Madam De La Farge

         Madam De La Farge

Suzanne Marsh

“Come on, let’s see what Madam here has to say; just for laughs and giggles.” That was my introduction to Madam De La Farge and the world of psychics. We walked into Madam’s parlor where she did her readings. The table had a rather strange cloth covering it. The colors were lovely and there in the center sat a crystal ball. I knew what that was, but no one had prepared me for Madam. Her entrance was nothing short of comedic. She had black hair down to her waist, dressed as a gypsy; she even carried a tambourine! I wasn’t sure if she was going to dance or sing her reading but this was a strange way to spend an afternoon with my cousin.

Madam motioned us to sit down.

“What is it you seek?”

I was not prepared to answer so my cousin Alice began:

“I seek the truth about my ancestor David Crockett.”

My cousin winked at me as I attempted to keep from laughing. I waited to see what would happen next. Suddenly there was poof of smoke; then David Crockett appeared; well Fess Parker at least. My cousin poked me as started to giggle.

Madam DE La Farge next stunt was undeniably the best parlor trick I had ever seen. She began by asking David Crockett where he died. Simple, the Alamo. He also, through Madam, told my cousin how he died. He was just entering the area where the powder magazine was located when he way bayoneted. The only thing that came to my mind was that Madam must have grown up watching John Wayne and Fess Parker. David Crockett died after being surrounded by General Manuel Castrillon only to be executed by Santa Anna’s officers who drew swords and killed them. I wanted to point that out to Madam only to have my cousin lay a restraining hand on my arm.

Madam turned to me:

“I can tell you don’t believe but perhaps you will tell me who you seek.”

“I seek to know how my ancestor: Mary, Queen of Scots.”

“You seek boldly young woman.”

“I don’t believe that you can “conjure up Mary Queen of Scots or David Crockett.”

“Well, Missy seeing is believing.”

Abruptly a cold wind began to blow inside of her parlor. I was sure this was another put on, after all she had to make her money somehow. Now it was becoming a battle of wills; her against me. I have never believed in psychic, fortune tellers or for that matter any type of nonsense such as this. Madam grabbed my arm roughly as she took me into another parlor. There she sat me in a chair, my cousin joined us, as Madam went into some sort of trance. The cold wind became stronger, smoke appeared; a howl of torment that seemed to shake the entire building. A voice with an almost comical Scot accent could be heard. I knew this was fake the moment that trance began. A sort of apparition appeared in a black silk dress, with red petticoat, red of course being for catholic martyrs. Mary was once again about to lose her head. I could clearly make out the scaffold, and the block. Mary, who looked a great deal like Vanessa Redgrave; began her walk to her execution. She held her self proudly and regally as she walked toward her fate. She climbed the three steps to where the executioner stood. A huge man who appeared to be able to simply snap her neck. She knelt down on a pillow that had been provided. Her heart began to race, as she put her head on the block. The executioner missed and the ax hit Mary in the head but did not severe her head. Once again, the executioner struck this time, he severed the neck bone...he held up Mary’s head by her red hair. The unthinkable happened, Mary’s head fell to the ground as it turned out she had short gray hair. I thought that was rather entertaining, but I wasn’t buying it. It reminded me of several different movies I have seen about Mary Queen of Scots; the only thing none of them showed was when the executioner held her head up; “God Save the Queen he bellowed; then the head fell. I had to admit that was very accurate.

Madam knew I was testing her and thus far I had won. She took my hand:

“The ancestor you really wish to know about is your grandfather. You want to know why he

had a price on his head? He could never return to the Germany. I have an answer, you

will come with me to the parlor or answers.”

Parlor of answers huh? My cousin must have told her about Grandfather, otherwise there is no way she would have known. I decided to play along; I would deal with my cousin later. The Parlor of Answers was two doors down; from the other parlor we had been sitting in. My cousin was nowhere to be seen or heard. This was beginning to catch my interest. Madam motioned me to be seated once again. The wooden chair was uncomfortable, no cushion; nothing. The table was a cherry wood with a strange cloth covering it. Tassels were all around it the colors were vibrate yellows, greens and reds. Madam began to speak. A very thick German accent began:

“Vell, you half finally come. You vant the truth about me? I vill tell you. You were right

ven you said that I killed Rudolph Diesel. I had no choice; I vas hired to take his life.

I vas a spy. It is something I am not proud of. I jumped ship in New Orleans, got a young

voman pregnant in Texas. I disappeared again and vent to Brooklyn, New York. There

I remained for the rest of my natural life.”

I was taken aback I had always thought that was the reason but to hear was a different thing all together. Madam was very good at reading faces; she knew her job. My cousin was waiting for me outside the Parlor of Answers:

“Well, what happened?”

“Grandfather appeared to me; he did kill Diesel.”

The snicker on my cousin’s face said all I needed to know:

“The next time you get a bright idea to see of one these psychics go by yourself.”

“You must admit it was fun.”

“No, it was not fun; I don’t enjoy having our family on display especially Grandfather.”

“Oh, that, sorry I could not resist; Madam was very frustrated with you, so I told her.”

I really wanted to pop her one, but she is my cousin. Madam De La Farge could be seen standing peering out one of her lace covered windows. I turned and waved; she returned the wave and gave me a half smile.