The Market Thief

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

“Theo, stand still!” Alfred bellows at me while he is on his hands and knees drawing on the floor with chalk.

I watch him drawing on the floor. “I can’t help it, how long is this going to take?”

“Till I’m finished.” Alfred says impatiently

“Shouldn’t I be doing that?” I ask, “I am your apprentice.”

Alfred gives me a funny look, “A girl doing a drawing? Don’t think so, something this important has to be done right.”

How am I going to get it right if he never teaches me? Why did I let Eli talk me into this? Okay I was feeling guilty but all the cleaning I’ve done in the last four months more than makes up for it. This just might be the worst four months of my life; well, maybe not the worst, I have gotten to sleep in a bed and Cook makes some great pastries. I wonder what she is cooking up today.

“Theo, pay attention! Ugh! Now look what you’ve done, you erased part of the line and now I have to redo it.” Alfred sighs as he finishes erasing the line.

“I’m sorry Alfred, I don’t see how this is learning magic. All I’ve done since I became your apprentice is clean, clean and more cleaning.” I complain.

“Stop your whining, It’s almost time and I’ve put a lot o work into this spell and no girl is going to wreck my spell by thinking she can do magic.” Alfred steps back from the drawing and looks it over.

“Are you ever going to teach me magic?” I question him.

“Teach a girl?” Alfred scratches his head. “Not possible.” He shrugs, “Once I figure that out I’ll pass it on to you. Go sit in the spot I showed you earlier.” Orders Alfred as he points to the spot.

“Don’t erase any lines, don’t erase any lines, your only a girl what can a girl know about magic.” Luckily Alfred was busy or I’d have been in big trouble for disrespect.

“Theo,” interrupts Alfred, “begin the chant. Remember nice and easy, not to fast and not to slow.”

“Yes sir” I salute. There is no way I can get it wrong. It is the only thing he has drilled me on this past week. I don’t know magic but I can chant. Course what I’m saying doesn’t make sense to me. “Alfred, what does the chant mean?”

Alfred absent-mindedly waves his hand. “I’ll explain it some other time.”

“I’ve heard that before.” I stomp my foot.

“You’re acting like a spoiled brat.” Chides Alfred

“Yeah, whatever.” I cross my arms and stand there. So I’m being a spoiled brad, I was really excited to learn magic. I was going to be the best student ever so Alfred wouldn’t complain about teaching me and Grandmother would be proud of me. Instead all I’ve done is cleaned and chanted. Big whoopee.

Alfred looks up and points at me. “That is why girls don’t learn magic, you can’t keep your emotions in check and then you pout. No great wizard pouts.”

“If you had taught me magic I would act like this.” I argue.

“Stop rambling and start chanting. I can’t concentrate with you yapping.” Alfred admonishes me.

“As above, as below, as within, as without, I am one, I am all.” Over and over again I repeat the chant working to keep the same pace. Alfred begins speaking in a weird sounding language. I block Alfred voice out of my head as it is mixing up my chanting. I don’t feel like I’m meditating today, I am so sleepy. Alfred is speaking in the background yet I feel like I’m not in the room. My breathing is slowing down; I don’t notice anything around me as I keep repeating the chant over and over again. My eyelids are getting heavier and heavier. I fight to stay awake, my head jerks and my eyes fly open. I don’t know where I am in the chant so I start from the beginning. No one mentioned how boring magic could be.

My head jerks up and I quit chanting, someone is banging on the door. “Alfred are you in there?” Hulda yells as she is pounding on the door.

“That woman is as stubborn as a mule!” Exclaims Alfred as he jumps and stops his chanting. “Hulda, I was right in the middle of a spell, now you wrecked it and I’ll have to start all over.

The picture of Hulas as a mule pops into my mind and I start laughing.