Chapter VIII - Changes at the Home for the Homeless!

Chapter VIII

Changes at the Home for the Homeless 

by Faith McCann  

Catsandra walked along the road towards the Home for the Homeless, having left  a sign on the door of the Rag and Bottle Shop.  In spite of the dreary, rainy day, Balthazar, Abramelin and Sir Pip had decided to come along for the walk, and the two furry familiars walked behind her while the little mouse sat upon her shoulder chattering happily in her ear, commenting on the sights as they strolled through town.  

"The air is much more mild, one can feel the warmth of spring on the breeze! The trees, look there Mistress, see, see! The buds are budding!" he was excited as winter could be especially hard for little folk such as he. It was a curious sight the foursome made, as the day was overcast with spits of rain yet a ray of sunshine gleamed down upon the group as they strolled along, following them, as if it were a sunny umbrella sheltering them and only them from the rain! 

She paused in her walk to adjust her wispy thin, silky scarf over her head and shoulders, which provided her small fellow shoulder traveler safe protection from prying eyes as they walked along. They stood and looked ahead of them at their destination, the Home for the Homeless. It looked very different! It positively glowed in the rain! New white paint had been applied to the exterior, new shrubbery had been planted. A young woman was sweeping the sidewalk out front and stopped and stared as Catsandra walked up to the door. The young woman looked at Catsandra, then looked skywards, then her eyes followed the sunbeam down to where it fell upon the tiny band of travelers. She looked very confused. 

"My friends dislike their fur getting wet, it causes unsightly knots, you see." Catsandra nodded as she addressed the sweeper girl, and the girl found herself nodding along with the curious woman, whom she had heard many a magical rumor and story about. My, she didn't look evil or dangerous. She appeared the opposite, in fact. 

"Yes'm, can I assist you?" Feeling braver, the girl wanted to help. The woman looked kind, and she wanted to believe the nicer rumors rather than the nasty ones. Her mother always told her, nasty rumors come from nasty people. Her mother, gone these past three years, bless her soul, has been a very wise woman. She tried to remember her wise words as often as she could.

Catsandra stopped her little troupe. "That's very kind of you. What is your name young lady?" 

"Ada" . . . "um, ma'am" she attempted a half curtsey as if she somehow knew Catsandra was different than most of the folks she encountered. 

Catsandra smiled "It is nice to meet you Ada. These are my friends, Balthazar, Abramelin, and Sir Pip. Can you please direct me to Ms. Shermona if she has arrived yet?" 

"Oh Mother Mona is not quite here yet, I expect her any moment. You can go inside if you want to get out of the .  .  .  rain?" Ada looked up and as if she realized the incongruity of what she was saying, allowed her words to trail off. She herself was already damp, out in the drizzle, but she had a job to do. To sweep the front walk of any debris from the storm the night before. But the lady with the auburn hair and the streak in her hair had not a bit of dampness about her and her companions were dry as well. Hmmm, she would ponder this later. She didn't wish to appear silly or stupid. 

"My dear, know that magic exists all around us. It's as natural and as extraordinary as the sun rising every morning and the moon at night. It takes time to learn of such things, but not knowing does not make one stupid. You have simply not learned of these things, yet!" Catsandra smiled gently at the girl and with a glance at her troupe continued into the building designed to accommodate the less fortunate members of the community. 

Ada's mouth made a little O as her eyes grew wide as she realize she had not said her thoughts aloud and she watched the funny little group jaunt into the Home for the Homeless. Ada then glanced up at the ray of sunshine and started laughing as she realized it was now shining on her and the rain was no longer landing on her! Magic indeed! How lovely to imagine! She felt excited and happy and all bubbly inside. What a wonderful day this is starting off to be! 

*** *** ***

Catsandra walked into the large room that housed the shelter lower floor of the Home for the Homeless. She had noticed a change in the clientele who had frequented the Rag and Bottle Shop and she had learned of a few things she wanted to see for herself.  

She witnessed a heartening sight being played out before her. As weak sunlight gleamed through the window panes she watched as younger men up on ladders were being assisted by others holding the ladders and handing up cleaning supplies as they washed the windows. Women were tending to groups of children in this corner or on the staging area at one end of the great room. Others were sweeping and a bit of a racket was being made as hammering was going on, in the building of an army of wooden pallets placed upon stout legs. On the farthest side of the room, in between the aisles between the new bedding framework were teams laying down thin canvas and filling it with freshly dried soft grasses. Others were folding the canvas over and stitching it up along the sides with hemp threads and long iron needles. 

The attitude was jovial, happy chatter and laughter, jokes and shouts of greetings when another person arrived. Clients of the home would show up, lay their sack of goods from scavenging the town along one wall and pick up a job and join in. The last time Catsandra had stopped by, before Mr. Diffyc had decided to go on a spiritual sabbatical into the woods, he and Mr. Smythe between them had caused such misery to drain through the town, laughter had become a rare thing in these parts. 

A little boy went running past chasing a ball and both Balthazar and Abramelin hissed and backed up, spines arched and a low growl came from one.  Catsandra hissed at them in quick reproach, and they both quieted down. The little boy picked up his ball and looked around at first not seeing anything in their area and then jumped back a bit, startled as he saw Catsandra and the two fuzzy cats and he started to giggle as he saw Sir Pip on her shoulder. Was that little mouse wearing a little jacket and pantaloons? 

"Young one, it is David, yes? Is Mr. Smythe about?" 

"Me? Mr. Smythe? No, he went away! He got all upset one day, tried to use his cane on an old man, and he was stopped, so he got mad and went away. Never to return! The young boy raised his finger in the air and yelled it loudly, reenacting dramatically the scene of Mr. Smythe's departure. He giggled and so did Catsandra. The young boy was very good. He might have a career on the stage one day. 

"Wait. . . he was, stopped, you say? Tell me about that." She knelt down on her knee and looked at him on his level. He felt very important, a special lady kneeling down to speak to him as if he were an important gentleman. 

"Who stopped Mr. Smythe? If Mother Mona is not able to be here always,  who is running this place?" 

"Avi!" The boy leaned in closer and excitedly whispered. "Avi stopped him but good! Took Mr. Smythe's cane and turned it on him! 'Smack! smack! smack!! right on Mr. Smythe's back! Said real loud that they'd be no more mis, um .  .   miss. .  . mistreat.  .  .   . " 

"Mistreatment?" she finished.

Yes, that's it, right! Mistreatments, they'd be no mores mistreatments, of any of us unfortunates in this here Home for the Homeless! Not while Avi is here. He is a real good guy and looks after us well. You will like him. We are doing real good, ma'am" he giggled and dropped his ball ran away after it. 

"Avi? Hmmm, well, well, well, kittens and mouse I would like to meet this Avi. He has done a remarkable job and I would like to know more. Let us find this new one."

*** *** ***

Avi looked down from the upper floor balcony and saw the regal woman who had sailed into the building. He felt as if the room should have had a butler to announce her, but he saw she was totally unconcerned whether anyone noticed her or not. No, he corrected himself, as he watched her he saw how still she stood and just observed.  It was as if she willed everyone not to notice her. Clever witch! He chuckled to himself, he had heard of invisibility spells but had never seen one in practice before. The little boy went running past and then after the boy picked up the ball the air around his visitors shifted and wavered and then he saw the boy notice the woman. Clever indeed he thought. A woman worth his attention. He decided he would like to get to know her. He wondered what brought her to this place, as she certainly did not strike him as needing a place to sleep for the night. 

At that moment Catsandra looked directed up and into Avi's eyes, and his light blue eyes met her green eyes and they sized each other up. Each one thinking the same thing. Who are you? Friend? Foe? Adversary? Comrade? Mere Acquaintance? Only time would tell. Avi knew one thing by this time in his life, everyone had an agenda. Whether it be one that benefitted one or all, helped a few or a lot. But everyone was motivated by something. What was the red haired witch with cats and a mouse as an entourage motivated by .  .  .  and would they be friends or enemies? 

*** *** ***

Catsandra saw the blue eyed man, neither old, nor young but of a reasonable age. He had shoulder length hair of medium brown, and wore a natural linen gentlemen's shirt with slim fitting dark gray dress pants. She could see a gleam of his polished leather boots as they peeked over the landing edge between the railing. She looked down to quickly mask her expression, it couldn't be? How was it possible? She must be too far away, that was it. It was obviously it! 

She proceeded over to the steps that led to the second floor and had a slight smile on her lips as she ascended, one hand lightly trailing on the railing. As she got closer to the new apparent manager of the Home she felt her smile slightly falter. His mind was completely blank. She could not read a thing. But one look into his eyes showed intelligence, amusement and interest. It wasn't possible that he had nothing going on behind those eyes, yet she was unable to pick up the slightest glimmer of a thought. That simply wasn't possible. How could he shield her so completely? Was he a Wizard? 

Greetings, my name is Avi, formally Avigdor, but everyone calls me Avi, pleased to meet you. I know the place looks very different but I'm simply encouraging each person to their highest potential, not a Wizard." 

"Oooh! Uh, Ahem, It is nice to meet you also. I'm Catsandra, owner of the Rag and Bottle Shop. You assist many of my friends, and I had heard of the changes. Avi. This is Balthazar and Abramelin, and Sir Pip. My friends, also." She peered at him and kept her mind blank, but was putting many thoughts on hold for the time being. She needed the focus and attention to detail of mouse magic. Look for the tiniest thing and remember for later. She needn't figure anything out at this time, but simply do reconnaissance. She turned aside to look over the balcony and as she did so she moved away from Avi and whispered, "Be aware My friend, Pip, pay close attention, report back to me later." She heard a muffled squeak in reply. 

She raised her voice so he could hear her, "I see so many changes, all for the better. People gainfully occupied, pleased with their accomplishments, working together as a community, yes, many wonderful changes. Where do you hail from Avi?"

She pushed her mind trying to find a weak spot in his mind, but it was as solid and strong as a rock foundation. 

"Ah, I was a traveler for many years, gaining my education on the road. I guess the answer to your question is I hail from everywhere and nowhere in particular." 

She looked directly at him and thought, 'I know you are being evasive and that you can read my thoughts. Fine! Game on!'  She said aloud for propriety sake  "I'm hearing wonderful things from my friends who frequent the Rag and Bottle shop. The chores they are given here, in exchange for their nightly sleeping places. Better foods, more of it, lower costs for their fees when one can afford to pay a penny or two. I must ask you, why? And how? You, a stranger in these midst's, comes here and proceeds to make a pocket of misery rather than a source of ready income and power for you, instead makes it into opportunities of hope for so many. Why? 

"Firstly the answer lays in how.  I came here, looking for a place to bed down for the night. Ready to pay my four pennies for a room, and witnessed brutality by a man who had the opportunity to make people's lives better with little effort, only needing the desire to want to. Yet he chose to make life more difficult. I chose differently. I met the new Magistrate, Mr. Tanner and he and I have come to an agreement. With a small shift in the community budget a portion for those less fortunate has been diverted to this Home. 

Having those who stay here at night, help with the upkeep, cleaning, repair and maintenance was an easy choice. Everyone wishes to have a purpose to give their lives a sense of meaning. That is the change you sense. But I have heard similar things about you. That you treat your friends at your shop as people to be respected, and you see them. You don't find them invisible as many in society choose to do."

"Mr. Tanner is in agreement", she smiled "and Mother Mona, she also continues to assist?" Why couldn't she hear his thoughts? Not the barest whisper. He nodded watching her cover her discomfort. 

"Why the new bedding units? The one penny sit-ups, two penny hang-overs and four penny coffins have been in use for decades. What made you decide to build new real bedding units? Such concern is never shown to for the less fortunate" 

"Frankly there is something macabre about one laying in a bed shaped like a casket if one is not dead. As far as showing concern for others, it takes very little and the rewards are quite . . . enriching." 

He placed both hands on the railing, and stood easily, overlooking the hustle and bustle from below. Catsandra had always known that harsh times could be made better by people in positions of authority using their power for the benefit of the majority rather than the personal enrichment of a few. How curious he used such a word, enrichment. 

Just then a tantalizing smell wafted up from the cook room below. A savory, meaty, rich and intoxicating smell that had Balthazar and Abramelin purring and rubbing up against her skirts. 

"Ahh, the venison stew smells delicious. I sent a few men into the forest to procure a few deer to feed the multitudes. There will be fresh baked bread and freshly churned butter to go with the stew. We also have fresh milk and honey mead and hops beer as a special treat for those who have been toiling to clean this place all week. I warrant a hearty meal is welcome after a good job, done well." 

"Yes, I agree. This has been accepted by the town council? There will be no changes down the road?" She wanted to feel gratitude but had seldom seen free and untethered acts of generosity, especially towards those least able to repay back in anyway. These people had fallen so low, many by no cause of their own, and she was loath to see them hurt by a schemer looking to line his pockets at their expense. 

She was overlooking the lower floors and saw the people happily chatting, eagerly seating themselves and readying themselves for a much needed and longed for hearty meal. She then realized Avi was silent, she turned to look at him. She could see he had heard her thoughts but she couldn't be worried about hurting his feelings. When it came to comparing the two, hurting his feelings because she didn't know him was far less of a sin than the harm a trickster could do to the homeless. 

"No, no changes. I think we all like things just the way they are. Don't you?" he replied quietly. 

Catsandra suddenly smiled, tilted her head just slightly, blanked her mind completely and looking directly at Avi said "It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Avigdor and I am so pleased at the changes that have happened since your arrival. I need to be getting back to my shop, business awaits."

Suddenly, as she turned there was a caterwauling of meows and mews and the occasional squeak which others simply took to be a few disgruntled pets, but Cat heard them clearly! 

"Can't we stay for some of that venison stew, it sounds delightful!" Abramelin said 

"And smells even better!" Sir Pip piped up

"I'd like to taste some of that freshly churned butter, Mmmm, so delicious!" 

The troupe proceeded down the stairs carefully navigating the stairs, Catsandra holding her skirts carefully, and she hissed a quiet "Keep walking, we need to get back to the shop! Right away! Follow me!" 

As soon as they were outside, the sky had cleared and a weak sun was starting to break through the gloom and haze, they walked a bit down the sidewalk until they got to the park and Catsandra took a sharp right into the park. She walked over to a large spring blossom covered bush higher than she was tall. She walked behind it, and the two cats and mouse on her shoulder were with her. She gave a quick look a round and when she saw no one was looking, she fished into her skirts side pocket and pulled out a small clear crystal ball. It fit into the palm of her hand. 

"Alright everyone, we need to make haste! Let us travel back to the Rag and Bottle shop immediately! Follow me! She secured the scarf around Sir Pip on her shoulders as he held onto her hair tightly in his tiny grasp and the cats scooted under her skirts and stood upon her feet. She looked deep into the crystal ball in her hand and soon a light beam of sparkling lights and smoke swirled around them and then everyone along with the light and smoke rose up and quickly flowed into the crystal ball and for just a single moment the crystal ball hovered in mid air, wavering in the afternoon light, in the park, behind the flowering bush and then with a gentle 'pop' it was gone! 

*** *** *** 

"How could it be so? What was he, that he could read into my mind but completely shield me from his? It's some sort of black magic I tell you!" Catsandra was in a rare mood, one seldom seen unless someone were to do something such as touch something precious of hers without permission! 

"Isn't that what you do, though? But you don't do black magic." Sir Pip squeaked. Catsandra stopped her pacing and the two cats stopped their grooming to stare askance at the little mouse! "It is not at all the same thing! I'm a witch, I'm allowed to do such things. This one though, we simply don't know anything about him. I'm not entirely sure we can trust him. For instance why? He answered how, but he didn't really answer why? What is he getting out of this? We will need to keep a close eye on our friends, and of course I need to work on a better concealment spell to protect my thoughts." 

"In the meantime, you will stay and watch the shop. I am going into the woods to seek out Shermona, I need to speak with her. She can tell if this Avi is friend or foe. I cannot take his word. I need to hear it directly from her. I'll be back soon. Sir Pip, come with me. You'll be my personal assistant in this matter." 

"Yes ma'am, I'm ready to go!" Sir Pip, piped up. The two left and went down the path until it entered the forest, while the two cats dozed on the front porch with one eye open just to be ready. One never knew what might happen. 

*** *** *** 
To be continued  

Next Chapter " Friend or Foe? 

 *** *** *** 

From the Author:  I hope you are enjoying the story of the Rag and Bottle Shop. If so, please follow my page! I am enjoying sharing the adventures of Catsandra and her familiars and the community of Castlewick with you. Please feel free to share this blog link to other fans of magical, fantasy fiction. 

I write my stories using the inspiration of the incomparable Charles Dickens who wrote and published his work during the 1800's in Great Britain in installments. Mr. Dickens was a strong social critic of industrialization and capitalism, as well as bringing to the public attention the need for social reform. Thank You for reading my work, Faith M. McCann