The Healer Part I (From My Life Story)

Grandma took me to a Healer once. I was only 7 years old and in the third grade. She first sat me down and explained that she was having my father drive us from our house in Bossier City, La to our home town in Zwolle, La. to Ms Agnes' house. She had taken Daddy to this same Healer when he was five or six. I had warts all over my hands that began when I was five. They were very large and hurt so badly. Though, the most unbearable pain was how the kids teased and avoided me. The embarassment was beyond description for such a young age. Grandma chanted while using many different herbs. Daddy took me to the doctor but their medicine didn't work either. "It's a curse", Grandma went on, "You're Daddy had it on him too at the same age". Even though back in those days warts were thought to be contagious, Grandma was rubbing my hands ever so gently as she assured me that Ms. Agnes possessed the power to make them go away. I looked over at Daddy and he didn't say a word but gave me a knowing nod of the head. I thought to myself, Grandma done lost her ever-loving mind! But lest I wanna get switched or knocked up side my head I play along. We got in that baby blue truck of ours and drove to Zwolle, LA. An aura of curiosity overwhelmed me as I walked up to Ms. Agnes' shotgun style tin shack of a house. It certainly didn't look like any of the doctor's offices my Daddy had taken me to in the city. After the greetings between her and Grandma and Daddy, Ms Agnes instructed me to sit down on the couch and count ALL of my warts. Somehow I was aware that she didn't want to touch me herself and never did. I figured, like all the rest, Ms Agnes probably thought my warts were contagious. After counting all the warts on both my hands three times the same number, 111 was the total. Ms Agnes was mumbling to herself "Boo Coo" (meaning MANY) as she busily scurried herself back and forth behind the sheets hanging over the doorways to two small rooms. From what I spied as the sheet was moved to the side, one room was a tiny kitchen and the other her only bedroom. Back and forth Ms Agnes went several times as I smelled the odor of something cooking in the air. I thought about what Grandma told me on the way there. She said that Ms. Agnes is over 100 years old. She's almost blind and having her eyes removed for some medical reason. Grandma told me that I'm to be Ms Agnes' last "patient" ever. Cont'd in Part II Copyright © by Scarlett Anderson