Grandma had been gone for months. His parents told him she was visiting relatives in another part of the world. They didn't even narrow it down to a country. Young as he was, he didn't question the strangeness of an old lady's sudden disappearance. That too, all by herself. Even his parents' unconcerned state or the fact that they didn't even call or write to her did not bother him. In fact, Andrew was excited to not have her around for once. He thought life would be great, though he soon discovered that it was more or less the same. Perhaps except for the fact that he became rather lonely. Horrid and troublesome as she was, she was still company. She was still family.

Then one day, some months later, she was back! When the bell rang one sunny Tuesday, Andrew put down his toys and ran to the front door. Guests were rare on their farm, and since it wasn't Sunday it definitely couldn't be milkman Joe. Andrew clutched his father's pant legs and peeked from behind him as he opened the door. Hunched small below the large door frame, was little old grandma with her creepy walking stick. She had a melancholy smile as she announced that she was back.

Andrew felt that it had been ages, though he kept his delight to himself. He wanted her to know that he was upset she left without saying anything to him. But he was eventually won over with the chocolates and toys she brought back with her. He was a child after all.

It became more difficult as the years progressed. Every few months, grandma would disappear for weeks on end. Each time she would go on one of her 'travels', Andrew began to notice that she never took anything with her. Not even a measly handbag! Yet, she always came back with things that she was not seen to be carrying. One time, grandma brought back several large books with her.

Andrew was eight at the time. One morning, he peeked into her room to find her lying in bed, busy reading. He shuffled into the room and sat down on her fuzzy carpet. After a short silence, he decided to try his luck. "How did you carry all those big books back with you?" he asked.

Grandma didn't reply but she didn't seem to be reading either. She was lost in thought. Andrew silently waited, fiddling with the fuzzy strands of carpet thread. Finally grandma said, "Magic, my dear."

Andrew thought she was kidding, but he didn't ask again. He knew she never took him seriously. After a few minutes she put the book aside and sat up. "Do you not believe me?"

Andrew said nothing.

"Well, how else would I have done it?" she prompted him.

"Well, how can you use magic?" he asked dumbly.

"I can because..." Grandma paused. She was once again lost in thought, but decided on finishing her sentence. "Because I'm a witch."

Andrew's eyes widened. He felt a surge of excitement course through him as grandma said, "I am a witch, Andrew. Maybe you are one too."

That was when it all started. Of course, Andrew knew. In the bottom of his heart, he had suspected that there was something more to his eccentric grandmother. Nobody believed him and at one point he had begun to doubt himself. But at last, the truth was out. After that, nothing was the same. There was magic in his life. Literally.

Grandma told him that she had not been visiting another country, but rather a different world altogether! It was a world where every creature Andrew ever read about in fairytales existed! Wizards, Warlocks, Fairies, and of course, Witches. Andrew ate it all up like any child would. It gave his isolated life a hint of color. In fact, he believed it because he desperately wanted to believe it. Grandma showed him a small purse she kept tucked away in the pocket of her shabby dress. From inside the purse she produced large items, all of which should not have been able to fit inside it. Then, she showed him the first magic spell he'd seen. The glowing shapes that danced out of her palms. He would never forget that moment. He was mesmerized.

Andrew turned out to have a natural talent for magic. Grandma was very pleased, and taught him his first spell- the glowing stars. After that, he spent most of his youth learning more about magic in general. It was to be kept a secret between him and grandma. She told him that if his parents knew about it, they would not accept it; they would think he was dabbling in dark magic and evil spirits.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

So he read and practiced in secret- on top of the haystack at the horses' stables, on the roof of the house, under his blankets with a torchlight during bedtime. Grandma obliged him when she saw fit, but her disappearances started becoming more and more frequent.

Andrew had swallowed his pride and pleaded with her to take him to the other world even if only once. But she violently declined and told him never to bring it up again. That had thrown their amended relationship back into the gutters. Andrew once again started being bitter towards her, though he imagined it hardly mattered to her since she wasn't around for long at any point in time.

Andrew hated his grandmother for teaching him about a new world, but never letting him be a part of it. He felt as though he belonged to neither world. He had no friends, and was lonely in the world around him. Grandma refused to take him to the magical world of which he heard about in her stories. Since he could not be a part of either, he simply existed in a third world; his own. It was peaceful, but it was dull. The boundaries were limited by his imagination. The world would only expand with his mind and as long as his life remained as stagnant as it were, his mind would never expand. Thus, he thought his world was doomed to remain small forever.

When Andrew was about twelve, Grandma once again disappeared and had not returned for about a year. Andrew's parents then decided that Andrew had enough homeschooling, that he needed to see the world, and that they would enroll him in middle school.

Andrew hardly thought going to a private school in the nearby town would let him see much of the world, but it was something. He found that he could not be excited for something so trivial when there was a whole other world of magic that awaited him. Still, he pretended to be very happy with his parents' decision.

Sure enough, the day before school, he felt hopeful. It was no magical world, but perhaps he would finally make some friends and enjoy himself. Of course, no such enjoyment was ultimately felt. The day after that, his parents took him to the Harleys' home where he was introduced to young Caroline who was his schoolmate. She soon designated herself his best friend.

When he was fourteen, both his parents died in a car accident.

On his fifteenth birthday, grandma had returned from one of her expeditions; this time with rather unique souvenirs. She brought him two cats, Madelaine and Scarlet.

These were some of the highlights of his otherwise humdrum life.

He went to school as usual and he learned the art of magic as usual. He often wondered if there was more to life, but found that there wasn't. Life had continued its usual pace, following its dull course.

Then one day, soon after he turned sixteen, his whole life was thrown off course. Grandma declared that he was free. Free from her, free to do whatever he wanted, free to live however he wished. Andrew raised his eyebrows and delivered his feelings on such a declaration in the form of an inquisitive glare.

"Since you hate me, and the life I have given you so far... I have decided to give you the liberty to live your life on your own terms now," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I am leaving, Andrew. I am going back to my own world. Since I cannot take you with me, you are free to live however you like in this world. Don't worry about the expenses for now. Your parents left enough for that."

Nothing she said made sense to him. She would go back to her world for good? She would just leave him all by himself?

"It seems you have something to say," she said quietly.

"WHY NOW?" He burst out.

"You are grown enough to take care of yourself. You will be alright."

Andrew was speechless. There were no words he could find that could convey the utter bewilderment he felt. He left it at that, and wordlessly stormed out of her room. As Andrew huddled on his bed and tried to arrange his thoughts, he fell further down the rabbit hole of despair.

-------

Ever since his parents had died, he had been taking care of himself. Grandma would always come and go, but he was mostly just by himself. No, since even before that. Andrew had always felt alone. He would be fine, right? He really could take care of himself, right?

But then again, those times Andrew always knew that grandma would be back. He knew that no matter how many times she would leave, even if after a month or after five months, she would return. Now that she said a final goodbye, Andrew felt scared.

Grandma had left early the next day without another word to Andrew. Andrew hadn't expected her to say anything. When she was gone he cried. He did not go to school or do much of anything for a week. When the self pity had mostly dried up and hardened, he resumed life as usual. Andrew was used to being abandoned, especially by her.

His future had become more uncertain than ever. He decided that he would figure it out eventually. Internally he thought his grandmother would come back again. Whether it happened in one year, in two years, he would not hold grudges or be irritable anymore. He would be good to her. He had never thanked her for anything, never even given her a proper hug. He decided that he deserved to be abandoned and if she ever came back, he would be better.

In fact, he expected it. She wouldn't just leave him to fend for himself all alone, would she? He was just a kid! No, this was a lesson! She'd be back, and she would see that Andrew could be good. And so, Andrew went on with his life with that hope in mind.