You may or may not have read, the tales I have shared over the years, about my grandparent's tattered lil' enchanted home, complete with double attic and tiny passageways? Or ghostly apparitions, and curious collections up rickety stairs? It is a home that sits high high high upon a hill, on a cliff. To get to their home, you must make the descent down what seems like a hundred stairs.
There are stairs everywhere.
Stairs to get to down to their house, which halfway down, turn into two sets of stairs. One going straight ahead, and another more gracefully swooping to the right, leading you to a path that will curve you to the front yard.
Once your arrive at the house, you can go inside. Or, you can peer over the wall...
And see the family's abandoned playground, and below that a long drop down the cliff, to a stream. Where my Mom and her siblings and cousins used to play, although it was forbidden.
At one time, when my Mom was little, all of the houses on this cliff were mostly occupied by her family. Great-grandparents and aunts and uncles and so many cousins, I can't even begin to name them. Plus her siblings, which were 6.
And of course, wouldn't ya know, the family had witches.
My mom's great-aunts.
You can imagine the stories I heard growing up. My grandma is a storyteller beyond words. A fascinating beautiful woman, who would tell tales that gave me chills until, well, now.
Maybe this added to my imagination? I don't know? But what I do know is that, I can spook the bloomers off of myself if I simply recall the endless tales told, under the stars...
Of course, any child's imagination would run wild, if when they visited the family playground, down even more garden stairs, at the edge of the cliff...
They were greeted by the real witches cottage.
My ideas and the places I dream up, are very real to me. When I was a child I was constantly told tales, fairy tales and spooky tales, that were followed up with proof...
Which made me a believer of everything fanciful, fantastical and otherworldly, early on.
We were always forbidden to go in or near the witches house...
I can't help but visit it, every time I go to see my grandparents. When I am there, I can feel swirls of cool air surround me. I feel like someone touches my ear, and slowly tugs at my hair...
The witches were very jealous of my grandmother, and did mean things to her. She was, and is, so lovely. They even gave her an eye-drop tincture when she was young, telling her it would make her eyes sparkle, which of course, did no such thing. Instead, it caused her to lose her eyesight for some time.
I could tell you tales upon tales....
Maybe someday I will.
But for now I will tell you this. It is at this time of the year, as autumn envelops us, that I remember crunching through leaves, to get a peek into the witches cottage... Thinking I could really see them...
Over the years, the cottage has crumbled, I can't even see the fireplace through the rubble. And I wonder...
What treasures lie beneath?
My grandfather asked me if I wanted him to pull out what he could? But I said, No no, it is too dangerous...
Plus, secretly, I wouldn't want to upset any witches, would you???
Between you and me, I think they still roam the place...
I will tell you this...
As a girl, I would swing on my stomach, and look at the cottage doorway, having to rub my eyes in disbelief at what I saw.
For, somewhere in the darkness, I was certain I could see a bone chilling apparition.
My cousin saw it too.
Often.
And maybe, just maybe, you can see her as well, in the doorway, in the darkness, while you swing, swing swing, on a squeaky old swing, as the leaves rustle, and your little arm hairs stand on end...
Yes, just maybe, you can see her too....
We would run up the stairs, and slam the little gate... Heaving, and breathing with vast fear, and we were certain we could hear her say.....
We will geeeeeeet yoooooouu....
Granny says that the witches will appear, at this time of the year, to anyone who is willing to open their eyes, and truly see...
Shall we invite them to the party??
I dunno....
You decide.
I have to go prepare though. A little witch magic would come in handy. I have not started my party planning yet. But that is not unlike me. I like to let the inspiration simmer, and then explode. I also like to go with the flow. I don't like to think things and ideas up. I sort of ask them to come find me....
They best turn up today though, or I will be in big trouble ;)
Party just around the corner...
OH! Cool and spooky nights, and Jack-o-lantern flickers do delight!!
I LOVE this time of year.
Don't you?
Yumm!
, V
ps: More family tales from older post, here...
pss: All links to Halloween and Mad Tea Parties can now be found in my left hand side bar, in one place, for ease of finding them. In case you want to peek at old parties. Love, V
