My Familiar

Claire was instantly hit with the smell of day-old incense as she stepped into her small dimly lit shop. She noticed how odd the shop felt when it was silent.  As she looked around the room she noticed the tarot cards on the counter, and the crystals that were laying haphazardly near the basket they were usually stored in. Claire realized she must have been more tired than she thought when she left last night. She walked around cleaning up the counters, moving books back on their shelf and turning on lights as she went. Claire headed toward the back of the building, through to the storeroom. She ran her fingers along the boxes, counting them in her mind. She knew that eventually she will have to put this stock out, but first she has to sell what is already displayed. She picked up her broom and began sweeping a pile of dirt together. She opened the door to sweep the dust and dirt outside and immediately heard a loud “Meow” coming from the alley. 

A black tuxedo cat sidled over to Claire, rubbing against her leg. “Hey there kitty,” said Claire. “Meow” came the reply. Claire had seen this cat out in the alley before but this was the first time that it ever came near her, let alone touched her. The cat flopped on its side and showed its belly to her. She was surprised by its friendliness and reached down and rubbed its soft fur, realizing that it was a male cat. “Well handsome, aren’t you a friendly little boy,” she said. Claire took in the dirty spots on the cat, and the notch in his ear. She realized he was neutered and released by a local rescue group that specializes in SNR. “I’m sorry handsome but I don’t have any cat food for you, but maybe you’d like some leftovers,” she said to him as he rubbed her leg. 

Claire opened her small mini-fridge and pulled out a container of food that she brought to work a couple of days ago. She stirred it up and turned around to take it outside. “Oh! There you are,” she gasped. The cat stood on the top of a box and stared at her as she put the food outside the door. He didn’t jump down, instead sitting on the box thumping his tail as if to say “You can’t think I am going to eat outside”. 

Claire set the bowl on the floor and watched as the cat walked over and began eating. She has often wondered about a familiar. Familiars are often an essential part of her beliefs as a witch and she wondered idly if this boy has shown up as hers. She left the cat to eat and headed to the front of the store, turning on the Goddess music and flipping the sign in the window to OPEN.

Later that morning Claire felt that her eyes were starting to cross. She had performed 2 very long tarot readings and spent the morning educating a young man on crystal grids. He struggled to understand what she was telling him and she finally sold him a book that could walk him through the process step by step. She was grateful for the business, but was feeling energetically drained. Claire lit some white sage and began to cleanse her shop by wafting the smoke around the room. Just enough people, and their energies, have come through her shop today. Time to refresh. 

She heard the jingle of the door and turned to see a young woman walk into her shop. She smiled at Claire with a hopeful look on her face. 

“Hi, my name is Melody, I live in the building behind your shop,” she said. “I’m hoping you have seen a cat roaming around”. 

The young woman was only about 20 years old. Her hair was a vibrant blue color, and she had piercings in her eyebrow and nose. Bright lipstick and heavy eyeshadow completed the look. 

“I fed a cat, this morning in fact, a tuxedo cat,” Claire replied. “He was in the back of my shop eating last time I saw him, he should still be there.” 

“Oh thank you. I’ve been feeding him for about a year, and I was worried when he didn’t show up this morning. I have seen him roaming near your shop so I was hoping he was here.” Melody looked around the shop and took a deep breath. “It smells so nice in here,” she said. 

As Claire and Melody talked about her shop, and the incense she used Claire kept feeling there was something familiar about the young woman. Claire racked her mind, trying to remember where she had seen her before but couldn’t put her finger on it. “So anyway, could I see Oscar?” Melody asked with an expectant look on her face. Claire took Melody to the back of her store and called the cat. “Here kitty kitty,” Melody called out. She looked over at Claire sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Oscar has kind of become my Muse over the last year.”  

“Really?  That is so sweet. Are you an artist?”

“I am,” replied Melody. “I am a painter, I attend the local art school. Since he showed up in my life, my painting has been incredibly inspired.”

Oscar jumped down off of a box and weaved in and out of Melody and Claire’s legs, softly mewing. “I have been a painter most of my life. Since I was a little girl I’ve always loved it,” said Melody. “My favorite is realism”.

“I would love to see some of your work,” said Claire. “I am always looking for ways to support the art school. I’ve sold a lot of work in the past. I can’t make any promises but if you’re interested, bring some of your work to me and we’ll talk.” 

“Oh yes I’d love that! Thank you!” Melody exclaimed.

Claire watched as Melody called Oscar and slipped out the back door. She truly hoped the young woman would be back. 

As Claire was closing up for the day, she heard a familiar “meow” behind her. She looked down and Oscar was rubbing her leg and looking up at her with large yellow eyes.

“Oscar! Good to see you my friend,” she said as she reached down to pet him. He arched his back enjoying the attention.

“But where is your Mum?” she wondered aloud. 

Claire walked down the sidewalk toward the bus stop. Like most city dwellers, car ownership was a foreign concept. She noticed that Oscar was following her, stopping and staring at her each time she turned to see if he was still there. Claire started to worry about him. Was he going to try to ride the bus home with her? Claire looked over and saw a street sign directing toward the local art college. She took this as a sign from the Universe and headed to the building behind her store. The directory on the front door had one button that said M. Lewis.  Claire took a chance and pushed the button.

“Yes?” came a response in a familiar voice. 

“Yes Melody? This is Claire from the shop. I have Oscar here. He’s been following me.”

“I’ll buzz you in. He comes in with me sometimes. I’m in 2B,” Melody said. 

At the tone of the buzzer Melody pushed her way into the building, holding the door for Oscar to follow. He ran straight up the stairs like he knew where he was going. Claire knocked on door 2B and Oscar ran right into the apartment when the door opened. 

“Hi Claire! Thank you so much for bringing him over. It’s always nice to see someone care about animals like I do,” Melody said. 

“I have always been an animal lover. It runs in the family, we always had pets,” Claire told her. 

“Do you have a big family?”

“We did,” she answered. Both of my parents are gone but I still have my three brothers. I had a sister but she died years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your sister. I am an only child myself. No siblings, but plenty of cousins.”

Claire looked around the apartment and was pleasantly surprised by the surroundings. It was obvious that Melody lived on a college student’s budget but the artwork offset peeling wallpaper and beige curtains. 

“Are these your pieces?” she asked. 

“Yes, they are!,” Melody replied. “I have been working on them daily since Oscar came into my life. I can’t explain the effect he has had on my art. It's a little weird.”

Claire walked from piece to piece and then stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at a painting of a house with an open field to the side. She took in the yellow slats of the house, and the white trim around the windows and doors. The porch was white with the dirt path leading to the stairs. There were even daisies growing in the yard. 

“Oh my Goddess,” she gasped. 

“Do you like it? I was afraid it was too simple.”

“Where did you see this house?” Claire asked. 

“I never have, I just started painting it one day. Why do you ask?” said Melody. 

“You don’t understand,” replied Claire. “I grew up in a house just like this. All the details are the same. The colors, the field, even the daisies. Are you sure you never saw this house in person?”

“No, never.” 

Claire was in awe as she continued to stare at the piece in front of her. She took in the memories that it evoked. Her playing with her siblings in the yard, chasing each other. She looked at the window at the top of the house. “That was the room my older sister and I shared,” she said pointing at the window on the house. “We were only 14 months apart in age. We were more like twins really.” 

“What happened to your sister?” asked Melody.

“She died of cancer, about 9 years ago. Ovarian. By the time the doctor’s found the cancer, it was too advanced to do anything about it.” 

“I am so sorry, you must really miss her.” 

Claire watched as Melody moved, her mannerisms and suddenly realized who she reminded her of. 

“You actually remind me of Rebecca. There is something about you that is very similar to her. She was an artist too, but she made sculptures.”

“What was she like?” asked Melody. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“She was an amazing woman. In her younger years she was a bit wild but as she got older she settled down and truly focused her energy on what she could bring to the world. My family wasn’t very religious so no one got  wound up when Rebecca found her Wiccan path. She helped me learn everything I know. My parents owned a farm, but in their later years it was more of a sanctuary than a working farm.” 

Claire and Melody shared some more stories growing up and Melody told Claire that she was adopted as a baby. “My birth mother put me up for adoption when I was born, I have never met her. I was told by my adoptive parents that they met her once and she was lovely but that is all I know of her.”

Claire was instantly taken back to her teenage years, to one morning when she had laid in bed before school, her twin bed next to Rebecca’s in the small room they shared. Rebecca was already awake and down the hall, and Claire assumed she was getting ready for school. But when she came into the room she was still in her nightgown and flopped down into the bed. “I am too sick to go to school today,” she had said. “I am throwing up and just exhausted.” 

“Or maybe it’s morning sickness.” Claire had replied in that tone only a kid sister can do.

“That isn’t even funny Claire. Shut up and go to school.”

Two days later when Claire came home from school, her mother and her sister were sitting next to each other at the dining room table. Her brothers were nowhere to be found. Her father was red faced and pacing around. When she came into the house everyone turned and stared at her. “Get outside. Go play, don’t come back in here until we call you in.” her father stated sternly. 

Claire obeyed and did what she was told. The next morning Rebecca left with a suitcase and they were told Rebecca was going to stay with their Aunt who lives in the city. Her Aunt had some health issues so it was an easy story to believe. 

“It wasn’t until Rebecca returned months later that she told me the truth.  She had gone to stay with my Aunt while she was pregnant. After giving birth she gave the baby up for adoption and then returned home. I stayed up with my sister many nights after that as she cried and railed against the parents that made her give her baby up. When she turned 18 she left home and didn’t look back. She would come home for Holidays and at least stayed in touch but she was never close with our parents again.”

“Wow, that is crazy,” said Melody. “I can’t believe they made her give the baby up.”

“Things were a little different then. It wasn’t like it is now. My parents were ashamed and didn’t want the world to know she had gotten pregnant at 16.”

“It’s still a shame it had to go that way.”

Melody went quiet and appeared to be lost in thought. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but then stopped. Clearly she was uncomfortable about something.

“Well Melody I should be going. I have loved seeing your artwork.  Please bring some more pieces to the shop and we will put them on sale. You can keep all of the money from selling them. I don’t want anything from the sale. I just like being able to support the local college.”

“Thank you so much!” Melody cried. “I will bring them by tomorrow.”

The next day Claire was at the shop and heard the familiar jingle again. She couldn’t see the person’s face but she knew it was Melody because she was carrying 2 large paintings.

“Melody, I'm so happy you’re here. Let’s see what you have,” she said pointing at the large canvas covered with a cloth to protect them. 

Melody set them down and then slowly stood up and turned around. When she did Claire let out a loud gasp.

“Oh my Goddess Melody. Look at you.”

“I was thinking all day about your sister. About her giving her baby up for adoption. You never did say how old she was, or how old the baby would be. But something about the whole story sounded familiar.”

Claire just stared at Melody. Her blue hair was covered with a hat, and the heavy eyeshadow and bright lipstick were missing today. 

Standing in front of her was Rebecca as a teenager. 

“I’m sorry to spring this on you Claire,” said Melody. “But I think I could be your niece. How old was your sister when she had the baby?”

“She was 16. She told me she had a daughter and adopted her to a very nice couple that couldn’t have kids of their own. Rebecca told me about the dinner she had with them, and how her gut told her that they were her baby’s parents.”

“How old would the girl be now?”

“Let’s see, I guess she would be about 19. Rebecca never told me her exact birthday but I do know she was born in October, just before Halloween.”

“Claire, I just turned 19 on the 22nd of October.”

“Oh my Goddess.”

“I have something else I want to show you. Another painting I did one day out of the blue. I have no idea who she is. I’ve never seen her before but I felt an inexplicable sense of happiness and calm when I painted her. She just seems so familiar to me.”

Melody unwrapped one of the paintings and Claire literally felt faint. There on the canvas was her sister. Her long dark hair, always a little unruly, not unlike Rebecca herself. The eyes were light green and almost cat-like and the cheeks hollow. 

“Melody, it’s her. That is Rebecca.”

"You mean…I painted my mother?"

"As a matter of fact I think you have Melody. I think you have."

The two women just stared quietly at one another. Each contemplating … what now?