Gypsy Spirits (2 page)

“Then you hit your mom’s car?” 

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal. You know how she is.”

“She’s too good to you.” 

Daniel laughed and said, “Maybe, but I saw her before I came home and she said we’d take care of it. Quit worrying about the car. Let’s get back to what’s important.”

“What?”

“Please, remove the curse.”

Annamarie fought the urge to laugh. He did appear extremely grim. She touched his cheek. “Curse removed.”

She headed for the bedroom to change clothes. A quiet chuckle was all she had time for before returning to the dining room. He served her dinner with a smile and they had a lovely evening.

Daniel sat down on the sofa next to Annamarie and gazed deeply into her eyes. “I know we’ve been having problems lately. I’ve been a jerk, but it’s hard to fight the spirits in the woods without having to deal with your Gypsy curses, too.” 

She pulled back. “Please don’t start with the ridiculous stories about your spirits in the woods. Everyone knows there are no spirits. You’re the only one who sees them and usually when you’re drunk. I don’t want to argue with you after such a nice evening so can we please table this spirit talk for another night?” She tapped her foot waiting for an answer.  

“Okay, but there are spirits out there especially near the cabin and Grandfather Logan’s house.”

She thought he apparently lost it a bit after his rough day. His grandfather’s house was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Timmus Woods.

Daniel asked, “Where in the world did you learn to place a Gypsy curse on someone?”

She rolled her eyes. “I come from a long line of Gypsies.”

His eyes open wide, “I thought your ancestors had a large carnival in Germany that played during Oktoberfest.” Daniel followed her into the bedroom while he talked.

Undressing for bed, she walked toward Daniel saying she would explain, but she was tired and going to lie down. He lay next to her listening intently.

Annamarie tried to explain. “If you go back two, three, four hundred years, or more it all began with a wagon and a few performers.” 

Daniel raised his eyebrows and whispered, “Gypsies.” 

“So I’ve been told.” 

She’d never heard anything about having Gypsies as ancestors, but she let Daniel think what he wanted. He deserved it. Her ancestors owned a carnival, but she had no idea when the carnival began, knowing only it disbanded in 1930. She always assumed in the early days it traveled around with horse-drawn wagons and performers in a circus-type show. By the mid-1800s, the carnival settled down in Bavaria and only played larger towns during Oktoberfest. The rest of the year the family worked at whatever jobs they found.

Annamarie’s grandfather
suffered a serious injury in the war, and the injuries ultimately took his life and ended the carnival. 

Her mom could merely relate the stories she heard from Uncle Andreas. Annamarie met him once when she was nine. She remembered when Uncle Andreas placed his hand on her head saying she had hair the color of
night and the eyes of his grandmother who danced during the carnival season. Annamarie’s eyes had always changed with her moods, going from deep green to hazel and every shade in between.

Annamarie laid her head back on her pillow and sighed. Maybe, just maybe, she had rattled off a curse. The thought stayed with her while she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Two: Nightmares or Memories

The camp-fire cast shadows on the old wagons parked nearby.  An elderly man sat on a barrel, playing
the violin. Other men and women sat near the fire clapping to the music floating on the night air. A dark haired young girl danced around the flames, her bright green eyes sparkling in the firelight. She wore a long dress of many colors, sewn by hand, colored ribbons pulled up her hair. She smiled and held her hand out to Annamarie. 

Annamarie woke screaming.

Jolted from his sleep, Daniel jumped out of bed. “What the hell’s the matter with you?”

She sat up in the middle of the bed, her voice anxious, “I had a nightmare. I saw myself dancing, but I also saw myself watching me dance. Then the one dancing held out her hand to me.” 

“Creepy!” Daniel started to laugh, “Serves you right for putting a curse on me.” 

“I didn’t put a curse on you. It was just gibberish because you had me so upset. I’m not a Gypsy, so how could I do that? I only wanted to get your attention.”

“You’re going crazy. Don’t I have enough trouble with the spirits without you bringing a new one? What if the spirits here don’t like you summoning Gypsy spirits?”

“I don’t understand why you’re acting this way. You were so different last night. Why have you changed again? You’re the one losing your mind. There are no spirits in the woods, and I certainly didn’t conjure up any.”

Unfortunately, it seemed his promise of changing was short lived. Daniel would always believe in his “spirits” and find any reason to bolster his conviction. Her only hope was to have him believe either his spirits weren’t real or her spirit was stronger. 

My spirit, Annamarie thought. Perhaps I am going crazy.

“Let’s stop arguing and eat breakfast,” she suggested in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Okay, I’ll make coffee,” Daniel said. She made a face and said she’d make tea. Pulling her old pink robe around her, she walked into the kitchen. Daniel began to laugh at her. 

“Stop that! It’s cozy even in summer.” 

“If you don’t stop wearing that robe, you’ll start showing up at the table in curlers and read the paper the way my mom does.” 

“I’ll never be like your mom,” she said slamming the cabinet door.

“Yes you will. I can see it now. I think I understand my father’s morning crankiness better after seeing this.” 

Annamarie put her tea cup on the table. “I’m not hungry.” She stormed out of the kitchen.

“Hey,” Daniel called after her, “the toast is ready.” 

Too early for bickering, Annamarie hoped she could change Daniel’s attitude with a bit of morning fun. In the hall leading to the bedroom, she turned and said, “This is something your father will never see.” 

She dropped her robe to the floor and ran down the hall. Daniel caught her in the bedroom, and they toppled onto the bed. 

“I’m going to be late this morning,” he said. 

“You’re right.”

His lips found hers and they began their journey to bliss when the phone rang. “Damn,” Daniel grumbled. “I have to get that. It’s probably my mom wondering where I am.” 

“Damn,” Annamarie agreed. She watched him leave the room. At least his mood improved. 

Walking back into the bedroom he said, “It was mom and she’s already upset I’m not there. I have to go see her about the car. Watch out for spirits today when you’re near the woods.”

“Stop it, Daniel. You love to try and scare me, there are no spirits.”

“You’re easy to scare, but in this case, it’s real and the spirits are in the woods.”

“If you don’t stop this nonsense someone’s going to get hurt, or you’ll end up in the hospital. You’ll terrorize an unsuspecting person too far with your spirit
talk and have to pay for it. Can’t you see where this is taking you?”

“Grow up. You’re the one who has to be careful. I’ve warned you before.”

“When will you be home? We promised Grandfather Logan we’d visit him this afternoon. You haven’t been to see him since our wedding.”

“If you think I’m going anywhere
near that haunted house you’re crazy. Now you have to be careful of the spirit in his house, too.” 

Tossing his pillow at him, she yelled, “Stop it.”

Annamarie fell back against her pillow thinking his mood changed for a few minutes and now his anxiety had returned. She heard him leave, slamming the back door behind him.

***  

All she could think of to help Daniel was visiting her mom for possible answers. Her mom was her calm place in a storm. If she had a spirit of any kind, she needed her mom’s input. 

When Annamarie was growing up, her mom told stories about her childhood. They were always fun-filled tales, but once in a while she’d add a story about their relationship to the Gypsies performing in Bavaria. She’d make the stories mysterious, adding to the entertainment. Annamarie never knew if the tales were fact or fiction. It was an enjoyable pastime to imagine all the mysterious aspects of having a Gypsy ancestor, and the things that might have gone on deep in the forest. Now Annamarie wondered if the serene feelings that enveloped her while near the woods were her love of them, or did ancient Gypsy blood flow in her veins.     

Annamarie’s mom had a set of what she referred to as “dream cards.” The top of the cards had either a letter or symbol, and the flip side revealed different pictures. She would lay the cards out to describe the gist of your dream, then remove some and turn the rest over in a certain order and “read” the pictures. Annamarie always thought it was cool, and her friends loved to learn the meaning of their dreams. It was time to see if those cards were real, or merely a game her mom liked to play. Clearly, this Gypsy nonsense was getting to Annamarie.

***

Annamarie saw her mom attending her beloved flower garden when Annamarie pulled into the driveway. She saw her dad with his face buried in the newspaper, but he glanced up long enough to wave. Annamarie waved back when she got out of the car and walked toward her mom.

When Paula stood up and saw her daughter, she could tell by the look on Annamarie’s face something was wrong.

“I need to know everything you do about Gypsies, and have my dream read with your cards,” Annamarie said after relating yesterday’s incidents.  

“Calm down,” her mom said taking her gardening gloves off, “There’s not much to know. My grandmother taught me to read the cards. I think we should sit down, have a cup of
tea and a nice talk.”

Following her to the screened breezeway, Annamarie’s mind raced with questions.

Annamarie’s father grew up in the house where he and her mom now live. When he was a boy, his older brother thought he could grow a willow tree. Everyone scoffed at the idea, but now a large weeping willow stood in the front yard.

Annamarie loved to spend hours sitting under the dangling branches. Her dad let the leaves grow long, and she could hide in her mysterious, secret world. It was the one place Annamarie felt completely alone, and could dream of all the things girls loved and planned. At this point in her life, most of those dreams had come true. She also dreamed of living in a mysterious world, could that dream be coming true, too? 

Pouring the tea, her mom said, “I don’t know if my ancestors were Gypsies, in the true sense of the word. I also don’t know how far back they had a carnival, and what I do know is mostly what the carnival was after it settled on my grandmother’s farm. Then it was only used for the Oktoberfest celebration each year. We never spoke of it after my father died.” 

“Okay,” Annamarie said. “We’re not related to Gypsies, maybe, but why did I rattle off that ‘curse’?” 

Her mom smiled, “My grandmother believed in old wives’ tales, healing with herbs from the forest, and told a realistic tale or two. When I was young I believed every story she told and some of it stuck.” Sipping her tea she continued, “As for the cards, she taught me how to use them when I was a teen. I thought it was fun. My friends loved them. Yours did, too-- remember. That doesn’t mean we’re Gypsies. You were so angry with Daniel you lost your head for a moment and simply babbled a few words. That doesn’t mean you’re a Gypsy either.” 

Enjoying her tea and sensing some relief since everything her mom said made sense, she felt foolish for all her worry. However, in the back of her mind she had
a nagging feeling there was more to this than an odd dream. 

Annamarie began to sense a strange connection to the woman she saw in her dream, and yet how could she be connected to a dream self? The idea sounded as crazy as Daniel’s spirits, but maybe Daniel was right. She was somehow responsible. That seemed more insane than the thoughts Daniel vocalized, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. 

“A penny for your thoughts,” her mom’s voice brought her back to reality. 

Annamarie smiled and said, “Nothing, just looking at the flowers.” Then she mentioned the dream. 

“I don’t believe we need to use the cards for your dream.  I’m sure you dreamt about a Gypsy because of the tension between you and Daniel yesterday.”

“You may be right. I still need to be sure.” 

“Here, read your brother’s latest letter while I get the cards. Perhaps it’ll brighten your mood.” 

Smiling when she returned, her mom asked, “Feel better?” 

“Yes, but he referred to me as ‘squirt’ again.”

“You’ll always be ‘squirt’ to Carl.”

“I can’t help it if he’s seven inches taller than me. Why did I have to be the short one in the family?”