Raven

For as long as I can remember my Nana was helping people all over our little town of Whitland Tennessee. Whether it was being Mrs. Thompson's midwife, or curing little Tommy Bartlow of the fever. My Nana had a remedy or elixir for everything, she was at one time our people's medicine woman. See my Nana and I are of the Chickasaw people, and many many years ago my Nana was their healer. She doesn't look like it with her tall thin physique, long salt and pepper hair and her heart shaped face with high cheekbones and full lips, but My Nana was older than this nation. She had told me for my whole life that there is magic in our peoples blood. My name is Raven Hatahley. I am 18 and a senior in high school and for myself, I have never felt very magical. Beautiful yes, I do not want to sound conceited, but most say with my slim muscular physique, heart shaped face and long flowing ebony hair like my Nana and mother. Except I think my cheekbones are higher. Anyway they say I could be famous. But my Nana had different ideas for my future. She had tried my whole life to give me everything she could, the best of everything from clothes to schooling. See my Mama she passed in childbirth, Nana said I look just like her. My Daddy, well Mama never did tell my Nana who he is. Sometimes I just sit in front of my vanity mirror and imagine what he is like. What he looks like, what his family is like.Does he have a family? Is his Mama as nice as my Nana, how would they treat me if they find out who I am? Does he know about me and just doesn't want me? My Nana said I shouldn't fuss about it. “Girl if he wanted to be known he'd show his face. ”Sometimes I wonder if Nana told the truth about knowing who my father is. Some of the things she had said when I would wonder out loud in front of her just makes me think. But she's right if he wanted to be known he'd show his face cause how could he not know about me. My mama wasn't the type of woman to keep something like that from someone. At least that's what Nana said, she would tell me all the time how I am like her in so many ways. Her eyes, her smile, her laugh, and most of all her brains. Mama was a genius Nana said, could do just about anything she set her mind to. I was on my way to being a highschool graduate when I finally realized what my Nana had been talking about when she said there is magic in our blood. I would find out later why it took so long to show itself. I was sitting in natural science class just daydreaming about how college might be, staring out the classroom window. When my name was called over the PA to come down to the principal's office. The class did their normal oos and awes, a couple of them even started chanting “Ravens int rouble, Ravens in trouble” . Sometimes I think I am actually the only mature one in my high school, my classmates can be so immature. When I got to Principal Green's office there were two police officers standing in front of her desk talking to her. They looked like they were having a very serious conversation. When I walked in and announced myself to the secretary she immediately went to the principal's door and knocked. “Miss. Hatahley is here.” she announced quietly. The principal looked around the officers to look out her office window. “Send her right in please Ms.Godfree.” she said in a very strange tone. Mrs. Green was usually a very happy and optimistic woman, but as I walked into her office she looked like she was about to burst into tears. “Raven, this is Officer Jones and Officer McGregor they have something they would uh” she paused for a moment holding back the tears I could see starting to appear at the brim of her eyelids. “They would like to speak with you. I’ll leave you alone.” Mrs. Green got up, took one last sad look at me, shook her head, patted my arm and then walked out of the office and closed the door. “Officers,” I said, looking and nodding to them both. It was officer Jones who took the lead, he looked like a leader too, with his tall military stature and serious brown eyes. “Ah miss I am afraid we have some horrible news,” he paused, looked at his hat in his hands and continued “your Grandmother was in a car accident and well Miss she didn't make it. She was pronounced dead at the scene.” The room began spinning and the last thing I remember is hearing myself scream. I must have passed out because I awoke on the couch in the principal's office. With both officers, the secretary and the principal staring at me, anxious to see how I am going to react further. Ms. Godfree handed me a cold towel, and I placed it over my face. Then it hit me, my Nana cant die. I have to see for myself. I sat up quickly, startling everyone, even myself. “Can I see her , I have to see her, I have to be sure. My Nana cant die, I know I sound crazy but you just don't understand. She. Can’t. Die.” I said emphasizing the last three words just staring at the police. “As soon as the coroner calls us we can take you down there, they have to uh, prepare the body for identification.” Said Officer McGregor. “Prepare? I don’t understand. What do you mean by ‘prepare’?” I asked him, using air quotes when I said it. Officer Jones took over then, “Miss when the vehicles collided your grandmother's car was pushed under a flatbed trailer and well uh,” He paused, looked at his hat in his hands and looked at his partner who continued. “She was decapitated, miss, I am so sorry to have to tell you this.” he looked down at the floor then, as if ashamed to have had to tell me.“So that's how, huh.” I said and looked at my hands. That's when I felt the electricity start to run through my body. I felt it coursing through my veins, through my blood. I looked at the principal “ Can I be excused for the rest of the day?” I heard myself ask, it sounded muffled in my ears. “Well of course Raven you take all the time you need, I will have Misty bring you your work everyday after school.” I heard her say, I just nodded and stood up. I looked at the officers “Can we go wait for my Nana to be prepared, so I can get this over with and go home please.”I asked, I sounded like a stranger to myself. All I could think about was what am I going to do with Nana gone. I haven't spent not more than a week away from her. I just stared out the window on our way to identify my Nana's body. Officer Jones informed me on the way there that Nana would be ready when we got there. I just nodded and continued to stare out the window. When we got there and I walked up to the viewing window, I felt numb, except for the weird energy that was surging through my blood. The coroner opened the blind and pulled back the sheet. It was her, my Nana, she's gone. Her once bright kind eyes now closed for ever, Her once vibrant salt and pepper hair now looked grey. I felt myself falling, officer Jones was there to catch me. “Yeah it's her” is all I could say. He helped me sit in the closet chair he could find. “Would you like some water, Miss, maybe some tea or coffee? I can get you anything you want.” He said to me, clutching at anything to be able to help me. I don't think he’s comfortable in these kinds of situations. “No thank you,” I managed to say after a minute, “I would just like to go home please.” I stood and started for the door. I still felt nothing but the strange energy running through my body. I didn't even want to feel that, it just meant that this is real and not just a dream. It was totally silent on the way to my home. Home, was it really even a home now with my Nana gone. The car pulled into the driveway, I thanked the officers for all of their kindness and the ride home. I stepped out of the car and started walking up our walkway, looking down at the cobblestone too scared to look at the house afraid it would somehow look different to me. When I got to our front door, all I could do was stare at the Maroon colored door. I couldn’t go in, she isn’t going to be there singing and mixing her herbs in the kitchen. It had just been me and Nana for so long. I put my back up against the door and slowly slid to the porch floor. I put my head between my head and fell apart, what was I going to do My Nana was my rock, she is the reason I have gotten this far. Always cheering me on, pushing me to do things I wouldn't normally do, and teaching me all I need to know about being a healer and a good person. I didn't realize it at first but it had started raining. What caught my attention was the fact that it was like the rain was crying right along with me. When my crying intensified the rain went right along with my crying and intensified too, I blew it off as a coincidence. I got up, the air was becoming cold and so was I. Still crying softly I slid my hand into my pocket to get my key to realize it wasn't in my pocket. Everything was at school: my purse, my backpack, and also my car. As I turned around my car pulled into the driveway, and my best friend Misty Stapelten hopped out. Misty is a beautiful person inside and out, she has shoulder length sandy blonde hair and a body every girl wants, with the bluest eyes I have ever seen in my life. “So you forgot everything at school, even your car, Mrs.Green told me what happened. O. M. G. are you ok, well obviously you're not ok.” She was rushing up the walkway bringing my purse with her. Misty stared at me with a pity filled expression, she then grabbed me up in a hug so tight it almost helped the feeling come back to my body. After a little while she let go, looked at me and said “Alright let's get you in the house.” She tried handing me my keys to unlock the house but I couldn't take them. She finally unlocked the door herself, turned around, grabbed my hand and pulled me slowly into the house. She pointed upstairs, and said, “You upstairs, shower, and fresh pajamas. I’ll cook us dinner, go on now.” she waved her hand at me shooing me to the stairs as if she was a mother shooing her child to the bath. “Yes Mother,” I said smiling, and I did as she said. Because well Misty has been mothering me our whole lives it seemed like. She’s four days younger than me and my Nana was her mothers midwife, like she was for most of the mothers in this town. I have to let people know before it hits the news, I have to make her funeral arrangements and find her something to be buried in. I could feel myself starting to panic, I do not know how to do all that. What am I going to do, just then my thoughts were interrupted by Misty. “I don't hear the water running, stop worrying about everything, we will figure it out tomorrow. Now. Get. In. The. Shower.” She emphasized each word, I don't know how but she always knew exactly how I was feeling and what I was thinking. I again did what she said and tried shutting my brain off. I turned the shower on, and slipped out of my wet clothes. A shower was exactly what my body needed but not what my mind needed. I showered and got into my comfiest pajamas. As I was walking past my bedside table the picture of me and Nana at my twelfth birthday party caught my eye. I sank into my bed picking up the picture frame, it started to sink in again and again i realized she truly isn't coming back. How? Why? She had been on the earth so long. Why now, why when I need her the most? The smell of homemade lasagna came creeping up then stairs. Oh it smells good, I got up and started downstairs. “How did you manage a homemade lasagna in an hour?” I asked Misty as I stood in the doorway of the kitchen with my hand on my hip. “Ummmm, welllll.” She was having trouble finding her words. This never happened to Misty, she looked up after a few moments and in a rushed tone, “It was already prepared in the Fridge. Your Nana must have prepared it before she went to run her errands. So I figured what's better than that. I’m Sorry, I should have asked you first but I wanted it to be almost done when you got out of the shower.” She stopped, and looked at me waiting for my reaction. But I don't think it was what she was expecting. It was then that the electricity in my veins showed itself again. I don't know how to explain it but, I suddenly don't feel quite so sad and I could have sworn i heard my Nana whisper in my ear “Everything will be fine my child.” I jumped and turned my head to see if she was there but there was nothing but an empty living room. I turned back to Misty who was looking at me still waiting for my melt down. I just smiled at her and said “It is totally fine, just what I needed for this horrible night was one more home cooked meal from my Nana.” We were just sitting down to eat and I got that electricity feeling in my veins again. “Go look in my office child,” I heard my Nana whisper in my ear. “Everything you need to know is there.” I turned again to see her face and again nothing but an empty living room. Misty looked at me and asked “What is up with you?,” she looked where I was looking. “I swear I just heard my Nana tell me to go look in her office,” I said confused looking around again. “Well Nana, we are getting ready to eat dinner. So it will have to wait.” Misty said matter of factly. I giggled at her and said “Well you heard her Nana, after dinner it is.” I am glad Misty is here with me, she doesn't judge me, she doesn't mind my moments of weirdness and most of all she is my comfort right now. Someone familiar who gets me just like Nana did. “Thank you Misty, for everything. For always being there for me when I need you most, and for always knowing exactly what I need.” I said looking at my food, “I don't know what I would do without you.” Misty looked up at me from her plate of lasagna, “Raven Lillian Hatahley, you do not have to thank me. You are my best friend and have been for as long as I can remember, you would do the same for me if the shoe was on the other foot.” She said with a little more emphasis than I think she meant. “What you go through I go through and what I go through you go through. It's how we have always been, we got each other no matter what thick and thin. Right?” She asked, tilting her head and smiling at me. “Right!” I said with a little more oomph than I intended. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. We went through the rest of dinner in a comfortable silence. Misty was one of them friends that was ok with not talking all the time. We finished our food, with a kind of nostalgic food high. We did what dishes were dirty, then Misty turned to me and said, “Shall we go see what Nana was talking about?” Before I could answer her, she twirled around like a ballerina and started for the office. I followed slowly behind, not really sure I wanted to know what it was Nana was talking about. We get to the office door, all I can do is stare at it. “I can't go in,” I say, shaking my head back and forth. “I don't want any of this to be real.” I backed away from the door but didn't get too far because Misty was standing behind me. “Raven we have to, I am here with you and will help you get through all of this. Remember we will always be in this together.” Misty put her arm around my shoulder and said “We will go in together and whatever is in there we will go through it together.” She pulled me slowly to the door, and reached down and opened my Nanas office door. Everything in there was her, her scent, her sacred healers hand book as she used to call it.That always made me laugh. As I placed my hand upon it, I felt the electricity moving through my body again. “Open it,” I hear my Nana again, “Open it child, it holds all your answers, and instructions.” I grasp the cover of the book and it felt as if it was becoming part of me. I open it to the first page and there is an envelope addressed to me from my Nana. I pick it up and just stare at it, “Read it Child!” My Nana was louder this time. Misty walked over to where I was, “Wow I can not believe I have never l been in here. Your Nana was quitethe collector of fascinating things.” She said taking a seat in the chair across from the desk. “What is that you're holding?” She asked, eyeing the envelope in my hand. “A letter from my Nana, she is very adamant that I read it.” I say staring at the envelope like I can read the letter through it. “Then read it silly,” Misty said sitting up in the chair she was sitting in. “I want to know what it says.” “You open it,” I say, handing it over to her. “I can’t.” “Nuh-uh Nana said you have to open it so you have to.” She said, shaking her head and pushing my arm back towards me. “I am not having her haunt me cause I did it for you.” She continued with a shaky laugh. “Ha Ha Misty, fine.” I said and started to open it not knowing what to expect from my Nanas death letter. It was so weird, did she know this was coming or was she just being my over cautious Nana always having a back up plan. I unfold the letter and begin to read it, Raven Child, If you are reading this it means I am finally being laid to rest among my great mother earth. There are things you need to know I could not tell you when I was alive. Like the fact that when I am gone the magic that is running through your veins will finally show itself and only because only one healer at a time can hold the power of our people. It is also the reason I was in this world so long. The magic protects you from growing old too fast, it also helps you heal fast, and heal others. You can still have children and a family, obviously. But it is only when you have movedn from this life that it will fall upon your child. Please dont see this as a burden because it is far from one, but see it as a gift to spread good to others and help those who cant help themselves. Continue with your studies my child but also study my potion and elixir book just as much. One day you will be a great doctor and healer, like you have always wanted to be but you will be so much better than the normal doctor. Because with this magic you can read the human body better than any robot or lab. Follow your gut and you will never be wrong, be one with your magic and it will never fail you just as it never failed me. Raven you have much to learn so take no time and begin your studies both magical and academic.nI love you my girl and I will always be with you guiding you as I have always guided you. I am sorry I can't be there with you too but this is how it has always been, so it must always be. Again I love you always Nana xoxoxo That's when I could really feel it, it wasn’t electricity, it was my Nana's magic. “WELLL!!!” Misty yelled, breaking my little trance, “What does it say?” She asked with curiosity. “Inbshort terms, My life is about to change in a big way,” Ibsaid in a cryptic way. I didn't even understand why I said it like I did. But it's exactly how I feel. Life is Changing.