Her Goodbye Letters
1041 Words
Sitting on the floor in her room, Brianna and Tamia had left Marisol alone. “From our experience, it comes with notes and personal items when things like this are left. You should be alone when you see them. But if you need us, don’t hesitate to ask.” Brianna had told her gently before leaving her alone.
Aurora seemed to be ready for a nap, so Marisol fed her, burped, changed, and then laid her down. After eating a light lunch, Marisol couldn’t put it off anymore. Sliding the silver charm bracelet on her wrist, she felt its familiar weight on her wrist. It was like she remembered wearing it before, but as the silver bones connected with a circle, she couldn’t remember when.
There were charms around it, a little dollhouse, a kitten, a book, a raindrop, and then the sigil she’d drawn. Running a hand over it, she stopped at the only one, not a charm.
It was a black rock shaped weird and felt smooth in her hand. Running her fingers over it, Marisol approached the trunk and pushed the weird rock into place.
It made a satisfying opening sound and Aurora held her breath as she opened the trunk.
Inside she found the most aesthetically pleasing witch’s trunk worthy of a Pinterest board. There were three comparts the first filled with dry herbs, the second with things like beads and little bowls, and the last there were papers. Lifting them out, Marisol sat them to the side for now.
After picking up one side she saw the compartments actually came up. And under them, she found cauldrons, two blue leather wrist bands, and a blue leather vest with a hood. Followed by six or seven books, and two she actually recognized.
Storybooks told by her father in funny voices to make her fall asleep.
The other? A book she remembers seeing her mother pour over when she was younger. It was thick and with multiple pages either illustrated or written in long slanted cursive, Marisol smiled. It was her book of shadows, and on the front page, she saw her mother’s name.
Her grandmother’s name.
And then her name seemed to appear as she flipped to the next page. Flipping through amazed such a thing existed, she found what Brianna and Tamia thought she would.
A message from the grave.
Opening an old letter in between two pages, Marisol smiled seeing two letters. From her parents.
The first one was her dad, telling her how he met her mother and knew from the moment Marisol was born how lucky he was. How much he loved them both and that in life and his untimely death that would never change.
Marisol held the letter close in tears. Her father’s name was Bobby DeJesus, and he was a good man. And in every word, every trace of where his hands had touched the page, she remembered more.
“Daddy, let’s go swimming!” A five-year-old her begged. And of course, Bobby, so handsome and kind, beamed down at his daughter with the light of the sun. “Of course mi querida. Whatever you want.” And then he’d put her on his broad shoulders, her mother coming behind them. “Don’t forget me!”
Both father and daughter turned and looked at the gorgeous Amaia DeJesus, maiden name Gonzalez. So beautiful and willowy, the young woman beamed happily as her daughter cheered, “Yay! We’re going to the lake!” And then she grabbed a fist full of her daddy’s hair and ordered bossily, “Full steam ahead!”
Bobby laughed and then took off in a light jog. His daughter’s laughter the only thing he cared about as his wife giggles followed them to the lake.
Wiping her eyes, Marisol looked at the other letter. Her mother’s letter was just as moving. But more informative as she didn’t hold back the truths.
Mi hija,
My angel, I’m so sorry for the hardships you must have faced. Because if you’re reading this, that means I’m gone and without your papa to protect you, I fear what your life was like. When I close my eyes and try to imagine you somewhere else, I hope you are happy, well-fed, and clothed. Cherished for the special girl you are and love without a shadow of a doubt. But from the moment you were born, we knew you were special. And a great evil wanted the power that resides in you. You are a bruja of the Gonzalez bloodline, born to be strong and forge a new day. A powerful witch of water, healing, and fertility.
Be strong mi hija, you are more powerful than you know. And with the knowledge, you are bound to attain, lean on your coven. They will come to you when you need them, they will be your family and protect you.
I love you, Marisol.
Marisol breathed out shakily and for a while, she couldn’t move. Not until her daughter made a noise of distress feeling her mama upset. Walking to her, Marisol lifted her daughter out of the crib and held on to her tight.
Sitting on the floor with her, Marisol lifted one last book. It was blue and bound with a leather string. Untying it, Marisol almost sobbed at the sight of her family photo album. Marisol had come to the pain of thinking all memory of her parents remained in memory or the charred remains of their home.
But seeing the picture of her parents embracing a toddler Marisol, made her smile. The polaroid picture was marked in sharpy announced: Marisol turns five months! And she beamed happily showing it to her daughter, “Look, baby, it’s mama, Abuela, and Abuelo.” Aurora smiled and buried her face in Marisol’s neck and Marisol held her daughter close.
Promising to get strong in her craft, Marisol had an inkling the evil her mother mentioned, wasn’t gone.
- Writer
