Gypsy Tales

"There was always been this memory in my head. It couldn't have happened in my current lifetime; it must be a memory from a past life. I will tell it to you now. Try not to be frightened. But do forgive me, children, my memory is not what it used to be."

The old woman sat in the rocking chair with an afghan throw covering her lap and legs. The three little children, two girls and a boy, set cross-legged in front of her, admiring the blanket and listening in awe. the woman began her story.

"The surrounding buildings look like Grecian architecture. All of the stone columns and ivy growing up the sides. It was a very pretty place full of green grass and hedge gardens. There was also a pond in the garden with strangely large fish. I was not alone in this place. There were a dozen other little girls like me. Yes, I am your age in this memory. Each little girl was paired with a witch. It was a magical place, but these were nice witches, not like the wicked witch of the west. All the witches were wearing the traditional black pointy hat and swooping cape.

"My witch and I flew kites and fished in the pond with the other little girls and their witches. I believe I had a balloon and carried it with me the whole day.

"I must have let go of my balloon on accident because it got stuck in one of the big garden hedges. Oh, wait a minute. Was it my balloon or was it my kite? The details are fuzzy. Anyways, my witch went into the hedge to retrieve my balloon, but she got stuck and died right there. I didn't know what to do. I was only a little girl. All the other witches were angry and blamed me for my witch's death. I felt very confused and alone. No one listened when I tried to tell them it wasn't my fault!"

The story ended and the children looked bewildered. The old woman sat back in her rocker, please that another of her gypsy stories satisfied the young ones for the evening. They went off to sleep without another peep. The old gypsy woman say with her afghan in her chair and smiled.

The gypsy woman's story is a dream I had when I was four years old. The dream is permanently stained in my memory. I can still see the images and little details in my brain.

entry: 6 October 2009