“Mawmaw, you have no idea just how special this is to me, but I want to be very transparent about my relationship with the Catholic Church. I know treating has a lot to do with Catholicism and prayer. But I’m not religious. As in, I don’t go to Catholic mass, and I don’t believe in or practice the church’s teachings—or really any religion’s teachings.” She paused, taking in Mawmaw’s neutral expression, then continued. “And, truthfully, I don’t know what I believe. I’d like to think that there is a god, but I don’t know. So I just try to find acceptance in the fact that I don’t know, and I probably will never know while I exist on this earth.”
Mawmaw smirked. “My girl, religion and God are whatyoumake of it. Some use it to find purpose and peace in their life. Perhaps a way to find community. Then there are those that use religion and God to punish people and commit evil doings.But me…” Her smile deepened. “I use it as a construct for treating.”
“A construct?”
“You do not need to believe in a specific religion or god to treat. There are Traiteurs around the world. Many aren’t called that, but their gifts are similar. Delphine had similar gifts, in fact—not exactly the same, but close. However, the Cajun Catholic community embraced our ancestors and their healing abilities. Catholicism served our ancestors very well—they were instantly part of a community, and they had the protection of the Catholic Church. Which was a benefit for Traiteurs who had been historically shunned for sorcery or black magic.”
Ophelia released a breath. “So doyoubelieve in God? In the Catholic Church?”
“Baby, I’m old school. I believe, and I don’t like to go digging around too much to ruffle those beliefs. You, on the other hand, can do what you like. You’re young and curious. That’s good.” She squeezed Ophelia’s hand.
“Okay, then if I don’t need to believe in the church and I can question religion, I’m in.”
Ophelia’s mind reeled. So if treating wasn’t strictly a religious thing, then what was it?
“You look like you’re struggling over there,” said Mawmaw.
“But…but how does treating work? It can’t just be something I simplyinherit. I just thought it was all the power of prayer and positive thinking. Is that it? If someone believes enough in your treating, they will be healed?”
“Possibly. Maybe. Sure, why not?” Mawmaw shrugged. “Well, hold on. Let me clarify something. Treating is not the same as curing. It’s important you understand that. Traiteurs cannot cure humans of diseases, disorders, viruses, or infections. But what we can do is rid the human body of symptoms. So if someone has chronic migraines, my specialty, I cannot cure them of never having a migraine again. But I can rid them of the pain they are experiencing at that moment and make their suffering less.”
“I understand.” Ophelia paused for a moment. She neededmore information. This still wasn’t making sense. “But let’s go back to this positive thinking piece and belief thing. Are you saying it’s just about believing that I can heal someone and that person believing I can? You know, the whole ‘you can do anything if you believe in yourself’ thing?”
“Baby, belief iseverything. A whole new world can open to you if you believe.”
“Okay…So it’s about believing, which means anyone could heal someone else? If they just believed and learned the prayers?”
“No.” Mawmaw sighed reluctantly. “I figured someone of your generation would have a harder time with this. It’s a gift. Being a Traiteur is a gift. Our family—specifically the women in our family—typically carry the gift. It can pass over a generation sometimes. Your mother and aunt never really took to it. But I always had this feeling you would.”
“A gift,” repeated Ophelia.
“I fear I’m going to have to spell this out to you. Think about it, Ophelia. Jesus turning water into wine, canonized saints that performed miracles, the fortune teller in Jackson Square accurately predicting fortunes, the local witchy woman casting spells. If one of these things is accepted by society as fact, why can’t they all be? Aren’t they all the same?”
Ophelia’s head ached. It was as if Mawmaw had been tapping away at her psyche with a pick, and it finally shattered. She imagined picking up the pieces of her mind and putting them back together, but not in the same pattern. It was becoming something new.
“I’ve always wondered that. I guess some people would say that some of those examples are influenced by the ‘devil’ and are fake,” she said, using air quotes.
“Mmm,” hummed Mawmaw. “A lot of that is prejudice at its finest. But what is the devil but people acting horribly? People do horrible things and proclaim it was in God’s name. So whether your gift is seen as godly or not, doesn’t really matter. Bad people will always exist. People have gifts, and it’s how they use them that makes them good or bad.”
“I’m sorry, but what are you trying to say exactly?” asked Ophelia suspiciously. She couldn’t mean what Ophelia thought she meant…could she?
Mawmaw just looked at her with raised eyebrows, encouraging her to say it out loud.
“You think magic is real.”
CHAPTER NINE
Ophelia really needed a moment. Several moments. A lifetime to digest what Mawmaw was telling her. Treating was a gift. Not just prayer and positive thinking. A realmagicalgift. She stood and began pacing around the room as Mawmaw watched her, amused.
“I don’t know ifallmagic is real, but a lot of it is, yes. I’m sure there’s so much more out there that I don’t even know. My purview into the world of magic is limited to Oakdale and other parts of Louisiana. The world is much bigger these days. More connected.”
Ophelia’s jaw hung loose. “I feel like you’re trying to tell me Santa Claus is real.”
Mawmaw barked a laugh. “Now, that I can firmly tell you is a crock of shit. But that is the thing with belief. Some believe too easily, and some not enough. People can use easy believers to their advantage, control them, fool them. People can be horrid, but people can also use their belief, their skills, or gifts for goodness. And that’s what I like to think I do with treating, and hopefully, you will too.”
Magic is real. Where does it end, though? What is magical and what isn’t? What folklore is real? Witches? Necromancers? Levitators? Vampires and Werewolves? Holy shit. Where the fuck does it end? Andwho knows about all this? This isn’t real. Oh my God. Is Mawmaw crazy, and I’m momentarily buying into it? What is happening?
Mawmaw clapped her bony hands together, jolting Ophelia out of her spiral.
