Tales from Greta's Health food Store, Jemma

The Health Food store was usually quiet on Mondays and Greta had left Jemma in charge for an hour while she went for coffee with her friend Gabrielle in the new Italian caffe. She'd grabbed her bag and new emerald green fake fur coat, taken Jemma in a bear hug and flown out of the door, blowing kisses over her shoulder and calling out to Jemma, ' Hold the fort Jems, Gabrielle's got a crisis, man trouble again, won't be long.'
The door slammed and all the little Indian charms hanging on the door clanged merrily, sunlight  shining on the crystal baubles threw rainbows dancing across the large bay window.
Jemma waved and smiled at her aunt's flambuoyant exit then went to sit on the stool behind the counter. She held her hands out in front of her and spread her fingers wide, then she clenched her fists and opened them again. She felt the power flow into them. Her nails were pink and shiny but a bit ragged where she'd chewed them.

It was Greta that had first told Jemma she had healing hands. They had been walking along the busy High Street of their little west country town, Jemma had been about three.

'Hold my hand tight Jemma please,'

Greta had bent down to take Jemma's little hand firmly in her grasp just as she was about to run across the road.

'Your hands have magic in them and when I hold your hand I feel happy.'

Jemma had  laughed with delight and held on to Greta's hand tightly.

When they'd gone home she had run to her mother to tell her about her magic hands and her mother had swung her into the air and kissed her saying that Auntie Greta was absolutely right about that.

The Indian charms on the door jingled softly and Jemma looked up to see a middle aged  woman walk in and look around her with an expectant air, clutching a piece of  paper. An elderly man came in right behind her and Jemma felt her heart lurch as she saw the way the man's face lit up at the sight of the woman.
She took out her nail file and  brushed her hair forward over her face so she could observe them discreetly.
For a long time Jemma had wanted to be a writer when she grew up, she'd always loved reading and weaving stories around all her dolls and teddies and then later the other girls at school and the neighbours. Then when the time came to choose her A levels the teachers had told her parents that she should study science, that her Biology and Chemistry results were in a class of their own.
Just as she was half way through her course her father decided to go and start another family with the secretary from the gym where he had developed more than just a passion for body building. Her mother had gone to pieces and Jemma would get home from school to find her still in bed, dirty dishes in the sink and the air heavy with cigarette smoke and alcohol fumes.  Jemma  started hanging around in the town after school and forgetting to do her homework.

Then Auntie Greta had come back into their lives. She'd been living up in Scotland on an island with a Scotsman who was helping her write a book and they hadn't seen her for years. One day Jemma came home from school to find the house clean and fresh, her mother sitting in the garden with her hair washed and dressed in clean clothes. Auntie Greta was sitting beside her and they both laughed and called out to her when she appeared.

'Oh Jemma, you'll never guess1 Auntie Greta is going to open a health Food Shop in the new shopping centre in the town. It's all arranged. She's going to stay with us while she looks for a place of her own. Isn't it wonderful.'

Jemma had gone back into the house to hide the tears that were streaming down her face. When she'd composed herself she'd made them all a cup of tea and then gone back out to hug them both and tell Auntie Greta she was very happy to see her again.

After that her mother Susan went back to teaching at the local Secondary school. Auntie Greta got back in touch with lots of her old friends  and soon her shop was up and running.  It turned out that she had  done lots of courses on alternative medicine, mindfulness and aromatherapy. She set up a studio above the shop and soon had a long list of clients.
One evening the three of them were sitting in the garden and Jemma told them she had to decide what to do at university. Greta had been gabbling away telling them all about her new venture, she went very quiet and spoke softly,

'I always regret not having studied more Jemma. When you're young you often don't realize how short a time you have to decide your future. What about aiming high and studying to be a doctor.'

Susan looked at her daughter and took her hand,

'Auntie Greta's right Jemma, now's the time to study. You'd make a terrific doctor, and don't you remember, you've got magic hands, you could be a surgeon.'

Greta laughed' Oh definitely you've got magic hands Jems. tell you what you could come and do work experience in my Health food Shop. It might not be proper medicine but it's all about prevention and helping people find a healthy balance in their lives.'

She took Jemma's hands in hers

'You've still got the magic Jems.'

Susan looked at her sister and there were tears in her eyes.

'I think Jemma takes after her Auntie Greta.'

Jemma took her mother's hand and the three of them sat there in the fading sunlight. Each felt a strength and a comfort flow between them, each made a silent vow to protect and care for the other. Jemma couldn't wait to tell her teachers what she had decided to do.