Before the filhos de santo woke up, Maria and Baba Carlos went down the hill to the beach that belonged to the Sacred Grounds and swam in the sea with Yemanjá.

It had been almost seven years since Maria had seen the sea and swum in it!

Maria was happy. How much she had missed swimming in the sea. When she was a little girl, she could spend hours in the water, and now, after all those years, she was finally back. She swam to where the sea was deep and stayed a long time admiring the sun and then the hill, home to the Sacred Grounds. She could see the place where she grew up, where her family lived, where she had been so happy.

Maria suddenly heard a voice she knew was calling her.

She dived into the sea and swam to Yemanjá’s statue, which nobody knew who had put down there.

She hugged Yemanjá and waited for the blessing.

“You can go now, minha filha. Here is my present.”

A dolphin brought a collar of black pearls. Maria looked at the collar and hugged Yemanjá again. With Yemanjá’s permission, Maria got out of the water with three presents: the blessing, the black pearl collar, and a fish so she could eat breakfast.

“Mother Yemanjá blessed you and gave you a present for your new journey, Maria. Your path is open now. You’ll discover where you belong.”

“Yes, Father, I’m ready.”

Maria and her father went back to the temple. Maria gave the fish to Alma so she could cook it for breakfast.

Alma and the other filhos de santo looked at the collar Yemanjá had given to Maria and lowered their heads. She wasn’t the child they had once known, helped, and taken care of. They remembered the little girl who grew up among them, who played with their children and ate at their tables. Now she stood before them wearing a gift from Yemanjá.

They didn’t know who Maria was becoming, who she was, or what power held her. They were scared but also felt a respect that was different from the respect they had for Baba Carlos. They didn’t fear his power, but somehow they feared Maria’s power.

They cooked in silence and served the table where Maria and her new people sat with Baba Carlos in silence.

“Thank you, Baba Carlos, for this beautiful breakfast. The fish looks amazing,” Lúcia said.

“This fish was gifted to Maria by our Mother Yemanjá,” Baba Carlos answered.

“I can see you also got a jewel from her.” Lúcia looked at Maria but didn’t touch the jewellery.

“Yes, I did, Lúcia.”

“All the Orixás love you, Maria,” Lúcia said.

“They brought her to life on the day they chose, in the place they chose,” Baba Carlos added.

“That’s beautiful. Please, Baba Carlos, tell us the story of Maria’s birth,” Amada asked.

Baba Carlos told the story with tears in his eyes.

“Maria, looks like all the Orixás and all the greatest powers want you,” Lúcia said.

“Does it?”

“Yes, it does. Looks like you are to become a very special woman,”

Lúcia looked at Baba Carlos. They knew, but they were not allowed to speak yet.

“What powers exist beyond the Orixás and the normal people?” Maria asked.

“The power of knowledge, Maria. The power of light. A power that is what holds the world since it all started,” Lúcia looked at Maria and then to the collar.

“I only know and feel this power,”

“Yes, you do know this power, Maria. It’s the power that sent me to you. It’s the power where I belong,” Zita answered, sitting next to Maria.

Zita followed Maria everywhere, day and night, but the other two witches, Nara and Nei, were only allowed inside the temple at night. During the day, they waited in Exu’s house at the entrance of the Sacred Grounds.

Amada, Lúcia, and Maria ate with Baba Carlos. Baba Carlos told stories about the Orixás till it was time for them to go back to Rio de Janeiro.

Maria hugged and kissed her brothers, their children, and their wives. She was happy to have seen them again, to have held their children, and to know that this time she could come back whenever she wanted.

“Come back soon, Maria,” her oldest brother told her.

“She will come very frequently,” Baba Carlos answered.

The filhos de santo came to say their goodbyes and give their axé to Maria, this time bowing their heads and kissing her hand. Maria looked at her father, surprised, but Baba Carlos smiled and encouraged Maria to accept the gesture.

Iya Larissa came running.

“Maria, wait! Mother Oxum also has a gift for you. She’s asking you to go see her before you go.”

Maria ran to the waterfall and entered the water. Under the waterfall, on a bed of orchids, was a golden ring.

“Wear this ring always on your right index finger, minha filha, and always remember that you also belong to the Sacred Grounds, to us.”

Maria looked at the water, drank from it, and with tears in her eyes went back to the temple.

Baba Carlos accompanied Maria down the hill and hugged her with love and tenderness for a long time. He knew she was going to come back soon, but he also knew that this version of Maria that he was hugging now, he would never hug again.

“Maria, minha filha, this is your home, and it belongs to you. Come frequently. I’ll be here waiting for you.”

“I will come, Father.”

“She will come often and whenever she wants, Baba Carlos. I’ll make sure of that,” said Zita, and she hugged Baba Carlos.

“Take care of my daughter, Zita, and continue coming every night when she falls asleep.”

“I will, Baba. I will always keep my word.”

Maria entered the car happy, knowing that this time she was going away because she wanted to.

“Maria, now we are going to the city house. We need to start the ritual,” Lúcia said, looking at Maria.

“What ritual, Lúcia?”

“You’ll see. You’ll see what we can do with our power. The power you belong to,” Zita said.