An Inheritance

Chapter 27

Lauren and Odilia gave way to allow the two to step into the living room.  Nodding to Lauren, Odilia said.  “This is Lauren Labeaux, Granny Alma’s granddaughter.  She will be staying here, at least for a while.  Lauren, this is Ida Perrot and her daughter Leonie.  They live in Saint Bernard Parish.”

“Can I get you anything?  Maybe some lemonade and cookies?  I’ve just made both.”  Lauren didn’t like the feeling as though she was a stranger in her own home.  But she felt that she had to wait to see what this was all about.

Ida nodded shyly.  “Thank you.”  Lauren headed for the kitchen, but kept her ears open for what was going on inside.  Looking at Odilia, Ida continued.  “Leonie here has got some woman’s problem.  Terrible cramps and diarrhea.  Came home from school yesterday hurting real bad, but nothing seems to help.”

“How long has she had her monthly?  Leonie looks to be, what?  12?”

“I’ll be 12 come December.  This is the second month I’ve bled.”  Leonie stated with an air of satisfaction.

Lauren came back into the room, placed the cookies on the coffee table and passed out the lemonade.

“Lauren, what would you prescribe for menstrual cramps?  What do you think would help her?”

Lauren didn’t even pause.  “Capsicum would probably give her the relief she needs.  I would mix it as a paste in a poultice and apply it to the lower abdomen.  For the diarrhea, maybe a combination of slippery elm, stinging nettle, bayberry bark, and blackberry root simmered in water and sipped like a tea.”  She looked at Odilia.

“I think that’s exactly what she needs.  The warmth from the pepper will relax the muscles and help her to relax.  The pain will ease.  The warm drink should certainly make the diarrhea subside.”  Odilia went into the kitchen, followed by Lauren.  She pulled down one of Grand-mere Labeaux’s bottles and handed it to Lauren.  Taking the dried pepper from the bottle, Lauren ground it into a powder, then with some water she stirred it until it became a paste and put it in a container.  While she was doing that, Odilia took several other bottles down, taking out a small bit from each and putting the dried herbs into a small sack.

Odilia came back into the living room and gave Ida the preparation along with the sack.  “The ingredients Lauren mentions for the drink are in the bag.  Prepare a poultice with this paste as soon as you get home and have Leonie place it below her stomach.  Apply it again right before she goes to bed.  If those cramps are not significantly better by tomorrow morning, take her to the Main Street Clinic in Slidell right away.”

Ida nodded her head seriously.  “I will make sure we follow your instructions.”  She placed the half-drunk glass on the coffee table and she and Leonie headed for the door.  She then stopped and looked at Lauren,  “I am glad Granny Alma has someone to continue in her place.  She was a good woman, a learned woman.  She gave much more than we could ever repay.”  She gave another shy smile, and they left.

“So, this is what Grandmother Labeaux did, passed out home remedies?  I would think that this was something they would all know about.  Menstrual cramps have been handled within the home forever.  It was a long way to go to get something they already know about and probably already have.”  Lauren looked at the small smile at the corner of Odilia’s mouth.

 “They were testing me, weren’t they?”

“Yes, I’m sure of it.  Ida is very handy with most of the normal herbal and home remedies.  She even had spent a good deal of time with your grandmother when she was younger, so she knows more than the average person in the bayou.  You really can’t blame them; they relied so heavily on your grandmother they want to make sure they can do the same with you.  Word will get around that you can be relied on, although they will know that you’re still ‘in-training’.  If you had hesitated, even for a second, Ida would have doubted your natural abilities and whether you could be up to speed in a short notice.”    

Lauren felt irritated and tense.  “Well, do they also come here expecting me to read their palms or tarot cards?  Am I to be their spiritual guide, their guru?  Do I look into a crystal ball for these people?  Abracadabra and all of that nonsense.”

Odilia looked at her.  “You know that’s not how your talents … our talents … work.  You can’t just conjure up whatever anyone wants you to.  We take in stimuli, filter it through our minds, and even our souls and somehow we are able to make sense of it.  These people understand that.  Even your grandmother didn’t have all of the answers, but she listened and that gave them someone they could turn to and usually steer them through whatever problems they had.  They never considered her infallible and they won’t expect perfection from you either.”

Somewhat chastised, Lauren sat down and put her elbows on her thighs and burrowed her head into her hands.    Staring back at Odilia she apologized.  “I’m sorry; this is just so new to me.  Opening up to whatever I’ve been burying for so long scares me.  What if I can’t do it?  What if I can’t perform the way I should?  What if I make a mistake?  I need help in understanding.”

Odilia sat next to Lauren and wrapped her arms around her.  “That’s what I’m here for.  Here is where Sam and the many others like us can help guide you.  You know you’ve gotten stronger, you’ve taken your gifts from just dreams to understanding … and this is a life-long quest.  No one, absolutely no one, and that included your grandmother, knows everything there is to know about our gifts.  But we are really a family where we help each other channel our talents and get a better grip on our interpretations.”

“My mother used to say that nothing good ever comes out of the bayou.  Maybe it’s time I find out for myself.”