Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes

I dedicate this story to everyone who believes in Magic, and the power of Love.

Acknowledgments

I would like to take a moment to thank my angels (both seen and unseen) and the good Lord above. They remind me often to follow my heart.

Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse were humans with the voices of angels. When each passed away, my heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces. Who would take their places in the music world? What would happen to the songs they were meant to sing that we hadn’t heard yet? They’re gone, but not entirely forgotten, at least not yet. After hearing about their deaths (and the deaths of countless other talented folk, including Robin Williams and Prince, to name a few) it was imperative for me to publish my novel. If I died suddenly, who would enjoy my stories? Would anyone ever meet Grandmother Zenobia and my vivid cast of characters?

If you, dear reader, died tomorrow, would there be anything you could leave us, or would your talent, your passion, fade away with you? I encourage you to do whatever it is that makes your heart sing.

Along my writing journey, I have discovered that goals and wishes do come true, with lots of hard, but enjoyable, work. Without the valuable help and input from Paul Gaston, Jeovantay Jones, Corey Garrett, Ricardo Torres, Johann Jansen Van Vuren, Marlene Dinetz, Tori Hubbard, and Matthew Wilson, along with a few friends who prefer to be anonymous, as well as my beloved best sister in the world, Victoria, the story would not be nearly as interesting as it is today.

I appreciate all the help and guidance from the people at BookFuel. Without them, the story would just be a tale told only in person, every so often, and it would fade as time grows.

In a way, this story is also a love letter to the city of New Orleans. I love all of her mystery, her drama, her history, and her amazing food. For better or for worse, she is my home away from home.

Lastly, I want to thank my mom and dad, whom I adore. When we were a lot younger, my dad gave my sister and me the same advice that one of his elementary-school teachers gave him when he was just a little boy. Hook your wagon to a star and you will always go very far.  I have heard other people say that too, but it means the most to me coming from my Papasan. Speaking of my parents, they have loved each other since they played together as young children. To this day, their love is stronger than ever, no matter what comes their way. It is that kind of amazing passion and commitment from one soul to another that inspired me to write Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes.

Lastly, if ever you are in a situation where you have to choose between love and something else, I vote that you always choose love. Not everyone finds it, and not everyone gets to keep it.

Part One: Gypsy Kisses

Chapter 1/Pralines

August 17, 1889

Dear Zenobia Jalio,

Thank you for your continued generosity and donations to the St. Augustus Church. My wife thanks you again for your jambalaya recipe. She hopes everyone will enjoy her version as much as yours at the summer potluck next week. Don’t feel obligated to bring a dish, as she will be making plenty of jambalaya for everyone.

It has been brought to my attention that you are still giving Tarot readings and special treatments to members of the church at your home. These practices are works of Satan! I demand you stop practicing your Voodoo ways immediately. As it is written in the Old Testament, Do not practice divination or sorcery Lev. 19:26.

Provided that you can follow the ways of the Lord, and not Satan, you and your monetary generosity will always be welcomed at St. Augustus. Otherwise, I will be forced to ban you and your family from the church.

By his grace,

Reverend Eugene Milton

Why did you bring that horrible letter with you? Will asked as he snuck a peek at Grandmother Zenobia. He watched her shove the wrinkled letter into her pocket. I don’t understand why you’ve carried it around with you for almost a week. It just makes you mad.

The nerve of that man! Grandmother snarled as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. How dare he quote a Bible verse at me! Somehow, he managed to overlook ‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law.’

As Will guided their horse-driven carriage down a dusty road, Grandmother fussed. Her head pounded. She was cranky that she’d had to scold Will all morning about his chores. For once she wanted him to do less, but he kept trying to do more. The horses needed to be brushed but he insisted they needed a full grooming, including changing their shoes. Eggs needed to be collected from the hen house but Will complained the entire chicken coop needed to be cleaned. Grandmother wanted the front porch swept but Will said he’d need time to sweep the entire wooden perimeter of the house.

Grandmother questioned why she even chose to leave the house. The Louisiana sunshine was too bright, even though she was shielded by the large brim of her favorite pink Sunday hat. She had been cross all week about that asinine letter, and now her headache added fuel to her anger.

Grandmother, are you making that up? Will asked carefully.

Clearly she was agitated. The carriage’s haphazard bouncing on the dirt road didn’t help much either.

Honey, it’s right there in the Good Book. Leviticus 18:15.

Seems to me you know the Good Book better than Reverend Milton, Will snapped back.

Grandmother was about to scold Will for his flippant attitude when she noticed his small smile. Lately he seemed to be more outspoken, which she didn’t care for. It was, however, an unexpected treat to see his dimples in his soft chocolate-colored skin.

You might be right, Will. I do have a way with Bible verses.

You have a way with many things, Grandmother, Will chuckled.

Grandmother answered his chuckle with a shrug of her shoulders. Then she chuckled too.

Grandmother, are you actually laughing?

Will, it’s rare that you ever joke about anything. Hearing you laugh makes me happy.

The buggy shifted as they bounced along the dirt road. Grandmother looked over at her grandson as he focused his attention back to the two Cleveland bay horses and the rugged path the carriage rode on. He went back to his usual quiet, serious self. As a teenage boy, Will had the demeanor of an adult. To the best of her knowledge, and she took pride in what she knew, not once had Will experimented with alcohol or sex. He hardly ever rebelled against her. They would have lively discussions, but they never really fought. The young man was reserved and insightful. She often wondered if he was ever happy.

The throbbing headache she’d woken up to faded slightly. Grandmother had noticed, when they first left home, that Will was about as uncomfortable as she was. She assumed it was due to the overstuffed, hard seat of the carriage (which she wanted to scold him for because he hadn’t follow the directions she had dictated earlier that morning), but as they talked, she realized she was mistaken. Will didn’t want to go to the church picnic any more than she did. He’d tried his best, unsuccessfully, to get out of going with her. He had run off a sizeable list of things that absolutely needed to be done around the house and farm before they left. He had insisted that he needed to take care of everything that very morning, rather than escort her to a church function. Grandmother, however, would not take no for an answer from her grandson. Now it all made sense.

I’m sorry about snapping at you earlier. Sometimes those church people get me worked up, Grandmother said.

So then why do we bother with those church people? The whole thing seems foolish.

Well, it’s important to be social and get to know folks. Wouldn’t it be nice to make some new friends, or for you to meet a pretty girl?

Will grumbled.

I want the best for you; that’s all. As much as I scold you, you do take great care of the farm. Everyone around town loves what you create at the bakery. Hands down, you make the best upside-down pineapple cake in the French Quarter.

Grandmother smiled when he sat up a little taller, and held his head a little higher.

I worry that you spend so much time alone, she said.

I’m fine.

I’m just saying that it would be nice to have folks over sometimes. I could bring out the good china. We could share stories and enjoy each other’s company.

Are you feeling okay? You never want to bring out the good china, Will said.

Maybe today’s lesson is to not judge others, like the reverend, for example, and for us to be generous to others.

Is that in the Good Book too, or did you read that in your tarot cards?

Sometimes I think you’re too smart for your own good, Will Jalio.

I take that as a wonderful compliment, coming from the smartest person I know.

Grandmother squeezed Will’s bony hand gently as they laughed.

We won’t stay all day long, I promise.

Yes, ma’am, Will answered obediently as he guided the brown-and-black horses up a small grassy hill in the summer heat.

Grandmother admitted that the both of them needed to be more social. Back when she was a young girl, her tribe had big feasts under a new moon, celebrating new beginnings. She missed her grandmother’s soft hugs and sweet kisses. She missed her father’s bold laugh, and her mother’s subtle grin. She missed her cousins dancing rhythmically in a drum circle. Life by the Nile was very different than in Louisiana. Although Zenobia had changed throughout the centuries, she still yearned to have family and friends around her again. She often dreamed of big Sunday dinners, where everyone ate too much and laughed until their faces hurt.

The problem was that, as much as she tried, she just didn’t like people anymore. They didn’t act right. People were annoying. People were too noisy. People were messy. People were smelly. People meddled in other people’s business. People were judgmental. People were cruel. People killed loved ones, like her family.

Since becoming an immortal, there were a few things Zenobia could manipulate. When people were cruel and caused harm to others, she believed it was her duty to intervene. She had the power to correct them. Grandmother Zenobia conjured lessons for evildoers. Sometimes they needed to learn humility, and sometimes they needed to suffer.

Usually she chose to be benevolent to the mortals of Carrefour Parish. She liked living in Louisiana. Not only did it have an interesting past and vibrant culture, but it also (especially Carrefour Parish) had a certain energy to it. It had, and would always have, a subtle vibration only felt when you were there.

Grandmother cast smaller spells that didn’t cause too much harm, though she was capable of much more. Sometimes she would hex livestock to wander off the victim’s property for a few weeks, forcing the owners to lose income. Sometimes she would cast spells that affected the victim directly, such as upsetting their stomachs. The victim couldn’t hold any kind of food or water in their belly for three days. With some preparation and planning, the spells were easy enough to perform, and usually the evildoers changed their ways.

Because of her reputation as a Voodoo High Priestess, Grandmother had many visitors for her services. She saw people by appointment, all of which were discreet, of course. Tarot cards, love potions, and gris-gris bags were always at hand. Handmade candles could be provided too, all for a small fee.

Zenobia also knew it was imperative to respect the power of the universe. There were some things she knew she wouldn’t dare interfere with. Actions with ill intentions always had a price, large or small. Whatever you reaped, you sowed, just like the Good Book said. If she chose to do something seriously harmful, some of her life force would ebb away. Still, there were times she was tempted to help the universe along. She didn’t mind the few gray hairs or wrinkles that appeared because of her actions.

Grandmother also knew that people like Reverend Milton would be horrified at the real power she wielded. She could do much more than a few silly card tricks. There were tribes, back in ancient times, who feared her name. Her likeness was scrawled in the walls of a long-lost pyramid. She cringed when she remembered her short time in Asia. Her apprenticeship with brother and sister shamans to learn the dark arts had ended badly. Many people died because the witch and warlock doubted her strength. An ancient dragon was awakened before its time. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever be allowed back into China, not that she wanted to return anyway. The list of her escapades was a long and colorful one.

The less Will, Reverend Milton, and his naïve congregation knew about her, the better. She was good at keeping people at a distance. By pushing people away, however, she would never have her large, laughter-filled Sunday dinners. Neither would Will. Grandmother’s people problem troubled her a lot; she felt like a dog chasing its tail.

Grandmother, are you okay? Will asked, interrupting her thoughts. She didn’t like his frown as he spoke to her.

Sorry, I woke up with a terrible headache. Too much on my mind, I suppose.

The carriage stopped at the top of a green, grassy hill overlooking a pale, dry plateau below, speckled with a few large oak trees. In the center of the flat land was St. Augustus Church. The small, two-story sanctuary seemed harmless and innocent from a distance.

However, it was strange to some folks that grass had stopped growing on the church property. Grandmother wasn’t the least bit surprised. She knew the reverend had been up to no good over the last year or so. The land wouldn’t flourish until he saw the error of his ways. Grandmother looked up at the baby-blue sky, noticing a few cotton-ball clouds slowly pass by. As she focused her sight on the pointy white steeple, her temples pounded.

Without speaking a word, Grandmother and Will looked at each other and nodded in agreement. The horses led them slowly toward the potluck. Music and laughter filled the air as they bounced down the road.

Look how nice everyone is dressed, Will said as they drew closer. His soft voice snapped her out of her mental fog. I feel like I’m staring at a big, beautiful painting. He paused and then mumbled, I sure am glad you didn’t let me leave the house in my work clothes.

Grandmother chuckled. It was a fight to get you to wear your suit. I see you wiping away beads of sweat from your forehead and twisting about in it. She stifled a hearty laugh as he tugged at the cuffs of his thick jacket. But now you see why I insisted.

You were right, as usual.

She turned her attention to what Will was looking at.

My goodness, look at all those folks in their Sunday best. The hats alone are a sight to behold.

She surveyed the congregation as they drew closer. It might be Saturday, but everyone dressed in their finest church clothes for the annual summer potluck. Most of the men wore three-piece suits. The woman wore different shades of every color one could imagine, with hats of different shapes and sizes to match.

It’s nice to see everyone in high spirits.

Her headache lessened to a steady, low thud in the base of her skull as the carriage came to a stop. Bad headaches plagued her when something unusually negative or destructive was about to unfold around her. They were her personal alarms. The last time she remembered having a headache like this one had been when Will was seven years old.

That day, he’d wandered a little too far from the house and come across a Louisiana black bear. The bear, severely wounded by hunters, was a shape-shifter named Pallaton. He was a member of the lost Chapitoulas tribe and son of Zenobia’s trusted friend, Chief Qaletaqa. His instincts led him to Grandmother’s land to hide on her property for sanctuary. Pallaton, stuck in the form of a bear rather than his human form of a small boy, attacked and almost killed Will. That day was one of only a handful of days in her lifetime that Grandmother felt helpless. Her land was protected with magical wards. Her grandson should have been free to wander and play on a nice spring day. Pallaton was hurt and frightened. Chief Qaletaqa and his tribe were always welcomed on her land. There was no real villain in the situation and there was nothing she could have done to change the circumstances of the day. Eventually, with Chief Qaletaqa’s help, both boys were healed.

What could possibly go wrong at a church function? Grandmother mumbled.

We could be bored to death, Will said.

Maybe I’m not myself because I skipped breakfast. I’m saving my appetite for the potluck.

As soon as we get settled, I’ll fetch you something to snack on.

Thank you. I don’t say it enough, but you are growing up to be a fine young man, she said as he helped her off the carriage to the ground.

Before she had both feet planted firmly on the ground, a cluster of Sunday school kids swarmed her, catching her off guard. She drew in a very deep breath to calm her nerves as children of various ages and sizes giggled and danced around her. They all knew that Will worked at a local bakery, and rumor had it he was bringing a special dessert to share. Their energies around her were loud and energetic, like a flock of birds overhead. The older children loomed a few yards away. Will left to park the carriage. While he was gone, she considered that maybe she wasn’t ready to spend the afternoon with so many people.

They are just children, innocent spirits. You’re safe, she told herself.

She took in another deep breath and patted her favorite amulet, a copper ankh, for good luck. It was a gift her father had given to her when she was ten years old. She wished her dog Ahy was by her side, but the church frowned upon people bringing pets to church functions.

Now, children, what did we talk about just minutes ago? asked Miss Weston as she approached, interrupting the frenzy.

The Sunday school teacher, only a few years older than Will, held her head high as she addressed the children. Her dark hair was neatly pinned under a smallish pale-blue hat, which matched her pale-blue dress. The dress was modest, but still accentuated the young woman’s small waist and delicate arms. As Miss Weston spoke to the children with authority, Grandmother found the young woman to be bossy, but didn’t mind her interruption.

None of the children spoke, but instead froze where they stood. The older children tried, unsuccessfully, to slink off. Miss Weston pointed at them and they shuffled back toward her.

Where are your manners? How do we greet our elders, especially Grandmother Zenobia? she warned.

All the children lined up obediently before Grandmother. Their energies calmed down.

Good afternoon, Grandmother Zenobia, they announced together.

Grandmother was surprised at their obedience. She didn’t expect them to be so respectful for Miss Weston. But then again, she was fairly certain no one really knew of Miss Weston’s sins.

Good afternoon, children. Thank you for the warm greeting.

One little girl not old enough to understand what manners were managed to wiggle through the line of children. Against Miss Weston’s orders, she waddled right up to Grandmother. The sixteen-month-old furiously waved sticky hands in the air to be picked up. Her dress was covered in whatever her mother had tried to feed her for breakfast. She continued to squeal and clap her sticky hands while Grandmother stared down at her.

Cookie! the little girl managed to say.

Grandmother took a deep breath and looked around for help. Will was still parking the carriage.

I do not want to touch this messy child, she said softly. She probably needs her diaper changed.

Cookie! the little girl said again and did a little dance, asking to be picked up.

Grandmother swore the child was drooling. She looked over at Miss Weston, standing with her arms crossed, and noted a hint of smugness. She looked down at the child, who still insisted on Grandmother’s attention. She gave in and bent over to pick up the sticky little girl.

Grandmother watched Miss Weston flinch when she raised the little girl in the air.

My goodness, you are as light as a feather and smell like lavender.

As she held her close, the girl kissed Grandmother’s cheek. The meddlesome headache vanished.

Grandmother removed a floral handkerchief from a pocket sewn into her dress and wiped the girl’s delicate little fingers.

Will finally showed up at Grandmother’s side with two large black wicker baskets.

Sorry for the delay, Pip and Estella were restless. It took a few sugar cubes to get them to settle down.

He eyed Grandmother as she held the child in front of a young audience, and a huge smile lit up his weary face.

I see you have made a few new friends, Grandmother.

Yes indeed, and soon they will be your friends too. She smiled back. Boys and girls, this is my grandson, Mr. Will.

Good afternoon, Mr. Will, the Sunday school children all chimed.

They were mesmerized by the large baskets at Will’s feet. Some giggled. Some stood with their mouths agape. Their excitement was contagious and Will giggled too.

What’s your name, little one? Grandmother asked her new little friend in her arms.

Cora, interrupted Miss Weston, who seemed uneasy as Grandmother and Will talked to the children. Her arms were crossed tightly around her chest again.

Cora, the girl said, echoing Miss Weston.

Well, Cora, because you and all of your friends look so lovely, all dressed up, and you all seem so well behaved, Mr. Will and I brought you some of my favorite treats.

Cookie! Cora squealed.

Will slowly approached Miss Weston, never looking directly at her, and opened one of the heavy, mysterious baskets. Her stiffness melted and was replaced with the same joy as that of her Sunday school charges.

Pralines! Miss Weston beamed.

My goodness! What a delightful smile you have, Grandmother said. Please help yourself.

She hadn’t seen Miss Weston smile genuinely since well before the girl’s husband had died last year. He had been involved in a strange printing-press accident. It was a shame that poor Eugene Milton Jr. was crushed to death. Grandmother made a mental note to invite the young woman over for some tea and a nice sit-down in the future. Grandmother would need to do a little more investigating before she continued to judge her. As much as she’d like to conjure up a lesson or two for Miss Weston and her attitude (not to mention the rumors of her seducing the reverend, Walter Milton Senior), she believed it would only be proper to look the young woman in the eye first.

We brought pralines and chocolate-praline candy for everyone! Grandmother announced.

Grandmother and Will laughed as the Sunday school children cheered in excitement.

Enjoy the sweets, children! Grandmother said as she fed a small piece to Cora. Grandmother loved seeing the children dance, laugh, and sing as Will passed out the candy.

You see, this is why we came today, Will.

Will nodded.

Miss Weston, would you mind helping me with the baskets? he asked sheepishly.

I’d love to, she said while nibbling on a praline.

Grandmother grinned as she watched Will chat with Miss Weston. Could this be the beginning of a new friendship? She couldn’t get a clear read on either her grandson or Miss Weston, but she liked that her grandson was engaging someone else in conversation. His current friends were characters from books, and the farm animals named after them, not living people.

As a person grew older in the