Black Girl Magic

Chapter 4

That night, I spent most of it tossing and turning. I kept replaying the night of my birthday in my head. It didn't help that now I had nightmares of that woman killing my father running rampant as well. Even worse, I was thinking about what I would have to do tomorrow and wondered if I could even pull it off.

If mom hadn't been the one to tell me everything that was going on was real, I would have thought that I had some weed that was laced with some extra shit and was hallucinating.

To learn that magic was real and that I could use magic was mind-boggling. My mother, the person I loved most in this world, told me I was descended from a powerful, magical, voodoo-practicing family. That I, Kaveri Marie Baker, was chosen and blessed by Marie Laveau, the most powerful voodoo queen in history.

I wanted to believe it wasn't true, but I saw the reality with my own eyes and felt the pain and the terror of facing Naamah. I discovered the power that ran through my veins as that bitch tried to take my mother from me...I could deny none of that.

Mom told me a little about what would happen tomorrow when we met Grandma Asha. Grandmother was a wonderful spirit. She was still young at heart, though her skin was wrinkled, and moles spread across her face. She couldn't move how she used to but was still pretty sprightly for her age. She still had a presence that filled a room and made everyone stop and take notice.

I remembered all the times I spent with Grandmother. My mom wasn't wrong; she spoiled me rotten. Whenever Grandmother would keep me, it was always an adventure. During weekdays, if I had school the next day, she would help me with my homework, giving me snacks and guiding me through. On weekends we would watch movies or work in the garden, or she would tell me stories about our ancestors. At the time, being so young, I thought it was fantastical stories and fuel for my imagination. I realized the implications of everything she told me as I thought about it.

It wasn't fairy tales and myths. Grandmother shared with me. She also taught me my history and a little about my future. Mother told me that tomorrow would be special, but I should be afraid of nothing. She promised she would be right there with me. The whole family was gathering for this, even on short notice. The council was coming as well. Mom told me the council was made up of the head of every magical family in New Orleans. Grandmother Asha was their leader, with her number two being Naamah's family. I thought that was a bit biased, but since I just discovered this world existed, who was I to argue with them?

I tossed and turned the entire night, nervous about what I would attempt to do tomorrow. Mom had no answers, never having been a part of the ritual before. All she could tell me was that it was an incredibly blessed and spiritual moment.

The following day dawned bright and early, not that I needed to be awake. We weren't to arrive at grandmother's house until noon. We were to have lunch with the family. The council was due to show up after lunch, around 2, I was told, and we would spend the rest of the time with them and the family until it was time for me to prepare for the ritual. The ritual would begin at the exact moment of sunset, 6:48 p.m. It was to take place in the family cemetery about a mile behind the house. Nothing scary about that shit at all.

When I finally woke up and got out of bed at 9, mom was downstairs with an excellent breakfast for me. Mom knew me well, guessing that I wouldn't be hungry, and made me a simple meal of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. I ate it all surprisingly, and it tamed the butterflies in my stomach a little bit. We were having lunch with grandmother anyway, so I didn't need to overeat.

After breakfast, we both showered and got dressed. My mom wore a pure white strapless dress down to her ankles with matching white sandals. Her hair was in a single braid straight down her back, with a white strip of cloth braided throughout it. I was dressed in leggings and a t-shirt, having been told I would be dressed there for the ceremony. Mom and I were quiet on the ride to Grandma. It was about an hour's drive to my grandmother's house.