The Discussion

“Mia, Hello dear how are you I haven’t seen you in ages. How is the family?”

Mia was exhausted and exasperated. She had just flown in from the coast to straighten a few things out with her mother. It was a long buffeting flight. The situation started just where the last one ended.

“Mom, you left your broom at the Witches Brew and walked home. They put an APB out for you when they saw it hovering there without you at closing. They thought you had been captured by some trolls.”

“Nonsense, what are you talking about? I was walking about enjoying the full moon. I always have my broom with me.”

“Mom you were walking home. The anti-Troll Patrol picked you up and flew you home. They said you had forgotten where you left your broom. You were also 3 sheets to the wind. You’re going to lose your flying license. I’m here to take care of you.”

“I passed my night vision tests last year. I’m just fine. If you keep talking like this I’m going to turn you into a toad for a few years so you don’t bother me. I do not need taking care of. I have all my marbles. I can cast all my spells in the proper manner. I’m just old.”

“Mom you were drunk! You couldn’t fly a straight line if you wanted to. You cast faulty spells. You set the laboratory on fire twice that I’m aware of. If it wasn’t for Gina, your familiar, you would have been toast. And, if you must know, up until now, the only reason they let you go on and haven’t pulled your flying and spell casting license is…”

“Quit talking to me like this. You’re hurting me. I’m fully capable. I know what I’m doing. I was flying fighter brooms in the Troll Wars before you were born. I had the lead squadron. I’m fully able to fly.”

“Yes mom you’ve told me that, but That was then. Then was 600 years ago.”

“Stop IT. You’re hurting me,” mother witch screamed. “I passed my night vision tests. I’m just fine.”

Mia backed off and went outside. She waited for about five minutes and walked back in.

 “Mia dear, it’s nice to see you. When did you get in? How’s the family?”

Mia lost it. “I was just here,” Mia cried, “Mom you were drunk, stinking drunk. You could have crashed into a tree again, or cast a spell on some poor innocent or…”

Mother witch started screaming at the top of her lungs. “I don’t want to hear this. I never crashed, ever. You’re being rude, impolite and you’re hurting me. When was I drunk? I was never drunk.” And with a wave of her wand she set up a cone of silence around herself. Mother witch didn’t hear a word and laughed. Mia’s mouth just moved.

Mia left for the Witch’s Brew and a drink. She knew that in about an hour she could return to her mothers den and it would be as if nothing ever happened. Sometime it only took a few minutes for her mother’s brain to “reset”. That was the polite way that the family termed mother witch’s memory and skill set loss.  An hour was a good amount of time to let things reset. Mia could take a long deep breath and down a tall one.

Mia sat at the bar. She was at her wits end. Mom was getting to the point where she couldn’t recognize some of her old friends and family members. She has set fire to her den, screwed up numerous spells and almost torched her lab a few times. Mia sent a letter to the Witch’s Council asking for a review of her mother’s spell casting and flying permits. To do something like that was almost unheard of except in the most extreme cases. Mia had been contacted by the neighbors as well as some of the local flying Anti-Troll squads informing her of her mothers deteriorating condition. They reported that once her mother had a witch’s brew content of .245 and had crashed into a tree and landed in a hay bail while flying upside down. She had destroyed one broom, but with a good warlock of a lawyer, had been given a warning. The details all came out on the last trip east.

Mia returned to her mother’s den.

Her mother was all smiles as she opened the hand carved wood and iron strapped door to her den. “Mia how nice to see you. When did you get in? What brings you here? I haven’t seen you in ages.”