Our village has always been known for its large number of witches. Something special we have, apparently. Practically every neighborhood has its own witch doctor. Residents of neighboring villages even laughed at my fellow villagers. They used to say that bad weather bypasses us because there are witches in our village.
Our village was indeed bypassed by bad weather and rain. But the reason was scientific and natural. The settlement is located at the top, higher than other settlements. Therefore, the warm air rising above us simply repels any clouds.
People from everywhere came to our village. People came to see the “grandmothers”. Who needed help with their health. Who wanted to pay back for offence and bring trouble and misfortune. And young girls who thoughtlessly applied for a curse.
But, as they say, a bad reputation spreads faster than a good one. There were comical situations. I worked in the city, but when they found out where I was from, they began to ask me where they could find my grandmother.
Once a relative from the North came to my acquaintances and began to ask how she could find a grandmother. But I had never heard of such a grandmother. When I got home, I asked the neighbors. It turned out that she died more than ten years ago.
They say a sorceress can’t just die until she passes on her gift. It doesn’t matter if it’s a relative or an outsider. Otherwise, she will suffer a long time before she dies.
I had never dealt with such a thing before. But fate is unpredictable. A sorceress who lived in the neighborhood suffered for a long time. She was known far beyond our village. For three days, everyone who passed near her yard, heard her screaming. She wouldn’t stop screaming 24 hours a day. All the relatives gathered. But the sorceress could not say goodbye to life.
The neighbors began to gossip among themselves. They say her daughter refused the gift, and that is why she has been suffering for so many days with her mother. But she has not changed her mind. And the witch will not die without it. Now her soul cannot get to God. On the third day the most experienced and elderly fellow-villagers gathered to consult on how to help the old woman. They decided to call me. Here’s why: I live nearby and always have a chain saw at the ready. We are always preparing firewood for the fireplace.
I come to those gathered with my tools. I say hello. I ask what is required of me. It turned out that in order for the old woman’s soul to be taken away by the evil power, she needed to open the way. I literally had to make a hole in the ceiling and even take the roof apart.
The custom was clearly medieval, but I decided to listen to the old folks. If I have to do it, I have to do it. It’s not customary for us to argue with our elders. I threw a few sheets of slate off the roof. Looked for a suitable place in the ceiling. I was told to saw from the inside. Went inside. It was a very peculiar sight… At least the bed with the dying old lady had been moved aside. I tried it on for sure and got to work. Dust, noise. I couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, and couldn’t breathe because of the chainsaw.
However, he coped with his task. We put a bed under this hole. Surprisingly, all the dust immediately “went away” into the hole. It was even creepy. Outside, I sat down by the fence and smoked. As soon as the cigarette had expired, there was silence in the house… The witch’s daughter came out to the old men, tying a black kerchief on her head. Everyone sighed in relief. The woman nodded at me, thanking me for my help…
