The Witches Of Denmark Read Free Page A

period.
    It wasn’t enough to elicit ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as our parents might’ve hoped for, since these weren’t homes to rival the massive opulence of Chico Town’s Highland Park area. But, I’ll admit these elaborate 1880s homes stood out sharply compared to the more modest homes we had seen. As I alluded to earlier, I’ve always been drawn to Victorian architecture, either here or in England.
    “So, you like?” asked Mom, grinning at our approving nods.
    “It’s kinda cool… interesting in a different way,” said Alisia.
    “I’m with Alisia on that,” I said, reluctantly giving ground in the tug-o-war for leverage to ensure our stay in Denmark was short and sweet. I intended to go heavy on the ‘short’ aspect. “I think I just spotted a couple of crack dealers back there in an alley, and….”
    “And what?” asked Alisia, when I didn’t finish. She followed my gaze and gasped.
    Rising like a mini Mount Olympus on the corner of Chaffin’s Bend and Old Dominion Road stood a stately plantation house. Sheltered by majestic trees that were surely as old as it, and the grounds decorated with old statues and park-like gardens, the house looked like it belonged in some classic movie. Not that we hadn’t seen more lavish residences in Chicago—including the aforementioned Highland Park villas and mansions. But, to see this antebellum edifice in the middle of an area that was surrounded by near slum-like conditions just a few blocks away was… well unsettling, to be honest.
    Regardless, I had to recover from such an unfavorable reaction… and, quickly.
    “Uhhh… what’s a nice place like that doing in a run-down area?”
    Not exactly what I wanted to say, but effective enough to allow a retreat and regroup before going on the offensive again.
    “The area is in transition— not run down,” said Dad, irritated. I began to wonder if he and Mom had picked one of the more modest houses on either Old Dominion or further down Chaffin’s Bend. That would allow us to abide by ‘The Code’. “Yes, the area needs work, but, this part of town was once the high-society area of Denmark. This house is called ‘Twin Magnolias’ for the majestic trees on either side of the house facing out toward Old Dominion. It once belonged to a wealthy US Senator and Confederate general, Jeremiah Atwater, who was largely responsible for the development and prosperity of Denmark. So, the older folks call it the ‘Old Atwater Place’. The house once sat on over 40 acres of land. The other Victorian homes were added later, as part of a ritzy neighborhood built around this wonderful home at the turn of the twentieth century.”
    “It looks like Tara from Gone With The Wind ,” said Alisia, reverently.
    True. It did look a lot like Tara.
    “It’s not near as big as Tara , Alisia,” said Mom, smiling broadly in response to our reactions. It did make it harder to be as disdainful of Denmark. “It was built in 1854, and remained a farm until 1904, when the land was divided up and sold to build the other houses around it that are almost as big.”
    “Mini mansions?” I asked, determined to whittle away the magic.
    “Yes… in a way. They were considered mansions back in the day, but now a 4500 square foot home is just a big house,” said Dad. “But this place still has two acres of the original lot, and a servants’ cottage and barn still remain as well.”
    “How come you two know so much about this place?” asked Alisia. “I assume our new digs will be around here someplace, right?”
    I had been scouting the area for the big blue semi carrying our shit from Wheaton. But couldn’t see it anywhere.
    “I love history, remember? Once taught it at the University of Chicago… long ago,” said Dad. I had forgotten about that, and surely my sister had, too. Though she was probably too young to remember, if I had the dates of Dad’s tenure right.
    Our SUV coasted through the intersection, and moved further