“It’s going to be a fine day, Erasmus,” said Tilly to her Meowl.
“That depends on whether you enjoy scorching heat and humidity. I prefer a rainy day,” replied the Meowl.
Tilly’s morning tea was always a contentious affair. Some days, it was Simone, her magical plant, that grumbled. Most days, it was Erasmus who stirred the pot.
“Are you going to try the berry muffins I made?” Tilly asked.
“I’m watching my figure,” answered the Meowl. “There’s a new female barn owl in the area. I’m trying to get her to notice me.”
“Fat chance, an old timer like yourself and a spring chick. I’ll be skating with old Nick before that happens,” teased the witch. The Meowl pretended not to hear and gazed at the sky.
Tilly moved to her great aunt’s abandoned forest hut after her mother died. Her mother’s death left her without a home. “It’s better than living on the street,” Tilly had said when she moved in.
Unlike the other witches, Tilly was an organic conjurer. Meaning she was a herbalist and farmer rather than a traditional wise woman.
“I just can’t get the hang of tarot cards and potion making,” she told her mother when she was young.
Every morning, the witch would make her pot of black tea and sit outside to watch the sunrise. It helped heal the pain she still felt from the loss of her mother.
“Nature works in mysterious ways. Must it take those who are needed the most?” Tilly would ask herself.
One day, Erasmus introduced himself and asked if he might live in the hollow at the top of the tree.
“I would be honored to have you as a neighbor, just don’t hoot all night long,” Tilly said.
“Madam, we Meowl don’t hoot or screech,” replied Erasmus indignantly.
As for Simone, Tilly found her in an abandoned wizard’s caravan. “The wizard had gone off one day and never came back,’ Simone told Tilly.
The three friends spent their days enjoying a slower pace of life. Each week, Tilly walked to the village to deliver herbal teas and fresh vegetables to the market.
She then collected life’s necessities, black tea, and flour for cakes. “I may live in a tree, but I will not live without afternoon tea,” Tilly had told Mrs. Brown, the merchant.
On occasion, a villager would come and bring fresh bread or other baked goods. They would receive a bundle of herbs or a packet of tea to alleviate their ailment.
“I hope I can stay here until I am a dried-up old stick,” Tilly told Erasmus one day.
“That would be fine with Simone and me as we have nowhere else to call home,” said the Meowl.
So, if you’re out on a walk and spot a weathered sign advertising herbs and vegetables. Why not stop and say hello to Tilly, Erasmus, and Simone?
She’ll be glad you did and might even give you a freshly-baked dewberry muffin to boot.
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