The Gypsy Witch (4 page)

"Well, make sure you don't do nothing to ruin this do you, understand?"
"Of course, mama."

Even when she was happy, it took every ounce of patience I had to tolerate her comments.
"Come into the vurdun with me. I have something for you."
I knew what it was. I had longed to wear mama's wedding dress since I was a little girl. It was a rich red satin that fell off my shoulders and then tight at my small waist with the fullest skirts you can imagine billowing out all around me.

When she was a girl mama was thin as I was now, and I knew the dress would fit perfectly.
Most Romany girls only wear red on their wedding day, but I loved the color and, against my parent's wishes, I wore it often. It offset my pale skin and raven hair. I tried the dress on and my mother gasped as tears came to her eyes.

"You are so beautiful. My beautiful daughter on her wedding day. Your father is here in spirit. I wish he were with us to marry you."
"It's okay, mama. Uncle Fonso will do it for papa. He is papa's closest brother."
"Your girlfriends have the twigs, water and bread ready?"
"Of course mama. You know how Lala is, always taking over and making sure things are right. Tsura will do whatever Lala tells her. Don't worry, the girls have everything we need."

"The sea salt, the cup, the bucket, the knife, the cord. There is so much to remember."
"Mama relax, it will be fine. You're making me nervous. I set up the bread and the sea salt. I will go to the river and fill the bucket now." Although she was anxious I could see in her face how excited and happy she was.
Much to my surprise, Jan arrived early to see my mother. He gave her a brooch that had belonged to his grandmother, a lovely gold butterfly with sparkling sapphire chips inlaid in its wings. For me he gave me his mother's pearls.

Mama came in proudly carrying the gifts. "Look what my new son in law brought for us."
 

My necklace was magnificent. White as a Siberian virgin snow, the pearls lay on my collarbone showing off the brightness of my smile.

Mama wore her gift with pride and for the first time since I had run off with Grigori she held her head up amongst the other women.
As my uncle explained the meaning of the bond of marriage and snapped the tree branches, I glanced over at Jan. He looked so filled with love and so proud to be my husband that my heart melted.

My best friend Tsura walked over to the wedding wagon and came back with the traditional bag of sea salt, loaf of bread and bucket of water. My cousin Bo took the cup from his pocket and handed it to my uncle who filled it. Uncle Fanso handed the challis to me and then to
Jan. We both drank and then setting it on to the ground, with his foot Jan pushed the cup deep into the earth.

I smiled over at my new husband as my uncle gave us each a piece of the bread, then he sprinkled the remainder over our heads and over the ground.

Now came the part that I had always dreaded, the joining of the blood. Lala handed a sterling silver knife decorated with amethyst to my uncle who made a thin cut in Jan's arm. He did not flinch, but I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as I received my slash. Then as was the custom
,
our wrists were bound together with a white silk cord that was knotted three times. For fertility, my uncle said as he tied, for consistency, and long life.

As I looked into his face, Uncle Fanso looked so much like my papa that I felt a tear drop down my cheek and wet the bodice of my dress. Handing each of us the sea salt we were instructed to throw a handful over our left shoulders. Then the blood stained cord was removed and cut into two pieces, one given to each of us. "You must keep this string for two years and if you should ever choose to divorce you must bring this with you."

By the look I saw on Jan's chiseled face and the way that my heart skipped a beat, I didn't think that divorce could ever be possible.
The previous day deep pits had been dug for the fires that would prepare the wedding feast. Food was plentiful, there was roasted hedgehog, rabbit, and chicken. On a spit someone was barbecuing a whole pig. Potatoes, carrots and cabbage boiled with garlic in a large cauldron. The men drank our special homemade whiskey, brandy and beer. Many of the women drank as well. There was the traditional coffee, and the violins played.

Friends of my family gave us gifts of money. They came over and kissed us and offered their blessings then they handed us cash and said as is our custom. "Here is a little bit of money from me, Let God give you all that you could ever want."

We graciously thanked them. Jan hugging them like a true Rom, as he drank with the men and I saw how they accepted him into our world. I knew the Rom and how they think. Jan would always be a gago, but he was a special one and they liked him.

The party lasted until we were exhausted, and then as was the tradition
,
Jan and I went off alone. This was the time I was supposed to be losing my virginity.

Our first time as man and wife could not have been any more glorious. The love that radiated from our union filled our marriage bed with joy, such as I had never known.
Mama and I moved to the farm and stored our wagon in the barn.

Sometimes in the afternoon, I could distract
Jan from his work and we would take the horses out for a run. He rode with a saddle and I rode bareback as the Rom do. Up we galloped through the hills laughing until we reached the top. I would pack a lunch of cheese and bread and we would stop and eat. Our love was always overcoming us and we found ourselves in each others arms.
I had a lot to learn about life on a farm. Jan taught me to milk a cow, and we both laughed when the milk sprayed in my face and it trickled down the bodice of my dress. He lifted me off the little stool and picked me up easily, his arms were so strong, then embracing
,
we kissed. Tenderly he began to lick the milk that had spilled across my neck and chest. I giggled like a young girl and he laughed.

In the middle of the afternoon, in the barn, laying on a pile of freshly cut hay, he kissed my breasts until we were both so filled with passion we could not stop long enough to get back to the house. Instead our love consumed us right where we were. With one hand he reached under my skirts and touched me. I moaned, I was ready, longing to feel his hardness deep inside me.

Jan would not be rushed. He was a slow passionate lover who played my body like a fine Stradivarius. Kissing my thighs with his soft warm lips he slipped his tongue inside of me. My insides caressed him lovingly. Finally when I could no longer stand to be without him, I begged , and he entered me. And once again we drifted off to heaven.
Jan was always kind and generous to me and mama, but not only to us. He was a good neighbor. He helped the old farmer who lived down the road, simply because he had no sons of his own. And as Jan told me, the old man was getting on in years and this hard work was too much for him.

The farm consumed our every waking moment. The winter, would be comfortable if we prepared now. I learned to make cheese, and to can fruits in glass jars as well as the asparagus that we grew by using heat.

We slaughtered a pig before the winter set in and preserved the meat with salt.
What remained of our crop, Jan took into town and traded or sold to buy grains. There was a cellar under the barn where we stored all of our food. The winter would be easy on us, we would have plenty. And, where I had once dreaded the winter, I now longed to spend the cold months warm in Jans strong embrace.
"Mother" Jan would ask her "What price do you think these asparagus will bring at the market?"  He always asked her opinion, always making her feel very important and needed.
"Mother, from the look of the sunset, do you think we will have rain tomorrow?"
Or "Mother, what do the cards say, will we have a grandchild for you to bounce on your knee before the next year is out?"
She loved it. And, as was his intention, she loved him. I don't think she missed the open road for one minute.
I was happy that they got on so well. My mother had long since stopped telling fortunes for the gage and so did I, but she always read for Jan. She told him how bright our future would be, and he sat and listened, looking very serious and pretending to believe every word she said.
Mama was taken in. He was her son now, blond and gage or not. It no longer mattered to her. I was happy, for the first time in my life. Every day I saw the miracles in all the small things I had never paid attention to before. The sunsets looked a little pinker and in the morning the songs of the birds were sweeter. I laughed at the squirrels as the chased each other up and down the thick trunks of the trees.

As I passed the barn I heard
Jan singing and it made me smile.

Whenever
Jan went into town he returned with gifts for me and mama. She was like a gago child at Christmas waiting in eager anticipation for whatever trinket he might bring. Many times I gathered wild flower bouquets of royal purples, vivid pinks and egg yoke yellows, but quite often he brought them to the house presenting them to me with a kiss.

Our lives were good. Our lives were very good. Until Grigori found me.
I was on my way back to the house from the chicken coop. I'd been gathering eggs. Jan was in town and mama was asleep. And there he was, his long black robe encircling him with darkness. His hair hung about his shoulders in knots.

"I've finally found you. I have spent the last two years in search. I realized that I love you, and I never want to be apart again." He was walking towards me, his arms outstretched.
My blood ran cold, what was I to do? What, was I ever to do?

Chapter Nine….

“D

amn your soul to hell, Grigori Rasputin. How did you find me? And why in God's name have you come back after so many years?"
I glared into his hypnotic eyes the color of sapphires, terrified of the power he might still have over me.

“I
love you, I realized how much.”
"And so, you come here and find me with no thought of how this might affect my life?'
"I hoped you would be happy to see me."
He was walking slowly towards me; those eyes never wavered from penetrating my own.
I shook my head.
"No, Grigori, I am not happy to see you. I've been married for a little over two years, happily married."
"Sweet gypsy girl, there is no man for you but me."
He put his arms around me. I felt bile rise up in my throat. I swallowed hard to keep from vomiting.
"No
,
Grigori"
He did not stop. He would not listen. The basket of eggs dropped from my hand as he knocked me to the ground. Tears filled my eyes. His face hardened with determination as he attempted to kiss me. With all of my strength I tried to push him away, but he was incredibly powerful. Using both hands he grabbed my face pressing his lips hard against mine. Turning quickly away, I spit the taste of his foul kiss from my mouth. Grabbing my shoulders in his massive hands, he shook me hard, at the same time nuzzling into my neck. I reached over and bit his upper arm, the salt of his blood bitter on my tongue. My feet made contact with his legs and groin as I kicked frantically and hammered at his back with my fists. Unable to face what was happening to me , I turned away. There on the ground were the broken eggs and the little white basket lying on its side.
Tears spilled down my face.
With his legs he forced my thighs open. I fought harder, but he pinned my arms down as he forced himself inside of me. Then glaring into my eyes he began to move, and the power of his magic came over me like a black veil and I am ashamed to admit, I wanted him
I lay beneath him, our eyes fixed together until it was over.
"I told you that you still loved me."
Then he got up and turned to leave. I still lay on the ground my skirts up above my waist and my arms bruised where he had held them.
"I will be back, and when I come I will take you with me."
And he was gone.
The broken eggs had spilled their contents all over the emerald grass. I looked at the mixture of deep yellow and bright green and I vomited.

Back at the house I agonized. I knew that when he came for me, I would follow Grigori.
I was under his spell.
That evening when Jan returned, I could not sleep beside him. The innocence of his kisses filled me with guilt. I knew what I must do.
In the middle of the night as Jan and mama slept, I went to the barn. I took Mara, my favorite horse, and prepared her for the journey. I gently slipped the bit into her cooperative mouth and pulled the bridle over her head. Jumping onto the animals bare back I leaned forward and patted her neck. The smell of horse manure filled the barn. I smoothed her mane and cooed over the side of her ear. Then in the blackest of night I rode away from all of the happiness I had ever known, to find the only person I thought might be able to break this spell.
I searched the trees in the darkness for patrin, signs that gypsies leave for each other , but found none. Exhausted and blinded by the lack of light from the new moon, I continued to search. Finally the following morning, I found marks on a bush indicating a Kompania had come through the area. It could be any one of a dozen different groups.
Now there were marks every few yards and I followed them carefully. At one point I rode through an open field. All around me there were deep purple flowers and a heady sweet fragrance that I found intoxicating. Finding myself lost in the peaceful beauty allowed me for a moment to forget my predicament.