Part 20 (1/2)
”A broken eggsh.e.l.l.”
”Eggsh.e.l.l?” Brianna repeated looking confused. ”Why would someone store an eggsh.e.l.l in the wall?” She walked over and peered into the small box. Margaret stood back, staring apprehensively toward the others.
”Do you know what this means, Auntie?” Savannah asked.
”Well, only partially. Remember, I told you there was something in the house. I didn't know exactly what it was-didn't expect it to be a broken egg. But the rumor pa.s.sed down through the generations says it's a gypsy curse.”
Savannah and Michael caught each other's eyes.
”What?” Brianna said. ”You've got to be kidding.”
”The story is that when old Jed Forster's dad was building this house, a band of gypsies came through. I guess the old man didn't quite cotton to them-thought they stole a hog from him or something. Anyway, he got angry with them and the gypsies, before they left the area, claimed to have cursed the house. This was around 1900.”
”Wow! That's quite a story, Auntie. Something out of the books I used to read as a kid,” Savannah said. She looked over at the box. ”Never thought I'd be living one of those stories, though,” she said almost inaudibly. She then looked up at her aunt and her sister. ”What do you think it means?”
”Well, I read those stories, too, Vannie,” Brianna said. ”And I even met a gal in college who was into some of this voodoo stuff. I think an egg has to do with fertility. This egg, however, is broken, so this would mean lack of fertility-infertile-unfertile.”
Michael and Savannah looked at each other. Tears filled Savannah's eyes.
When Brianna saw how her words had affected her sister, she said, ”But I could be way out in left field. Let's find a German somewhere and have them read the note. Okay, Sis? Let's do that before jumping to any conclusions.” She thought for a minute and then said, ”Heck, the egg may have been whole and it broke with all of Michael's hammering or there was an earthquake or something.”
”Yes, good idea,” Margaret said. ”Let's don't get upset until we know what it means. Come on now, how about dinner at our place tonight? Max is cooking,” she added, in an enticing, sing song manner.
”Oh, that's right, he used to be a chef,” Brianna said. She looked over at Michael and Savannah. ”Sounds great. Okay with you two?”
They nodded.
Savannah tucked the note in her pocket and took a deep breath in an attempt to shake off the sense of doom that had washed over her. ”What time?” she asked.
”Come over any time. If you show up before dark, we can show Bri around the place.”
Still feeling a bit off kilter, Savannah hesitated and then, determined to collect herself, she said, ”How about if we freshen up and we'll come over around four thirty. Okay with everyone?”
”Yes.” Margaret nodded. ”What time is it now?”
”Just about two thirty,” Savannah responded. ”That will give us time to find a German.”
”Bud,” Michael said.
”What about Bud?” Savannah wanted to know.
”He took German in college.”
”You're kidding. I had no idea,” Savannah said. She then added, ”Hey, isn't his name Bogart? That's German, isn't it?”
”I think it is,” Brianna agreed.
Michael walked out to the porch where Savannah, Briana, Lexie, and Rags were gathered. ”Bud said he'll meet us at the clinic at four and see if he can read the curse thing.”
”Don't call it that until we know that's what it is, Michael,” Savannah scolded.
”You're really taking this seriously, aren't you?” he asked.
”No. I just don't want to jinx anything.”
”Jinx a curse?” Brianna laughed. ”Now that's rich.”
”It may just be a joke that one of the construction workers played while they were building the house,” Savannah reasoned.
”They didn't have construction workers in those days,” Michael explained. ”They had neighbors come in and do a barn-raising thing.”
”Well, neighbors play jokes, too,” Savannah reminded him.
”Nice place,” Brianna said as they pulled up in back of the clinic.
”Yes, it is a great place. Michael planned it out well. Oh there's Bud just driving in.”
”Hey Bud,” Michael said as he stepped out of Brianna's Lexus.
”Hi, Dr. Mike, Savannah. Nice wheels,” he said. Suddenly, Bud's eyes focused on something past the couple. Savannah turned to see her sister sliding out of the driver's seat and said, ”Oh Bud, this is my sister Brianna. Come here Brianna; I want you to meet our right hand here at the clinic.”
”Hi. I remember you from the wedding,” Bud said.
”Oh yes. I think we danced, didn't we?”
”You must have made quite an impression on her, Bud, if she doesn't remember whether you danced with her or not,” Michael teased.
Both Brianna and Bud blushed.
”Well, Bud, I told Savannah that you can speak some German. We have a challenge for you.” He held up the yellowed piece of paper and asked, ”Can you read this for us?”
Bud took the letter in his hands. He studied it for a few moments and then his demeanor turned somber. He looked up at Michael and then over at Savannah. ”Where did you get this?”
”Oddly,” Michael said, ”we found it in the wall of our house, along with a broken eggsh.e.l.l.”
Bud seemed stunned for a moment. He swallowed hard and said, ”It's a curse, guys...if you believe in such things. A gypsy curse.” He watched their reaction and took an extra look over at Brianna. ”You know, there were bands of gypsies living in this area around the turn of the century-the 1900s.”
”That's about the time the Forster house was being built,” Michael said.
”What kind of curse is it?” Savannah asked hesitantly.
”Fertility. It says here that nothing on this property will be fertile, the land or the animals or-” He looked over at Savannah and added, ”the humans.”
Michael could see that Savannah was upset. He put his arm around her and squeezed her to him. ”That's only if you're into witchcraft and stuff, right?”
”Not really,” Brianna said with wide eyes. ”According to my witch friend, curses are real and can do damage.” She then asked Michael, ”Can you grow things on your land? When's the last time you had a good crop?”