Ada: The Witch Huntress

Chapter 2: Ni'mula

It almost took an hour before Ada's grandmother’s door bolted open. She quickly hurried her way to the small room before the next client could come in. As she entered, an offensive scent of the lighted candles worked its way to her nostrils that she automatically covered her nose with the back of her left hand as she cursed in her mind.

F*cking scented candles.

She groaned as she stumbled upon the glass table that she didn’t manage to see, despite the dozen tiny candles lit around the room.

Sh*t!

The table was located originally in the left corner of the room. However, it serves as a psych table every morning for her grandmother’s racket.

Clairvoyance is how people would describe her grandma’s ability. Aside from Palm, Astrology, and Tarot reading, her grandma could conjure and communicate with the dead, or that’s what the people believed. If only she hadn’t learned about her grandma’s tricks, she’d still be looking up at her with pride and unending amazement. However, she realized it the hard way just recently.

She remembered one time when she was completely lost in her thoughts about the four guys she’s got crushes on at school. She remembered how she squealed like a hog when she learned that she’s included on her crushes’ Top Ten List Of Beautiful Women In Class, though her name almost never made it on those lists.

Then, her grandmother suddenly stormed into the bedroom, screeching at her, telling her to shut the f*ck up. She didn’t even manage to ask Ni’mula why she suddenly got angry. She just scratched her head to her utmost bewilderment and confusion to her grandmother’s sudden burst of reaction.

Another time, she was about to get off for school while thinking she’d cut off from her classes for the day to watch her childhood friend’s basketball tournament. Her grandma, who’s currently in the kitchen, suddenly appeared behind her and struck her head with a wooden spatula full of grease, yelling at her as to why she would cut classes as if she had the brain of a genius.

Her grandma wasn’t that brutal before, but she can’t seem to control her emotions these days. She ran back to their bedroom, crying as she slammed the door. She didn’t get to attend her classes. She didn’t get to watch her friend’s competition either. She just wasted the day in her room. She didn’t even budge when her aunt called her for dinner. When she felt her aunt came in, she was about to go berserk as she wanted to shriek at someone and let it all out, but when she saw Ni’mula instead of Hi’laria, tears started streaming down her face once again. Then her grandmother suddenly hugged her and apologized to her. She hugged her back, and they went to dinner. But she clearly remembered that day, how her grandmother learned about her plan without her voicing it out as if she can read her mind. So she investigated.

One day, she woke up alone in their room when she saw the lower bunk was empty. She remained slumped in her bed as she screamed for help in her thoughts. Then Ni’mula came bursting through the door with a worried look on her aged face. That’s when she realized her grandmother could hear her thoughts. Then she teasingly greeted Ni’mula in her head. 'Good morning, grandmother! You had an early day.'

Ni’mula slapped her head with her bare hand. Though she thought she heard a c***k in her skull, she didn’t get upset with her grandma’s sudden burst of affliction since the joke was on her that time.

She then realized why her grandma would often ask her clients to think about their greatest desire before proceeding with the actual reading. Her grandma would then play with their heads as she would answer their questions with a vague answer, and when they couldn’t get enough, she’ll get them to pay additional money for extra questions.

Now that she knew how her grandma operates her schemes, she started to dislike her, but not to the level of disgust she felt with her aunt. But no matter how much she’s against these two, they are working their a*s*s off for her. She was just worried. Their schemes might get to them later as she believed in karma though, she’s a Catholic.

She parted the curtain she felt in her face when she walked through the room, towards their bunk. Like the candles and table, it’s part of the psyche’s props. She made a mental note to buy new candles that shone brighter than the ones she purchased recently. She gasped when she suddenly saw a figure moved on the lower bunk.

“Forget it, brat,” Ni’mula said in a daunting tone. She cursed in her mind once again as she heard her speak. “You are getting better with your swearing, child.”

“I am going to La Feria. I’ll be back late tonight.” She was fortunate not to see Ni’mula’s expression at that moment, though she countered the thought immediately.

Ah sh*t, does she have her wooden back scratcher with her?

She immediately distanced herself from the bunk. However, Ni'mula didn't bother hitting her today.

Not in the mood to be barbaric today eh, mi abuelita? She heard her grandma tutted.

“Yeah, sure. Enjoy yourself while the antiguas work hard, so their unica hija could eat five scrumptious meals a day,” Ni’mula said in utmost contempt.

“I’ve got nothing else to do. Instead of cursing all day while watching Laria’s opera, I think I should enjoy myself at the fair. In that way, you both can do your work comfortably, and I can finally have my peace of mind since I won’t get to see your cunning ventures of the day.”

“Then, do you have any idea on how can we feed your insatiable appetite without our cunning ventures? Que? You want us to work on Corazon’s Hacienda instead?”

“No, just continue what you’ve been doing, just don’t let me take part in it since I don’t seem to have any manifestations of powers you both hold. You can’t even tell me why you two got magic, and I got none. You can’t even possibly teach me how I can have my magic.” When she got the phone she needed, she rushed out of the room. Well, what she really wanted was to rush out of that crazy house forever.

Life is so unfair.