Safe in the Black Sand

14

Dad looks anxiously out the window.

"What on Earth is that noise?" he asks me and Ms. Jakintsu, but we're not sure what he means. He rubs his temples with both hands, smoothing out the wrinkles in his mind. "Do you not hear that low rumbling sound? Like an engine. Did someone leave their car running?"

Ms. Jakintsu and I look down at Katu, who purrs like an idle motor.

            Dad's cheeks go red. "Of course. Only the cat. Sorry." He looks at his shoes and clicks his heels together like Dorothy. "It's just that sometimes even little noises for me can be distracting."

            Ms. Jakintsu smiles. "No must to explain. We understand."

            I change the subject, addressing our spirit guide. "I assume you know Angelica used to go by Josh." 

            The old woman blinks twice, waiting for more.

            "Did you also know you're part of the reason she chose the name Angelica?"

            For once, the old woman seems surprised. "Oh? Your father never tell me this."  

"Angelica said you once gave Dad a root mix from your garden, from an angelica plant."

            Her eyebrows crinkle, face blank. "I no remember this."

            "It was some kind of mixture you apparently said would protect her. That doesn't ring a bell?"

"Bell?" the old woman asks in confusion. "What bell?"

"You don't remember that?" I rephrase, avoiding idioms. "The angelica root from your garden?"

            "I never have angelica root in my garden. I know this plant, but I never have. Funny you say this because my mother, people in our town would call her Arantxa, short name. Long name Arantzazu. Spanish people in factory called her An-hel-ica because Arantzazu, this name too hard to say. So my mother was like Spanish Angelica."

            I turn to Dad. "Angelica said you brought the mixture home and sprinkled it around the house."

"Don't recall," he mutters, still staring at his shoes, clicking his heels.

"Really?" I ask. There's nothing lonelier than being the only one with a memory, the sole keeper of a marble. Is this the feeling of hallucination? "Well, anyway, that's how Angelica picked her name. She said she felt like the name was hers, like when she took it, she could finally exist." 

            With a burst of vigor, Ms. Jakintsu stands up and points toward the ceiling, as if having a revelation. "Izena duen guzia omen da! Very good, Jax. Very good work. Is enough heart from you, I can see. Inside power is high. I think high enough now. Next step is take one of your hair and put inside this." She holds out the bronze goblet. "Put inside here now. Hurry!"

She reaches for Katu, whose fur floats off his back. A piece of cat hair is added to the goblet.

            "Why add his hair?" I ask. "Does Katu have memories of Angelica?" 

            "Hair of Katu no is for inside power. Katu just going with you, as guide."

"We'll need a guide?"

            The old woman says, "Many years ago, one client, rich man from Greenwich, he ask me to do this kind of magic, pay me big money. I no want to do because his mind is weak, heart very small. But was winter, I have big heating bills, so I help rich man for money. I explain him about inside power, but his purpose was greedy, which made big problem. After intersection he lost ten years of life in time trade..."