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| She looked at me with not a smile but a look as if she was going to tell me something I would need to remember and take it to my grave. She turned the chest to me so I could see.... A book??? I got enough of that in class, granted I exceled in my schooling but what was the big deal. Like she knew what I was thinking she said "Paige love this is not just a book, this is a tome, but you must promise me something" She grabbed my hand so I would pay full attention and to let me know I would promise her without doubt. "When I am not with you anymore you will look back to this book, but never before you understand me? And I want you to take care of your father and your sister. I worry about them sometimes and I know they will need your support." I said the only thing I thought I should "Not with me?" She pat my head and sighed a little but kept going "you know what I mean child." as she said it, I did. I suppose I just didnt want to think of loosing her, but I knew full well what she meant. "I promise mother." She looked at me and said "You promise to do what?" I knew she was just making sure I was paying attention but im sure she knew I took this seriously even if I was only 7, I seemed to know more than my age would let on. "I promise to never open this book till you arent with me" She smiled then suddenly stopped as if even though she knew it was coming it still saddened her at times. SHe pulled out the thick tome, encased with snake skin binding with a smooth yet dull black cover. The old parchments inside were like nothing I had ever seen. She quickly placed the tome back into its place as she heard the footsteps coming up the stairs. locking it up and handing me the chest and the two pouches "Hide these pagie love till they are needed, never allow anyone to know about it" I nodded quickly and ran to my room fast before father would have seen me. | ||||||||||
| When the day came that our mother died I knew this was the time for my to be strong for us all. I would protect chantel and father with all I had, jsut like our mother and It also made me very excited in this moment of grief. I knew I was going to finally look at the tome and see what was the big secret. After all the crying that I care not to delve into at the moment I would get my first look at the tome. The picture came into my mind of my mother opening the chest, I placed the keys into the correspinding holes and pulled the tome from its encasment. I put the tome up on my desk and dimmed the lights enough so father would think I was asleep. I lit my candle and opened up the tome and delicately placed the front cover on the edge of my desk. Immediately I closed my eyes and took in the scents of old parchment and the smell of jasmine that I always loved smelling in mothers bedroom. I remember the first thing I saw that went right to me... It was a symbol, most would never know it upon sight but... I took my hand to my necklace, the locket was of the same symbol. I read on....Ayza,a loa, a deity...she was the protector.I looked once again into the emeralds and thought I could hear her mothers gentle voice calling me, that voice carried me off to sleep where I dreamt of vodou rituals and being a powerful mambo. | ||||||||||
| But how did mother know this day would come to pass so early and more importantly how could I possibly be the caretaker she was and be the mother to Mercedes. I sat there the whole night looking at all these symbols of the voodoo of my ancestry, | ||||||||||
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