Momma always said, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
Stockholm, Indiana. It felt so strange to be back here after so many years. The taxi slowed to a stop just a few inches from my grandmother's front yard. "Okay miss, we've arrived." I glanced out the window, the medium sized grey painted vintage home still looked the same as it did all those years ago. "How much do I owe you? ," I asked. The taxi drivers almost bald head titled in my direction. He reached his calloused grease-stained hand out,"350." I dug around in my purse and pulled out some cash, sliding it in his hand, I opened the door with my purse and duffel bag in tow. "Be careful now, some strange things been happening in this town." I whispered a polite thank you and closed the door.
I watched as the taxi drove off, back in the direction it had previously came. "Naomie? Is it really you?" I turned to the sound of my grandmother's soft voice. "Mawmaw Kezia! ," I dropped my duffel bag and purse on the concrete driveway and ran into her open arms. " Oh, my sweet child, I'm so glad you're here." She placed her soft wrinkled hands on each side of face and kissed my forehead. "Come, come. Let's get you settled in your room." I picked up my belongings and hurriedly followed her into the house. The scent of rosemary and lavender filled the air, I took a deep breath and sighed. Oh, how I missed this sweet smell. "Come now, your room is across from mine," my grandmother pointed to a freshly painted white bedroom door that was directly across from hers . "The bathroom is at the end of the hall," she added.
I nodded. She opened my bedroom door wide and held her arm out," You like?" The entire room smelled like fresh paint and a little bit of cinnamon. The large bay window had thick red curtains that matched the red cushioned bench against it. The queen size bed had freshly washed red sheets and a thick silky comforter. "I had it redone, just for you." I gave her a hug and kissed her cheek, "Thank you." My grandmother smiled. Turning away from the doorway, she clasped her hands in front of her and her large thick grey brows furrowed together in deep thought. "Is something wrong, Mawmaw? ," I worriedly asked. She waved her small, wrinkled hand, "No, no. It's nothing dear. Just lost in my thoughts. Happens to us old folks from time to time."
I unpacked the few items I was able to take with me from the duffel bag. I could hear my grandmother humming a melody from the kitchen and smell the exotic seasonings she was experimenting with. I stared at the rustic picture frame that laid a the bottom of the bag. It was the last family picture I had taken with my parents before their death. I placed the picture on top of the nightstand by the bed. I felt my back pocket buzz. Pulling my phone out I unlocked it and clicked on the 10 missed messages. "Just leave me alone, will you?" I mumbled to myself . "What was that, dear?" I looked up to see my grandmother wearing a red vintage apron with a white horse stitched on the corner standing on its hind legs and kicking at the air. For a split second I could have sworn the horse had blood dripping down its muzzle. "Oh nothing, Mawmaw. Just someone I'm trying to forget won't catch the hint."
I changed into a light blue sundress and a pair of white sneakers. I closed my bedroom door behind me and made my way to the kitchen. "Mmm, what smells so good," I licked my lips and took a seat at the round oak table . My grandmother smiled sweetly and sat a bowl of stew with a spoon on the placemat before me. "I made your favorite, buckeye potato stew." Mmm! "Thank you, Maw." She gave a slight nod and turned back to the stove. I lifted the spoon and stirred the meat and potatoes. Licking my lips, I lifted a spoonful to my mouth. It tasted so heavenly! I chewed the tender deer meat, the sensational flavors that danced on my tongue made my toes curl. That's strange, I don't remember the meat being slimy. I looked down at my second spoonful of stew and nearly vomited.
Once where there were chunks of venison and diced potatoes had now been replaced with eyeballs and tongues. I released my grip of the spoon; it landed on the floor with a clink. Covering my mouth with a napkin I quickly spit the stew back out. "Is something wrong, dear!?" My grandmother turned off the stove and hurried over to where I was hunched over trying my best not to vomit my guts up into the napkin. "Were the seasonings too strong?" she glanced over her shoulder at the rows of various plants and seeds, " Maybe I shouldn't have added an extra teaspoon of saffron." I patted her shoulder lightly and calmed myself. "It's alright, maybe I still have a little motion sickness from the long car ride here. It'll pass."
She gave me a worried look. "Maw, the food was delicious. I'll finish it later after a quick nap to let my stomach settle," I kissed her cheek and gave her a reassuring smile. I turned away from the kitchen, walking halfway into the hall, I turned to look back at the bowl of stew. It was normal again. Maybe I was just hallucinating. I shook my head and entered my room for a quick well rested nap.
"Come with me, through the trees. Fairy dust will lead you. Down the path, hurry fast. I can't wait to see you." Morran stood outside on his porch kicking back a few beers, at first he had thought he was hearing things. He looked around his huge front yard to see if maybe someone had stopped by to visit this late at night. But there's wasn't anyone. He shrugged his shoulders and played it off as a trick of the mind. Besides after six beers, he could be seeing flying ships and hearing shoes sing for he knew. "Hold me close, spare a kiss. I will grant your darkest wish." Morran sat up in his rocking chair, he threw open the screen door and hollered at his wife in the kitchen," Honey, where'd you learn to sing like that?! You sure withheld that angel voice from me all these years."
"What you are running your mouth about, I am not singing nothing. Now quit drinking and come eat." Morran scratched his brow. If his wife wasn't the one behind the beautiful voice, then who was? "Come make haste, I shall wait. Don't you want my gift?" Morran searched his land for any clue to where the voice was coming from. Standing at the entrance of the forest by his house, was a beautiful goddess like woman. Her long ivory silk dress shimmered like jewels under the moonlight. Her long silky raven hair was decorated with a crown of various flowers. Morran couldn't look away from the woman's sparkling ruby eyes. She was breathtaking. She raised her arms, her palms faced up as if asking him to take her hands. Once again, he heard that angelic voice. "Don't you want my gift?"
He didn't think twice. He dropped his beer and took off running. The gorgeous angel smiled as he neared. He wondered what kind of gift she would have waited for him. Before his eyes, a small chest of various rare jewels rested in the palm of hands. He was so close, finally he could leave his old hag and marry that his young little mistress at the church. A new life with a beautiful much younger wife. He greedily reached for the chest, but the angel took long strides back into the darkness of the forest. He wanted that chest, no matter what he thought. He followed her into the trees and once again reached for the chest. This time she let him have it or so he thought. Morran's eyes widened in fear as the chest vanished. Half of his arms were trapped inside a white muzzle filled with razor sharp teeth; he looked up into the once beautiful woman's eyes to be met with a large white horse. He tried to yank his arms back, the more he pulled the more the teeth dug into his flesh. The horse's ruby red eyes glowed in the darkness. All that could be heard through the night was the screams of a selfish man's agony.
I woke to the sound of sirens blaring past the house. The knock at my door startled me. "Naomie, are you up? I'm headed into town, if you want to come with." I quickly brushed my teeth and braided my raven hair. Slipping out of my silk pajamas, I tossed a long blue sundress over my head and slid my feet into a pair of sandals. I snatched my purse and opened the door, "I'm ready, shall we go?" I held her arm as we walked down the driveway and across the street. The town wasn't but maybe 5 mins away from grandmother lived. "Good morning, Kezia." Two elderly woman in long silk dresses waved at us as we walked by. "Good morning, ladies." They both gave me a warm welcoming smile.
My grandmother stopped in front of the little farmers market across from the church with her small money pouch in hand. "Hi! It's good to see you again," an older woman in a red church dress gave my grandmother a hug and shook my hand," Naomie, right?" I gave her a slight nod. "You look just like your mother, then again the women in your family have always been blessed with beauty." The sound of woman sobbing caught my attention, I looked across the street to see a young girl in her mid-teens sitting at the bottom of the church steps. "Poor dear. She knew the deceased. It's a sad day for her." I quirked a brow and gave the woman a confused look. "Oh, shame on me. You must not have heard about the murder last night. Old farmer Morran was found dead in the woods near his home, his arms were chewed straight to the bone and the poor man had his eyes eaten."
The sobbing grew louder. "Oh, for heaven's sake. Tanya, go inside. You'll scare away the customers with all that whining." A murder? Here? For majority of my life, there never had once been any killings or even violent crimes. How odd. "I'll take these, dear." My grandmother pointed at three jars of various jams. The lady bagged them and took the cash my grandmother offered with no questions about if the amount was correct or not. We continued our stroll through town, I noticed the buildings and stores were freshly painted and remodeled. There were even various beautiful fruit trees planted by the park benches and the town's fountain.
"Naomie?" No! No! Why was he here!? I pretended to not hear him. "I know you heard me!" he shouted. My grandmother tugged on my arm," Do you know this man?" I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell her I've never seen him a day in my life, but I couldn't lie to her. "Yes, he's—-" I felt his fingers dig into my arm as he yanked me away from her. "I'm her husband." My grandmother's old weary eyes shifted between the both of us. She raised one of those fuzzy brows then sighed," That's no way to treat your wife. A proper gentleman would talk to her sweetly and he would most definitely introduce himself to her grandmother."
I winced as his nails dug deeper into my skin. I knew it would bruise later. "My apologies, ma'am. I'm Gemini Druidson. You must be miss—" before he could even finish his sentence, my grandmother was already hobbling down the street, cane in one hand and purse & bag in the other. "Rude old hag," he spat. "Don't stand there all day, come along. I'll make some tea." My grandmother eyed Gemini with disgust. "You gave lots of explaining to do when we get back home," he released my arm and strode after my grandmother. I'm already home.
Gemini played the perfect role of the perfect husband. He helped make the tea, bake the cookies, wash the dishes, and even took out the six heavy bags of trash. By the time supper came around, he was helping grandmother in the kitchen.
It felt like time was moving slow for me but fast for others. I was nothing more than a member of the audience watching from afar as Gemini played my grandmother for a fool. That's what con mans, and cheaters are good at. "Dear? ," my grandmother asked. She looked at me with concern. "Yes?" She sat her cup on the table and frowned," Your husband said you'll be leaving tonight. I had hoped you would stay longer, since you just arrived yesterday." Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere.
"Well, it's late, let's get some rest, shall we honey?" My grandmother watched me cautiously as I walked side by side with Gemini out of the kitchen. "Actually, honey. How about we take a nightly stroll, I would love to show you the fireflies up at Graysen's field. It's like tiny stars you can touch." He stared at me for a second, contemplating what to say. I knew he wouldn't deny my offer, not in front of a witness. He smiled that fake almost painted on smile of his and kissed my hand, "of course, shall we?" He waved goodnight to my grandmother. I turned to look back at the porch, she stood in the dim light of the porch lamp and smiled that kind and loving smile I had always cherished. Gemini hadn't said a word since we stepped off the porch.
Once we arrived at Graysen's field, he smacked my face with all his might. "How dare you! Making me look like an ass Infront of your grandmother like that. You sly vixen." I ignored him and the pain radiating from my cheek. Smiling I slowly began to undress, i walked backwards into the tall uncut grass. Graysen hadn't mowed it in years, it was almost up to my shoulders. Fireflies shot up like fireworks around me as they danced within the pitch darkness. He watched me with lust filled eyes. The sound of his phone vibrating drew his attention from me. "Hello? I can't talk right now. I know, I know. Look it's just not a good time right now." "Honey, I'm waiting. My patience is fading, your gift is waiting, ripe for the taking." I held my arms up and palms out to him, he quickly hung up and walked towards me. "There isn't a gift you could offer me that would make me love you, my woman is back home waiting for me. You'll always be nothing more than an orphan bitch." I smiled and pulled him closer to me. Leaning close to his ear, I whispered , "A price for a life , your gift is already mine ." I jabbed my arm into his chest and yanked out his beating heart. His body slumped to the ground. Opening his wallet, I took out my mother's necklace. Dangling from the gold chain was a ruby encrusted white horse. I looked down at my belly and smiled, "I'll always love you, my little gift."