Sympathetic Magick

A blade of light come tru da front window to carve an ol bent shape outta da dark—dis shape be Miss Pearl. All pale and ghosty her. Castin no shadow. Have a cane wid jewels pon it. Lookin like da Obeah stick of Auntie Lovely. But den Judeline see da markins up close: a dragon breathin fire, a demon wid big curly horns and a star wid five-points. Worser be da smell of dis ol house. Da peelin wallpaper stink like flesh rottin off some corpse. Black candle have melt all over da windowsill. Da skull of a unicorn hangin from da wall. And all around, so much book-dem—Occult Tarot, Spirit of da Underworld, Da Secret Doctrine. How can Judeline feel at home in such a wicked place as dis? Den dere be Miss Pearl she self, like all da ol white woman Judeline have cared fo she small and fragile. Gah stringy hair. No ass. Skinny lip dat move sometime when her not speakin. But in one uder way, her not so typical. Her two eye no match. One blue like da sky. One black as midnight, a deep hole to fall into.

"Leave me in peace," snap da ol woman.

"Be nice," say da son, who all fidgety in he wheelchair. "Remember, dis da last one."

"Dere were uders?" ask Judeline.

"Five." Miss Pearl seem proud of dis fact.

"What happen to dem?"

On she boney finger, Miss Pearl number da unhappy fates of da uder nurses. "Fired, quit, disappeared, some kind of nervous breakdown. Oh, and da overdose."

"Overdose?"

"Got into my medication, naughty gyal." Da ol woman laugh like a lid pryin off some rusty can.

Miss Pearl da reason she son in dis wheelchair. Him have told Judeline dis durin da taxi ride over, a warnin perhaps. Five year ago da "accident" occur. Miss Pearl be drivin she son to market. Her swervin all over da roadside. Da son cannot help but notice dis, so him say, maybe—just maybe—Miss Pearl gettin too ol to be drivin. When him say dis—oooo-weeee—Miss Pearl get so upset her start drivin crazier and faster dan before, cuttin off all dem uder drivers, flyin over da curb, near hittin so many little school children, till finally her crash straight into a brick wall. As if by some miracle, Miss Pearl walk away from dis crash. Not one scratch on she. Da poor son dough get both him legs cut off.

"Judeline in charge now," da son tell he willful muder. "What she say go."

When Miss Pearl hear dis, she wrinkle up bad. "We will see what go," she say, "and who."

Outside da cicada scream like drownin children.

Once da son gone, Judeline ask Miss Pearl if her want sometin to eat fo lunch. Miss Pearl say dat would be acceptable. Judeline make a cheese sandwich wid some apple slices. As her serve da food pon a plastic tray, Miss Pearl have a look of surprise. "What you doing?" she ask.

"I have made you lunch," say Judeline.

"Am I hungry?"

"You say to me you are."

"Den I must be."

After a time, Miss Pearl take da tray and start eatin, starin at da TV wid a blank screen.

Dough she memory bad, Miss Pearl smart in uder ways. "Da phone," her say, right before da ting start ringin. One time when Judeline do da washin up, her tinkin bout some party gyals from she youngish years, when from out da uder room, Miss Pearl shout, "Da party over, Judeline."

Like da son, da daughter of Miss Pearl have a bad handicap. Her blind. Judeline see dis when her come to visit one marnin. As Miss Pearl tellin a story bout some doltish folk who done her wrong, da daughter set she teacup down. Seein dis, da sneaky ol woman reach over and move da cup to one side, all quietish. When da daughter reach fo it again, her find it missin. Her feel around until she fingers dip into da cup of hot tea. Her gasp and flinch den, which twist the face of Miss Pearl into a fiendy grin. Seein dis, Judeline feel sick.

Judeline remember what da son say bout he sister, how tree year ago, she try to get Miss Pearl to visit a nursin home. Still da daughter arrange a tour of da Palm Village Retirement Community. When dey walkin up da front step, a crazy windstorm sweep in from outta nowhere. A branch fall from da top of a high tree and crash straight down pon dem. Once again Miss Pearl have no injury. But da branch hit da daughter face wid all da pointy twig dem and take away she sight fo good.

Never again would da daughter mention dis nursin home.

When da tea all gone, Judeline ask Miss Pearl how did she like dis visit? Da ol woman sniff and say, "Better dan a sharp stick in da eye."

Later still, as Miss Pearl fall asleep—or pretend to be—Judeline do da dustin. After a time, her start to straighten up da inside of a draw in a wood cabinet in da dinin room. Dis draw have a lotta picture dem. One catch the attention of Judeline most of all. Her pick it up and look it over. Dis a picture of da daughter of Miss Pearl. Right off, Judeline see sometin bad bout it—how da two eyes of da poor woman have been scratched out to show da white paper unda-neat. Lookin at dis evil ting, Judeline get a bad chill. Her hand start to tremble which make da picture shake.

She reach down and snatch up anuder picture, feelin such dread as da shufflin footsteps of da ol woman creep closer. Judeline struggle to breat, like some boney hand clutchin she troat as her stare at dis image of da son of Miss Pearl, lookin so young and happy in he tee-shirt and short pants. Da bottom of dis figure have been torn away, just below da knee.

"What you doing?" ask Miss Pearl. Her standin in da doorway.

"Dustin," she say.

"Den you will need dis." Miss Pearl snatch da duster from off da side table and trow it at Judeline, who struggle to catch da ting, sayin, "Tank you, ma'am."

Da whole next night Judeline cannot sleep. Instead, her fill some gris-gris pouch wid iron nails and graveyard dirt. All round da house her hide dem charms—near doorways, and da chimney and da stairs. Auntie Lovely be wid da Ancestors, but her still watchin over Judeline.

As Judeline hide a gris-gris pouch in da front room, da bookshelf give off a loud creak. Again, Miss Pearl appear, shoutin, "Tief!"

"No," say Judeline. "I just—"

"Voodoo," her accuse.

"Hoodoo," Judeline correct.

Den da jewel cane crash down and strike da hand of Judeline. Her drop da gris-gris pouch as pain shoot tru she knuckles. Blood from dis wound spray everywhere. Miss Pearl swing da cane some more. Wild and hard. Do much damage. Makin hole after hole in da wall.

All dis be causin much upset. But Judeline stay strong. Da five uder nurses be no match fo dis creature. Dem no have secret knowledge from Auntie Lovely to fight da worst kind of evil. But Judeline different. Her kick da cane from da hand of Miss Pearl and pin she to da floor.

"Police," say the old woman in a sad small voice, "help."

"Shhhh…" say Judeline.

"Intruder. Who are you?"

"I am your caregiver, Judeline."

Before da ol woman finish dis tought, it all come back—da reason Judeline holdin she so tight. Den her begin to tremble, a nightwalker woke from a deep slumber. Her weep and beg, "Forgive me."

"Of course," say Judeline.

Holdin da ol woman in she arms like a cryin baby, Judeline tink of she precious Valérin who would be near twenty now but fo da fever dat took her at eleven month, and all because Judeline had not swaddled she proper. Too selfish she had been in dem years. Too young to be a muder. Been atonin ever since, livin to care fo uder folk. Lookin at da peelin wallpaper, her sink into it, happy to disappear into da background once more, where she can do no furder harm.

After da fight Judeline wrap a bandage tight round she cut hand. Her cut a mop handle in half to make a walkin stick and crown it wid an empty gris-gris pouch to make a leder handle. Den her go to scrub da floor where she blood has fallen, only da blood gone.

Her rush to Miss Pearl to ask what has happen to dis blood and find she hunched over da night table in she bedroom squeezin an ol rag into a cup of tea. When Judeline see da red liquid drippin from dis rag, she freeze in place. Miss Pearl turn and smile wid she white-white denture. Calmly, her lift da teacup and sip from it. Den she dark eyes turn black as a tumor in da lungs of an ol smoker.

Judeline gasp. Touch she side and feel sometin hard in she pocket. Her reach in and pull out a bright blue juju stone. Seeing dis, Miss Pearl laugh till da matching blue juju stone hangin round she neck start to shake. Dis type of conjure meant to draw power from one body to anuder. Judeline rush to da kitchen and trow da stone into da rubbish bin, but it too late already. Miss Pearl have stolen the juju of Judeline.

Catastrophe. Devastation. Ruin. Still Judeline will not admit defeat. Keep up wid all her duties despite how frail she be, limpin so very bad now, while Miss Pearl growin stronger and stronger.

Till one afternoon, climbin da stair, Judeline misjudge da distance between da last step and da top floor. She trip and fall and tumble down da stairs. Den her look up and see Miss Pearl stand over she. Her expect da ol woman to laugh but stead of dis, she kneel next to Judeline and ask if she all right. Judeline say she fine but when she try standin up, she struggle and fall into da arms of da ol woman. Miss Pearl hold her fast, strokin she hair. "Don't worry Judeline," her whisper, "I am here fo you."

Miss Pearl grow quite sullen. She shoulder slump, and she one dark eye tear up. "Promise you will stay right here wid me, Judeline, because if you leave, my son and daughter will put me into a home, and I will suffer so."

"Suffer how?" ask Judeline.

"Fire," say Miss Pearl.

Her explain da premonition, a vision of a big tunderstorm wid lightnin bolts from da sky hittin da nursin home, so it go up in flame. "It will burn to da ground," she say, "wid all us poor ol souls trapped inside that hateful blaze."

"So, you won't leave me?"

"I would not dream of it."

"Bless you, dear."

Miss Pearl smile and hug Judeline so tight da heat of she body almost too much to bear.

Next day, da workman come. Him young. Him handsome. From Trinidad. Name of Tayden. Dis Tayden wear bright red headphones, humming to dey music as him work. While Tayden makin dese repairs, Judeline step out to do da shop. When she come back, Tayden nowhere to be seen. Her call out, "Tayden? Tayden? Hello?" Shufflin from above. Den Tayden appear atop da stairs, all startled. He give no answer. Put on he headphones, gader up him tools and run off tru da front door.

Judeline look back to da stairs again. Miss Pearl standin dere now. She bathrobe half-open. Pon she mean ol face, an evil grin.

Judeline worry more and more bout Miss Pearl. Da old woman no sick. Rader she too well. Gooder dan ever. Have stopped usin she cane. Dancin round da house like some young gyal. Poor Judeline cannot keep up. Each passin day, she seem to age so many year, till her grow quite hunched and frail. Soon, even standin upright become a struggle.

One marning Miss Pearl ask can Judeline help her in da shower. Once da shower set to da right temperature, Judeline undress Miss Pearl and wrap a leder harness round da waist of da ol woman. As her do dis, her discover da body of Miss Pearl be quite fit. As she wrap da uder end of da harness round she waist, dey come togeder, face-to-face.

Touching Miss Pearl belly, her notice a queer bulge. Den her feel sometin: a kick! But how can dis be? Dis da belly of a young woman tree months pregnant, maybe fo, maybe five. Judeline see it still growin.

"If it a gyal," say Miss Pearl, "I call her Judeline."

Da ol woman laugh like hurrication fixin to tear da house apart. "I promise I will give you da kind of ceremony you deserve."

What ceremony dis? tink Judeline.

Sacrifice? Dis cannot be. Dis ol woman trying to kill she, but no! Her will not allow it.

Judeline grab da harness wid both hand and send Miss Pearl sideways, makin she spin in da manner of da ring shout, anuder conjure Auntie Lovely teach. Da body of Miss Pearl move round Judeline. Like da sun round da earth, dey imitate da great cycle of nature. Birth, life, death, rebirth. Over and over. Round and round, dey spin.

Den come a loud rupture as she and Miss Pearl fly apart and crash into opposite sides of da shower. Da harness has broke. Sometin else has broken too. Stringy yellow goo circle da drain at deir feet. As Judeline start to faint, her hear da ol woman shriek in pain, den come an even louder sound—da cry of a newborn baby.

For five long years Judeline has been a ward of da Palm Village Retirement Community. Da whole time she been trapped in dis damn wheelchair. Da nurses all tink her ninety tree, rader dan she true age: tirty-nine.

One day in late July, Judeline be takin some sun in da rec room. To keep her safe, da staff have chained her wheelchair to a rail along da back wall. Her restrained in dis manner when a visitor come. At first, Judeline does not recognize dis lovely young woman who ask, "How dey treatin you, dear?"

Judeline squint. As her focus pon dis visitor, her see da one dark eye. Poppa Jesus God! Pon da soul of da Ancestors, she Miss Pearl!

Standin next to dis apparition be a five-year-old gyal wid kinky brown hair and skin like polished copper.

"Judeline meet Judeline," say da young woman.

"Good," say Judeline, pullin a homemade straw figure from underneath she seat-cushion. Her hand it to da gyal, who say, "It ugly."

Judeline nod and point to one dark eye. "It your mama." Dey share a laugh, den Judeline add, "Dis doll will protect you."

Da little gyal nod and stick da doll into da waistband of she dress.

Judeline have created dis totem an age ago, long before dis fateful afternoon. Many time she yank da head off, wishin to punish Miss Pearl. But sadly, da spell no work, fo her tormentor be lookin younger and fitter dan ever. Perhaps da best way to avenge a blood curse be wid da help of a blood relation. Perhaps dis little gyal da best person to activate da charm and make da long overdue vengeance fo Judeline.

"I just wanted to tank you fo all you done fo me and fo my little gyal." Her smile so bright den, da walls surroundin dem seem to catch fire. Judeline see da white-white dentures be gone, replace by real teeth.

Judeline shake harder still, as da chains strain to hold back the wild beast she has become. As da nurse leads lovely young Miss Pearl and she daughter outta da home, Judeline stay stuck dere, burnin wid a hatred dat scorch she to da bone.

One week later, Judeline overhear da head nurse speakin to a guard bout a certain news story. Dis story feature da young woman and da little gyal who had come to visit ol Judeline. It say how dey was drivin pon da highway late at night. Dey got a puncture in one tyre. Da young woman pulled da car over. Seekin to replace da tyre wid a spare, her opened da trunk and leaned inside but as her do dis, da trunk slammed close. A "freak accident" da paper called it. Da highway patrol discovered da headless body on da ground behind da car. Oddly, when dey looked inside da vehicle, dey found da young daughter of da woman sittin calmly in she car-seat, playin wid a straw doll wid no head.

Hearin dis news bring such joy to da heart of Judeline. From dere, it spread all over she body, shootin into she tired arms and legs to repower dem. Right off, her can sense da haze liftin from she mind.

A miracle da nurses call it. In two day's time, Judeline walkin again. In tree, her dancin tru da hallways, lookin much younger and fitter dan before. Widin two weeks, her ready to pack she bags and move out.

As her leavin da home fo good, her say to da nurses, "May good fortune smile pon you."

Her leave den and do not return fo anuder fifty year.