" Bonjour ma chere. Ne juge pas jeuness I like my leaves mulled, infused with whisky, you know, helps me find my way in le dark. Maman de le bois is my name, or 'de boire' quand vous preferez!" She chuckled. "Why do you look perplexed? I am friend of wood nymphs, ghouls and fireflies. I commune avec les animaux de bois et des compagne. Should you fear me Evangeline? Le darkness? Non. Your zebedee imaginings are la raison pour votre unease. You are looking for your Prince Charming non? Cherche ma cherie, cherche all of your life and all lanes will lead you here. I know where your frog Prince can be found. Come forward my angel, bring me your gold, your charms. Place your pieces of eight in my China crucible and I will wash you in flames, make your mind spin in dark spaces, remake your memories of days known and unknown. You will dance on firefly wings in glowing moonlight, swim across space and hours waving your limbs like a bug in a web. And yes, you will find him, your Navine. And where will your sardonic brow be ce jour la? Nowhere. You will believe, and you will give me praise.
Evangeline
I used to be so brave. What happened to that bravado, did it evaporate with childhood? I wouldn't boo a goose in these dark times. Maman de le Bois offered me salvation, an escape from the doubt and darkness of cupboards whispering secrets. She called me angel, but I was no angel, I knew that. But sure as night followed the gloaming all maidens deserve happiness in the end don't we? So here I stood in front of this wizened goddess of the woods willing to follow her instruction.
I looked at the strange shaped coin receptacle Maman de le Bois held out to me. It was a tea cup and tea pot melded together, neither one thing nor the other and wondered what strange curse was upon it. I placed a golden feather charm into the china and Maman de le Bois gave me a blessing.
"The peace of the Lord be with us all child. The kindness shown here has been noted in the annals of the world. Let me bathe in the fire of voices and a vision will come." I drank the mulled potion she offered me and let thoughts gallop,loose-reined through wild spaces until I found a vision swimming in its place. It swam over the swamp water dressed in the glow of fireflies, a smell of damp and spice muddling the image. There was no straight answer, no one clear vision but a stream of suggestion; a house with roses round the door, me on my horse with a quart of beer, sleeping under the trees, nectar dripping from them like rain; sprites and fairies tugging at my hair, mermaids splashing among the stars dancing with dashing white Sergeants. I woke on a woven willow bed thatched with swan's feathers and was perplexed.
"Did you see the path Evangeline?"
"I saw something, but I don't what to think, where to start."
"Following one foot in front of another is a good beginning."
"But how will I find the house?"
"It will come forth as it did in the dream." I looked at Mamon de le Bois confused.
"But for that I would need the potion. How else can I summon it?"
"Fear not doubting angel I will be there forever now in the space between les oreilles."
The Seer
"It was a spiced Janvier when ma petite jeuness came to me, seeking her prince, her 'happy ever after'. Yes, she was a hungry centipede, a heart that can never be satisfied. I did for her what any seer is want to do: I took her payment and faced the fire, bathed in the heat of understanding so that she, through me, saw into the unknown to search for her happy ending. It is never enough though for these jeune femme, they want too much. Ha. I used to eat hedgehogs and stinging spinach when I was that age. I used to drink whisky from the spout of a teapot covered in roses and berries. Now I am fortunes mistress, invited out once a year to the office party to have my way with Adam. The poor dear never deserved to be ignored you know, he was quite 'charmant'. No. It is work work work for me, something for every stranger that crosses my path, never is it my time to shine. Who makes my wishes come true? She was satisfied though, ma petite jeuness, after her mix of visions. She may go on now and find peace, convinced she will find her Navine. Maybe I too may find peace in the end.
Notes
This story was written during a writing group. Each section was written in about 10-15minutes and we were tasked with include particular words and feed back from other writers in the group. We also had a letter chosen at random that we were not allowed to use, one for each of the three sections. So, just out of interest, did you notice anything unusual?
Oh, and to all native French speaker, my profound apologies for spelling and grammatical errors, I do not have the priviledge to be fluent in your beautiful language.
Feedback appreciated as always.
No comments:
Post a Comment