"Do you know Quan Yin?" asked Persephone, through the haze that had become her world.
"I've met her but she works in a different country. Personally, I think she made a big mistake vowing not to open her eyes until violence is gone from the earth. I couldn't do it," said Demeter, shaking her head.
There were murmurs of agreement in the background.
"What about Kali?"
"Ah. Now there's a feisty one. Never play cards with her."
Muffled laughter.
"Where am I?" asked Persephone.
"You're on a cot in the back room of the cafe. You needed a bit of a nap, after getting your powers."
"Did grandmother raise me?"
"Mmmm, kind of."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Your grandparents are Rhea and Cronus, on my side. Mother Goddess and King of Time among other things. Hence our ability to fool around with clocks. Anyway, my mother's parents are Gaia and Uranus. So, you see, you come from a long line of..."
"Was that my grandmother who took me to school or not?"
"Again, yes and no," said Demeter. "Okay, yes."
"She was nice to me," said Persephone, throwing her legs over the edge of the cot. "Are there any carrots?"
Al stepped forward and gave her some non GMO, organic, carrots.
"Thank you," she said, taking a big bite, closing her eyes and nodding at their yummy goodness. "They're not really my aunts, are they," she said flatly.
"As good as," said Isis. "Besides, I'm the Mother of us all, so there is that."
"Yes, Isis," sighed Diana, "We know, darling."
"That's fair. We pick family, we aren't always born into a good one," said Persephone, taking another bite of the carrot.
There was a smattering of applause.
"So you lucked out," said Demeter, happily. "You were born into a fabulous family and picked up another one along the way."
"Can I have a Harley? I mean, you guys all ride, so I should ride too, right?"
"You can," said Demeter, approvingly.
"When?"
"When you learn how to ride one."
"I can do that already," she said, looking for more carrots.
"Then you can have the one with your name on it. It's in the parking lot."
Persephone smiled. "I might like this whole thing. Whatever it is," she said, waving her hand in the air. "I think it's going to be fun, but I also think I might need more slee..."
Demeter lifted her daughter's lets and put them back onto the cot, then she covered her with a thin blanket.
"That went a lot better than I expected," said Isis.
"We start her magical training tomorrow," said Demeter.
Everyone nodded and Kitty Kitty curled up in the crook of Persephone's legs and closed his eyes.
The women retreated to the cafe and grabbed a few bottles from behind the bar.
"She's behind. She has a lot to learn," said Sally. "I think you should have given her her powers earlier."
"Maybe," said Demeter, "but I wanted her to have as normal a life as possible for as long as she could. Besides, she's a fast learner."
Everyone nodded.
"Wait until she sees all the tattoos she has when she wakes up," snickered Sally.
Everyone laughed, clinked glasses, and had another drink.
"Did anyone tell her about Kitty Kitty?" asked Demeter.
They all shook their heads.
"I think that might be more surprising than the tattoo thing."
Everyone nodded, again.
"Did anyone notice that she was wearing high heels and a business suit?" asked Diana.
There was snickering and Diana put her biker boots on the table...not high heels," she laughed.
"She's in for some big changes," said Al.
"But she already wants her bike and she knows how to ride," said Isis. "So that's a good sign, isn't it?"
Everyone nodded yet again.
The hounds started whining and Diana stood up. "The dogs have to go out. I'll be back."
"I wish she'd stop saying she'll be back," sighed Diana. "She sounds so much like Arnold, when she uses that voice."
More nodding.
"So, what's next?" asked Sally.
Demeter smiled. "She has to learn how to fight."
"Ohhhh," said Al. "I love this part."
Everyone cheered, drank their shot and threw their empty glasses into the stone cold fireplace at the back of the room.
"Hera's not going to like that," said Isis, darkly. "You know she hates a dirty hearth."
They al threw more glasses and a few bottles, before they settled down.
"Maybe we better clean it up before she gets in tomorrow," said Al. "You know how she is when the bar is a mess. It is her domain, after all. I mean, the hearth is here and..."
"Fine," said Sally, "but first," she said, holding up another shot glass...to our newest member. To Persephone."
"TO PERSEPHONE," they all said, and downed their drink.
"I'll get the broom," said Sally, as she shoved her chair backward and walked away.
"I don't get it," said Al. "Hera wouldn't mind cleaning up."
The all laughed.
"Remember last time?" asked Isis.
The all got up and started cleaning.
No comments:
Post a Comment