It took an effort for Nick not to retort that there was no such thing as witches. He was desperate. Whatever Mama wanted to call it, he needed somebody who could find somebody when no one else could… so he simply swallowed his prideful indignation, and nodded.
“I can get you a witch… a good one,” Mama said. “But it‘ll cost you.”
“But… I’m tribe,” Nick protested.
“We ain‘t big on the Bible around here,” Mama said. “Don’t expect us to slaughter the fatted calf just because the prodigal son returned and dumped a problem on our doorstep.”
“How much?” Nick asked.
“$100,” Mama said. “A week.”
“For how long?” Nick asked.
“‘Tribe is for life’,” she reminded him, mockingly. “You think you can take my help and then walk away and spend the rest of your life convincing yourself we don’t exist? $100 a week… not enough to hurt you, just enough that you can’t pretend you aren’t paying it.”
“I haven‘t forgotten where I came from,” Nick said. “I already give thousands of dollars a year to charities, support services, homeless shelters…”
“Tribe isn’t homeless,” Mama said. “Tribe means never being without a home.”
“Okay, $100 a week if you help me get my daughter back,” Nick said, but Mama shook her head.
“No,” she said. “That’s my price for putting you in touch with a witch. She helps you or she doesn’t, but you still pay either way.”
“Don’t be absurd,” Nick said scathingly. “Do you think I was born yesterday?”
“I know when you were born, Nicky,” Mama said. “I helped deliver you. As for being absurd, what else do you want me to be? This whole situation, this life, is absurd. That’s why you left it. $100 gets you an appointment with a witch. What you do with it is up to you.”
“Alright,” Nick said. “What choice do I have? She‘d better be good, though.”
“Only the best for you, Nicky,” Mama said. “Only the very best.”
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I have loved MU… I think this is going to become fast like that an addiction. THank you for sharing it
wow. this is so close to the story i sat down to write (:cough: years ago) while being nothing like it. this whole feel was what i was searching for and i didn’t find it, so i dropped the story. i am so hooked on MU, now this. you rock.
Wow, this is getting interesting. i’m glad i decided to click on the link from MU to get to this story. i still have some catching up to do in MU but that doesn’t mean i can’t read this too!