Free Rogelia's House of Magic by Jamie Martinez Wood Page A

isn’t
that
strange,” Fern said.
    “Hey!” Marina protested.
    “I’m kidding,” Fern said reassuringly. “We won’t bug you about it forever, Xochitl. Just ask her this once.”
    “Okay,” Xochitl relented, figuring Nana would say no anyhow. She got up and walked out of Marina’s room and across the hall to her nana’s room. She knocked once, then entered. Nana was kneeling reverently and meditating at her altar. Xochitl didn’t want to disturb her, so she started to back up.
    “What it is,
mija
?”
    Xochitl was always impressed with Nana’s sharp hearing.
    “Nana, Marina and Fern want to learn
curanderismo,
and they would like you to teach them. You don’t have to, though.” Xochitl chewed on her bottom lip. Looking around at the hanging herbs and crosses and at the altar, Xochitl had a bad feeling she had made a mistake in asking Nana.
    “Will you return to your lessons as well?” Nana kept her eyes closed and her head bowed.
    Xochitl felt panic rise in her throat. This was not going well at all. To get herself out of this, she would have to make it seem like Marina and Fern were looking for something flashier than
curanderismo,
which they probably were. “I don’t think they are serious, Nana. I mean, they might think your magic is like Harry Potter or something,” Xochitl said.
    “I’ll be the judge of that,” Nana said, opening her eyes and turning to face her granddaughter. “I insist that you work alongside them, too.”
    “Why?” Xochitl whimpered. “What’s the point of learning magic if you can’t save the people you love from dying?”
    “It’s not wise to use magic tricks to avoid life’s difficulties, Xochitl,” Nana replied calmly. “Death is part of life.”
    “Well, what if they think we’re weird?” Xochitl sniffled a little. “First you wanted me to have friends, and now you’re willing to scare them off.”
    “We are weird,” Nana said matter-of-factly. “Who would want to be normal?”
    Sometimes Xochitl thought her nana had forgotten what it was like to be a teenager.
    “Come back with your friends in fifteen minutes,” Nana said.
    Xochitl took a deep breath and returned to Marina’s room, where her nana’s new apprentices were awaiting the news. “She said to be ready in fifteen minutes.”
    “Oh my gosh, this is so cool!” Fern squealed. “I’m so excited. Let’s eat something.” She got up and led the way to the kitchen.
    “Why do you always eat when you’re nervous? If I did that I’d never fit into my jeans,” Marina asked as she and Xochitl followed Fern.
    “Dunno.” Fern shrugged. “But it works for me. I’ll make quesadillas.”
    Fern whipped together the first quesadilla and handed it to Xochitl on a plate. Xochitl tore off a corner and took as long as possible to chew, gnawing on it until the cheese dissolved. Fifteen minutes could take forever, as far as Xochitl was concerned.
They have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into,
she thought. Stalling for more time, she started to pick individual pieces of melted cheese off the plate.
    “Come on, Xochitl, it’s time,” Fern pleaded.
    “Okay,” Xochitl grumbled as she pushed herself away from the table. As she led the way, she had the distinct feeling she was walking to her execution. Tentatively, Xochitl pushed open the door to her nana’s room. On the altar sat four glass advent candles: blue, green, white, and red. The heady scent of copal incense filled the air.
    From the doorway, Xochitl, Fern, and Marina watched as Rogelia held a bundle of dried sage to the flame of the white candle, which burned brightly in the center of the altar. The sage caught fire. Rogelia blew on the sage to extinguish it and waved the bundle around the altar, letting the smoke waft over all her sacred items.
    “Come closer. I don’t bite,” she laughed.
    Fern ventured in first, Marina followed, and lastly Xochitl stepped into the room. Xochitl watched Fern and Marina carefully. She