Page 91 of Bad Influence
‘Natalia, this is Amber Green, my stylist.’
Although she was encased in a robe, you couldn’t miss the large, round shape of Natalia’s midriff. She was a fairly short woman, with dark brown curly hair and olive skin. She looked at least a decade younger than Mandy.
‘Natalia doesn’t speak great English, I’m afraid. She’s from Mexico originally, but lives and works in Florida. She’s our angel.’ She smiled at the woman, who had a kind and friendly face, yet seemed nervous. Natalia stepped forward, smiled, and shook my hand formally.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you,’ she said politely.
Mandy looked across at my mum and Lucy, and I introduced them all.
‘I’m sorry we had to clear the pool,’ Mandy said, at last making reference to what had happened.
‘It’s my fault,’ Ebony interjected. ‘It was all getting a little tight, timing-wise.’
‘Timing-wise?’ I looked at her puzzled.
‘Today marks a full moon, so we’re planning to honour its energy and guidance for the unborn child, whilst harnessing the power of the elements.’ She said it so matter-of-factly, I wondered if I had missed something. ‘Earth, water, fire, and air,’ she continued. ‘We’re going to tap into cosmic forces by honouring the elements and seeking their guidance to explore our own inner cosmos. The pool is our water. Think of it as a birthing pool for all of our souls.’
I nodded slowly, noticing Lucy do the same. Mum gave me a sideways look which suggested she did not buy into any of this woo-woo nonsense. I didn’t feel any less confused, but Ebony had a way of speaking with such authority, none of us dared question her.
Undeterred, she lifted her face upwards, towards the sky. We all copied her, lifting our chins to peer above us as if waiting for a divine entity to give us a sign. Ebony pointed out the daytime moon, it appeared pale against the blue sky. ‘You see it? It doesn’t shine as brightly as during the night, but it’s just beginning to appear, and it’s critical we get the timing right. It’s such a majestic and serene sight, let’s all rest our eyes for a moment and take a breath here.’ She closed her eyes, Mandy and Natalia followed suit. I kept one eye open. ‘That’s beautiful. Now try to visualise yourself as a cosmic being, connected to the vastness of the universe. You may like to imagine stardust flowing through your veins, or maybe you are a celestial body, weightlessand free, orbiting the moon with an umbilical attachment to it.’
This was too much for Lucy, who made a snorting noise next to me.
‘I’m sorry, I think I need to sit down,’ she muttered.
‘How far on your pregnancy journey are you, my cosmic sister?’ Ebony asked, guiding Lucy towards a nearby sunlounger.
‘Nearly six months,’ she said.
‘Snap!’ Mandy said excitedly, as she gently patted Natalia’s middle.
Natalia looked sympathetically at Lucy. ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked softly.
‘Well, the sickness has passed, but I feel tired a lot of the time. Otherwise, pretty good. You?’
‘I feel good,’ Natalia replied. ‘I feel so blessed to be able to do this for Mandy and Jose.’ She smiled shyly at Mandy, who squeezed her hand.
‘That’s beautiful,’ Ebony purred. ‘We’re planning a small ritual whilst submerged in water to align the inner world of the growing foetus with the cosmic rhythm that surrounds us,’ she informed us. ‘It is a formative step in the cosmic journey of motherhood. You’re welcome to join us, Lucy, if you’d like to?’
I nudged Mum in the small of her back, not intending to make her yelp, but she let out a high pitched ‘Ooh!’
Ebony turned to her. ‘You are the cosmic grandmother of the unborn child, I presume?’
‘That’s partially correct. Hannah Green.’ Mum held outher hand. She said it in the official voice she reserved for new clients, rather than new friends, aka the ‘don’t mess, I’m a qualified lawyer’ tone which instantly made me feel everything was under control.
‘You form a link in the unbroken chain of ancient ancestors who have enabled this unborn child to exist today,’ continued Ebony.
Mum looked offended and also baffled, she had never thought of herself as an ancient ancestor or had to exert authority over a cosmic doula before. ‘And you are—?’
‘Think of me as an astrological midwife.’ Ebony politely took Mum’s hand and laid her other hand on top, sandwiching it tenderly. Mum raised an eyebrow, this kind of overt affection from a stranger was way out of her comfort zone.
‘You could do with relaxing,’ she muttered.
‘If Ebony’s okay with it, you’re all welcome to join us for the celestial bathing ritual, if you would like?’ Mandy offered.
‘Of course, the sisterhood welcomes everyone,’ Ebony replied smiling, her wide face framed by white hair braided in cornrows close to her scalp. She looked a similar age to Mum and was stunningly beautiful. There was a pause as the two women gauged our reactions, expectantly.
‘Does it help with blood pressure?’ Lucy asked, surprising me.
