage to get into a different realityneither the usual doors in tree trunks like in Nightmare, nor the holes in the ground like in Alice in Wonderland. Do you remember, little girls, when Alice is following the White Rabbit? She falls into a hole and, after a nice flight headlong, she finds herself before a door.
We had watched that cartoon hundreds of times.
Another clever idea is the transformation of Professor McGranit into a catreally nice. I liked it. But children, thats not magic, remember that. Thats fancy. Waving a magic wand and saying a formula quickly isnt enough. Magic is something more: it starts from our work on ourselves to understand what we want to change and why. And above all, it doesnt hurt anybody. Never! It sends away, but doesnt hurt. Life, God, Mother Nature, Karma or what you call it will punish the ones who behave badly. Remember that: tit for tat.
You also taught us: dont hurt, dont be afraid, I went on.
Exactly.
Someone rang the door at that moment. Who could it be? Tea time had passed and it was raining hard outside.
You also taught us: dont hurt, dont be afraid, I went on.
Exactly.
Someone rang the door at that moment. Who could it be? Tea time had passed and it was raining hard outside.
Granny ran to open it.
Oh, Mal! Come in, whats happening?
Pizza! Pizza for the most beautiful women in the county! Someone should feed you
Old fox; come in, its a pleasure to have you here. She immediately took his umbrella and laid the pizzas on the table.
Where are the two little monkeys? Here they are, they are getting more and more beautiful! Miss Sarah, Miss Anne, how are you?
After a long bow, he took two strawberry candies out of his sleeve. I cant remember seeing him without them, even once. The sweets after the pizzas, girls. Now wash your hands and lay the table.
Youre so demanding with them, Susan.
Rules, Mal. Rules.
Yes, Madam! I see that the production for the stall has taken off: theres violet wool everywhere. Dont overdo it, Susan.
Mal was looking around himself bewildered: when our granny did something, she always put her best care in it. I dont want to cut a poor figure, it a honour for me to join it. Who is going to get the proceeds this year?, she asked him, handing him the glasses and the cutlery to lay the table.
The proceeds will be partly used to build a town gym and partly for research on multiple sclerosis.
Excellent Mal, as usual.
We spent a pleasant evening, between pizza with cheese and frankfurter, a Scrubble match and the old mans jokes. He didnt go away late, however we were already exhausted.
Granny
Yes Anne, tell me.
I was in my bed, but before she turned off the light, I had to tell her something: When I come here, it seems to me Im getting into another reality.
What do you mean, my child?, she asked me, sitting down at the foot of the bed.
Here at yours, I feel like Harry, when he goes through the wall at Kings Cross Station.
It was something difficult to admit for me, my part involved not believing in those things.
It might be like thatmaybe it s the old oak out there, next to the gate
My granny was smiling satisfied. Her big green eyes were shining and the light of the abat-jour made her red hair still brighter. She looked incredibly like Molly Weasley, Rons mum in Harry Potter.
Why the oak? I didnt understand what the oak had to do with it.
You should know that oak is Duir in Gaelic, which is where door comes from. And whats a door? An opening between two worlds, a passage. The ancient oak can open a passage for you, towards something nice. Im happy, Anne, that youve told me. You are two special kids and I have the duty of teaching and passing all my knowledge to you, as time passes by.
She leaned and kissed me on my forehead.
Will you teach us to make the best chocolate cake in England?
Not just that Sarah, not just that. Now you just have to enjoy your age. Childhood is a special time, you must play and stir your fancy. Good night my little girls, shall the Goddess bless you now and forever..
Granny always talked like that before we fell asleep, Ive sometimes heard my mum saying it too. I knew other children told Mary or Jesus their prayers, Alison and her mother lit a candle before Buddahs statuette, Ayshas family celebrated Ramadan instead
Granny kept saying: The important thing is to feel at ease with a deity, we can call and fancy it just as we wish to. She called it Goddess Mother, or sometimes Brigid or EcateI had sometimes heard her name also a Pan, which was in my mind Peter Pan.
III. Days, colours and the wheel of the year
Three years went by. We were finishing primary school and we were already eleven years old.
Sarah had discovered pink nail polish, I, instead, hid myself into large black hoodies whenever I could. I had insisted upon having a school uniform one size larger than mine.
In these years we have witnessed Alisons mums illness close, she fought hard against breast cancer; it seems she managed at last.
Sarah was shocked when she saw her without hair for the first time, she cried all night long. Mum explained to her that some treatments were really strong, but absolutely necessary.
Thats not fair, her hair were so beautiful!, she said between sobs.
I know, darling, but they will grow again, dont worry, she comforted her.
We should pass our positive energy to her, granny claimed when we told her what was happening. Following the doctors instructions is right, but she needs something more.
It was a cold Saturday afternoon at the end of October, the autumn colours in the garden were wonderful. The fireplace was lit and I could already breathe the typical Halloween atmosphere.
I wish to explain something to you, girls, our granny began while she was putting into the oven her traditional apple cake, Im going to talk to you about the power of colourful candles and of the days of the week. Its really simple. We are going to lit some candles for Stella, she needs them. Thats how Alisons mother was called.
She always keeps some stones next to herself, I added, thinking that was a fundamental detail in order to understand a person better.
Im going to explain that as well, one thing at a time, Anne! You called them colourful stones some years ago and I promised I would talk about their powers; you know I always keep my promises! All in due time.
I still believe they are just colourful stones! And it looks absurd to me that some candles lit on certain days could help someone ill. Days are all alike!, I burst out as usual.
Thats not truelets say that most of the energy, if not all of it, is strictly connected to moon cycles: waxing Moon and waning Moon. During the waxing phase, we have a growth: our nails and hair grow faster, we have a tendency to put on weight or to swell, so we should work on a growth energy; on the contrary, the wining phase moves away. You know, Anne, in the past people lived in close touch with Nature, they respected it and learnt from it. Every time in a month or in a years has got a different energy, we should understand when we can take advantage of it. Colours send powerful spurs to our brain, granny went on, Ive always told you that violet helps me relax and concentrate. Colour therapy is a serious science Not all the things she said appeared clear to me, she sometimes spoke about things I couldnt understand, but I would keep everything she taught me as a treasure, as time passed by.
In this particular situation, she went on, I want to help Stella to increase her physical strength and to detoxify from the remedies she had to take, poor woman. So Ill have to work both on a growth energy and on a moving away one; Ill try hard during the whole twenty-eight-days moon cycle. Have you understood, girls?
I have, granny, Sarah nodded. She liked listening to those things, they had always charmed her.
Go on, from my personal view, I felt attracted and reluctant at the same time. The influence of the Moon on human life was undisputed.
Why are you doing it, granny? You dont even know her, my sister said while she was making Kiki play with a small ball.
It doesnt matter if I dont know that woman, Sarah, I know shes feeling bad and I want to help her with the tools I have at my disposal.