As Luck Would Have it

Mary Jane knocked on the door, as Betsy was dusting the living room. Betsy opened the door wearing only a man’s shirt and shorts. “I’m not going to breast feed. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you not to bother coming back.”

Mary Jane’s face flushed and her hands shook a little. “Mrs. Henry Newcastle?” Mary Jane sat down on the sofa averting her eyes from the alarming attractive woman only half dressed. “Those aren’t your husband’s clothes.”

“What I wear around the house isn’t your business?” Betsy used her telekinesis to make a rag to dust the coffee table.
ou lou look different.”

“I zapped myself with an indefinite spell.” Betsy looked the bookcases and the rag dusted them.

Mary Jane started to laugh. “I never would use an untested spell on myself.”

“I’m more worried about the time it’ll end.”

“When did you do it?”

“Two days after Cynthia was born.”

“You’ll need these pills to keep your hormone levels down. I’ll check back with you in a couple of months to see if they are working.”

“Should I expect any side effects?”

“Menopausal symptoms. Vaginal dryness, possible deepening of the voice and little facial hair; nothing to worry about. Betsy, can I be frank with you?”

“I suppose.”

“Annabel told me that Will mistook you for a man. With this medication, it’ll happen more often.”

“How do I recommend I compensate?” Betsy didn’t much care if she was mistaken for a man but she didn’t want Mary Jane to know that. Mary Jane never seem comfortable around her and treated her rather distant, but most people treated her that way so she tried play it no mind. It wasn\'t like another healer was going to treat her like she was a real human being because that would be asking too much.

“Powder your face and magic shave might help. Wear nice clothes. Wear a nice hat, a pearl necklace. Always hold yourself like a lady and it shouldn’t be a problem.” Mary Jane was just giving advice without considering the needs of the patient.

“Do I look like a man now?” Betsy moved the rag to the next bookcase. The rag with telekinesis could go places her hands couldn\'t without disturbing the books. The rag dusted all over the books without them needing to be moved much faster than anyone could do it with his/her hands.

“Not with those legs. If you were wearing trousers, I might have a problem.”

Betsy laughed at the word might; she doubt that there was that much difference between men’s and women’s legs. The barber shaved her thinking the few whiskers on her chin and her sparse facial hair was a man’s beard. “Thank you for the medication. I’ll inform you if I have another episode.” Betsy told herself to be nice to myopic woman.

\"Have a good day, ma\'am,\" Mary Jane said before letting herself out.

Betsy spent most of Friday doing laundry wearing men’s clothes. After she folded the clothes and put the clothes away, she headed out to do some shopping. She didn’t know how Annabel managed with two babies. Worried about having company, she ate a fast lunch and started cleaning the kitchen. Every ten minutes, it seemed that Cynthia would cry for no reason.

In the wee hours of the morning, Betsy bundled the baby in a couple blankets, packed a bag with formula, nappies and enough premeasured glamour potion for three days or slightly longer. She then unrolled the flying carpet in their small backyard. Finally, she sat with the bundled baby in her arms, “Carpet, arise. To my parent’s house.” She landed the carpet in the front lawn of her parent’s farmhouse. She took the baby and her bag off the carpet. “Carpet, wait for my return.” The carpet rolled itself and rested itself against the front porch gate. Betsy put the bag on the porch and adjusted the baby in her blanket to hold her with one arm. Finally, she was able to knock on the door.

Her mother with her hair was in curlers and wearing a nightgown opened the door. “Do I know you?”

“I’m your daughter, Betsy and this is your granddaughter.”

“And I\'m the Queen of England,” her mother said.

“Mom, I used a glamour potion of my own design,” Betsy said. “The stuff Pop makes isn’t strong enough.”

“Dear, if Henry left you and his newborn child,” said the woman. “I’ll have your father change him into a toad.”

After tracing the baby’s face with her finger, Betsy picked up her bag. “Mother, please, hold the door for me. Henry didn’t kick me out. I couldn’t sleep and I wanted you to see your grandchild.”

“Come in, out of the cold.” Her mother led Betsy to the kitchen then her mother sat down at one of the four chairs around a small kitchen table. “I’ll hold the little darling. You put the formula in the icebox.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Betsy took the two bottles, placed on on a shelf near the milk and took off her cardigan jumper as she felt the heat from the fire place. “Do you mind if I make some chamomile tea?”

“No, help yourself,” Mrs. Logan said, looking at the sleeping baby. “She’s awful quiet.”

“You should have heard her an hour ago. The carpet ride made her doze off. Don’t worry in four hours she\'ll be screaming like a siren.”

“Honey, you look good. I’m going to take the baby to bed with me. You help yourself.” Mrs. Logan blinked her eyes, as if she was forcing her eyes to stay open.

“Mom thanks.” After drinking a cup of herbal tea, Betsy went to sleep in her old bedroom. The sun was out before she woke. Betsy walked to her parent’s bedroom. The bed was made and her parents were long gone.

Betsy’s mother was in the sitting room under the light of a window with the shade at half-mast. “Honey, I gave the baby her bottle and changed her,” said the older woman, rocking Cynthia. “I thought you could use your sleep.”

Betsy looked around the sitting room. “Where’s Pop?”

“He’s in the cellar, making more toad potion.” Mrs. Logan gave a wicked little smile.

“Henry didn’t kick us out,” said Betsy. “He has meetings all morning. As owner, he puts in more hours at his factories than his employees.”

“He’s perfecting his glamour potion. He claims it makes men more handsome and women more beautiful.” Mrs. Logan continued to rock. “Rocking chairs are great for colicky babies. I couldn’t do without one when I had your brother. You, on the other hand, were so peaceful than I worried about you.”

“I’m going to boil some bottles on the stove,” said Betsy.

“Go ahead. You know where everything is.”

Frank, Betsy’s older brother, came in the kitchen as Betsy was stirring porridge. Frank’s beard was unshaven and his hair uncombed and he appeared to have worn those wrinkled pajamas several continuous days. “So someone, finally, porked you.”
hus husband is quite happy with my bedroom performance. He says I do things that a normal woman won’t do. He likes that I’m talented in the act of lovemaking.”

“He likes that you’re a slut. Some women have pride.”

“I’m a married lady.” Betsy showed her ring finger. “You’re just jealous because your odor frightens all the women awayetsyetsy waves her hand. “Stay down wind.”

“Stay down wind yourself. That glamour potion gives off an odor.”

“Not as much as you. It might help if you bathed more than once a month.” Betsy waved her hand again before removing the oatmeal and bottles from the stove. Betsy poured formula into the clean bottles and put them into the icebox. “Frank, after you take a bath, we can have a polite conversation.”

“Are you using a sex change potion or did you just wrap your bosom?”

“I shouldn’t answer that.”

Frank sneered.

“I wrapped my chest if you must know. The glamour potion taxes my body enough.”

Betsy went to the basement. Mr. Logan took a quick look over his shoulder while pouring liquid into little bottles. “My girl, what brings you here?\"

“I wanted you and Mom to see the baby. She’s asleep now. The carpet ride knocked her out.”

“You look great.” Mr. Logan hugged his daughter.

“I feel wonderful. I made breakfast. Can you can take a break?”

“Don’t say that word too loud. The bottles cost me more than the stuff I put into them.” Mr. Logan turned down the flame under his cauldron.

“More love poti

“No, this is aphrodisiac. I also make stuff that gives a man more stamina. With that potion, Henry could go hours.”

“That’s all I need with a baby crying half the night. Mom said you\'re working on your glamour recipe.”

“Maybe later, I have an order to fill. Frank promises to help but he never does. Mom says that we should throw him to dogs but I have a soft spot for the boy.”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t jeered me for having a rich husband.”

“You should keep that to yourself. You don’t want Frank showing up at your doorstep.”

“As soon as Henry arrived, Frank will know. A man wears his status,” Betsy stated as she walked up the stairs.

Mr. Logan put his arm around Betsy’s shoulder. “You seemed a little taller than last time you visited.”

“I’m wearing new shoes.” Betsy did feel taller, but it was probably because she wasn\'t slouching.

“Are you going back to work?”

“Perhaps, in a few years. Cynthia will only be a baby for a short time. I took a glamour potion so I would feel beautiful after having a baby.”

“I offered you glamour potion in your youth but you insisted that you wanted to be loved for your inner beauty.”

“I had a difficult pregnancy and wanted to look good.”

“You shouldn’t have changed your body because society can’t accept a woman who isn’t 5 foot 2 with perfect features. You never cared how people saw you.”

“I had just had a baby. My emotions got the best of me.” Betsy put her hands on her hips a moment before serving the porridge and put the bowls on the table. “Pop, are you disappointed in me?”

“No. After we eat, I have to see that grandchild of mine. Mom says you may be well into your forties when the next one is born. I don’t know if these old bones will make it that far.”

“Pop, you’re going to live forever.”

“Or die trying.”

Frank came to the table. He served himself a bowl of porridge. “Your baby is crying.”

Betsy turned on the gas range to warm a bottle. “I’m impressed you bathed.”

“Do I have to listen to that pervert insult me?”

“Betsy is doing the best with what the gods had given her. You could take lessons from her. She has supported herself since she was nineteen. She has never came home begging for money,” Mr. Logan said.

“He’s just jealous that I have a love life.” Betsy took the baby from her mother, turned off the flame and tested the temperature of the bottle.

“May I?” asked Thaddeus Logan.

“Slowly, be careful she doesn’t get too much at a time. She’s only a few days old.” Betsy handed her father the baby. \"Henry says that I’m prettier than I have ever been.”

“You look very good but don’t get carried away,” Mrs. Logan said.

“I have been thin very long. I don’t intend to get as big as Henry.”

Mrs. Logan said, “No one does, Dear.”

Henry arrived late afternoon and he hugged Betsy as soon as he came inside. “How is my lovely wife?”

“I’m fine. I would have come home in a day or two. You didn’t have to check up on me.” Betsy reached up to kiss him.

Frank made kissing noises.

“Darling, ignore him. He’s an idiot. Take a seat.”

“Mrs. Logan, it’s good to see you again,” Henry said. “I see where Betsy gets her self-confidence.”

“It isn’t from Frank,” said Mrs. Logan.

“Why don’t you kick him out? He’s only getting soft since you\'re taking care of him. I have been working in my father’s textile mills since I was fifteen; I have been running them since I was twenty-two.”

“No one kicked Betsy out. She left when she was sixteen,” Mrs. Logan said.

Betsy said, “Seventeen. It was less than a month from my birthday.”

“Frank, no one is going to kick you out if you start helping with the business. I won’t live forever,” Mr. Logan said.

“How can you be proud of that freak?” Frank said. looking at Betsy holding Henry’s hand.

“When Betsy was born horribly ugly, I prepared to drown her. As I was filling the tub, I had vision of my unborn granddaughter.” Mrs. Logan held up the baby she has in her lap. “I knew then that child was worth saving. Frank, I should have drowned you.”

“Darling.” Betsy kissed Henry again. “I think it’s time we go. Mom and Pop insult Frank all the time.”

“Stay for dinner,” Mrs. Logan suggested. “I promise to be civil. Frank?”

“Betsy started it. She comes here smelling like musk and complains how I smell,” Frank said.

“You sound like a spoiled child,” Mrs. Logan said.

“Fine. I’m going to my room,” Frank said.

Betsy walked over to Frank and put her hand on Frank’s shoulder.

“I don’t want you touching me,” Frank said.

“Friends come and go. Family is forever.”

“You smell like a whore.”

“The glamour potion has a few side effects. I’ll work them out. I rather live my life than hide in my room. I admit things aren’t perfect.”

“Why him?”

“I love him. If you left your room, you would see there is a whole world out there.”

“I thank God that I’m not you.” Frank lit a cigarette and walked up the stairs.

Betsy looked at her mother. “He would rather hide in his room.”

“Sit down,” Mrs. Logan said. “Henry, is beans and potatoes okay? Pop, did you collect greens from the garden?”

“We have fresh peppers and squash.”

“I’ll make a casserole. Betsy, would you like to help me in the kitchen?”

“I would love to,” Betsy said. “Henry can bore Pop with his latest business conquest.”

After the meal was finish, Henry got his coat. “I hate to eat and run but would you mind watching the bundle? I managed to get us last minute tickets to a concert.”

“I’m not dressed for a concert. I should have dark trousers, a jacket and tie.”

“Keep your coat on no one will notice.”

“Darling.” Betsy added a lilt to her voice and put on her coat. “You spoil me so.”

“You deserve a night on the town.” Henry unrolled the carpet. “Tell it to take us to the Keene auditorium.”

“What did James do for a living?”

“He was a prize fighter. After he lost enough fights to make several healers rich, he sponged off me. When we met, he had talent.”

“You have never taken me to a fight or mentioned pugilism.”

“He was long retired when he left me. After nursing his wounds, the sport lost its appeal.”

“I bet he was gorgeous.”

“No. He suffered quite a few facial injuries along the way.”

“I wasn’t talking about his face.” Betsy pulled her jumper tight. “I’m dressed like a man.”

“You can pull this off.”

“I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“I’m a poof. I can handle it.”

“I’m not. If we run into someone, I need a man’s name.”

“Ce one one.”

“Daniel, I liked that story when I was little. It gave me hope for the future.”

“Nice name.”

“Thanks.”

“James has family in Keene. Wouldn’t it be strange if we ran into his sister or brother?”

“God forbid.”