Flora
‘Come in,’ said the elderly guy, opening the front door, his cigarette hanging from the corner of his lip, wiggling up and down as he spoke – yet not a drop of ash had fallen to the banana-leaf patterned carpet.
I stare at the bungalow’s dingy hallway.
‘Take a seat, she’ll call when she’s ready,’ he muttered, before disappearing through a doorway.
I take a seat at the delicate telephone table and stare ahead at the painted chip-board. The door to my left is closed. I can hear the TV in the room where the old man waddled off to.
I should have told Annie where I was going, but it’s not as if I’m answerable to her and Mick. I’m a grown adult. I can make decisions for myself, sometimes. I felt mean not telling them but sometimes I want to do what I want to do, when I want to.
This reading was one such occasion.
How Annie had laughed about the tarot card reader on ladies’ night. Hadn’t she mocked those who’d queued to have a reading? I was prepared to take a gamble on anything if it brought me information.
‘Jessica?’ The door to my left opens and an elderly woman in a bejewelled head scarf appears, staring at me.
I blush.
I’m certain she knows I’ve given a false name.
‘Yes, hi… nice to meet you.’ I straighten my coat, extend a hand but it’s ignored as she leads me into her coven.
The room is dimly lit by a Pixar-style lamp with a turquoise voile draped over it. I stare around the room, as she seats herself. Every inch of every wall is covered in masks, fairies, crosses, angels, cherubs, painted skulls and crystals like Aladdin’s cave. My eyes circle the walls before returning to the woman. Her kaftan gown billows from the yoke and her head scarf coins twinkle as she watches me.
‘Take a seat,’ she says, adding proudly, ‘it’s a life-time’s work is all that.’
I’m sceptical. An hour on EBay and I reckon I could purchase all this for delivery in three days.
I sit as her hands swiftly unwrap a red silk scarf revealing a set of tarot cards. She places the cards face down on the small painted table, a colourful sun and moon design decorates the surface between us.
‘Three cards for twenty, five for thirty,’ she says, wringing her gnarled hands in her kaftan lap.
I don’t understand, so hesitate. Didn’t she charge ten pounds per reading at ladies’ night?
‘Three please.’
‘Take the pile and shuffle, keep shuffling until you feel the cards want you to stop – then choose your three, place them face down on the table – I’ll take the remaining cards.’
I follow her instructions. The cards feel awkward in my hands, I wish I could shuffle but I can’t. My hands stumble through each movement as I struggle not to scatter the pile across the painted table. After an embarrassing few shuffles, and not when the cards tell me but my dignity does – I choose three cards, placing them face down as requested.
She takes the remaining pile from my clutches, probably for the best given my handling skills. She slowly turns the first card over showing a colourful picture depicting a woman surrounded by hearts and vines.
‘The Empress… an interesting card,’ she says, adding ‘she’s associated with fertility, birth and rebirth. Can you see how the healthy vines bloom around her body? Maybe you’ll receive news about a pregnancy, or find yourself expecting.’ She glances at my ring-less fingers. I move my hands from the table into my lap.
‘Oh.’ Was all I could say. The birth and fertility could link to my search or maybe I’ll experience a rebirth once Major Matthews organises the DNA testing and the results are known. Or if my search proves futile maybe I’ll experience a rebirth by accepting that I’ll never know the answer but at least I can move on.
‘Not the answer you were seeking, Jessica?’
I smile. I don’t want to answer. I don’t want to feed her any information. I want to know what she can see or feel from the psychic world, if such a talent exists.
‘The Empress has strong connections with good times and contentment in the future. Maybe you’re looking to settle down, enjoy a time of certainty, create strong foundations on which to build a new life.’
I nod politely hoping that’s a true prediction.
‘I can see you enjoying a lot of contentment in the coming months, Jessica… things have been a bit rough lately, but these issues will disappear with time, they always do.’
Her fingers flip card two over to show a plainer one depicting a solitary man walking with a stick.
‘The Hermit – he represents a time of solitary thinking, a time to withdraw from the crowd and focus on yourself, find yourself and discover the real you.’
I nod. It sounds about right, I suppose I have become a hermit of late. Leaving my life in Bushey, going it alone in Pooley amongst the villagers, thinking about my past life and the possible outcomes.
‘Any nearer to what you’re experiencing, Jessica?’
‘Yes, I can relate to that card – I feel like a hermit at the moment but will it always be like this?’
‘It’s not all doom and gloom for the hermit, you know. Self-reflection is good for the soul, helps it to breathe – which is never a bad thing. And finally…’ She flips the last card to reveal a brightly painted boy stepping off the edge of a cliff, a cheery smile addresses his face. ‘The Fool!’
I smile, surely the clue was in the title.
‘He’s a welcome card because he represents unlimited potential in human nature despite our flaws and fortunes. Can you see he’s stepping off the edge into the unknown – frightening, scary but it allows you to begin a new chapter of your life.’
‘That’s me… I feel like that!’ I say, unable to hold my tongue. I didn’t give too much away about the first card The Empress but she got the connection almost right.
I’m overwhelmed with excitement, though I try to hide my reaction.
‘From this card, I see you’re having unsettled times but take heart Jessica, time passes and this will pass too and then a brand-new chapter of your life will begin,’ she said, shuffling the three cards back into her pile. ‘Be brave and dare to go where angels fear to tread.’
Excellent, what else?
‘I don’t take cards or cheques.’
Her final sentence snaps me straight back to reality. Is that it – the end? How long had I been here, five minutes or an hour? I really couldn’t say.
‘Cash then,’ I stammer, my question was met by her cool eyes. Not another word was said, she had literally ceased to communicate after saying the word cheques. Wasn’t there a summary to finish? Nothing, she sits and waits for her payment.
I collect my handbag, dig out my purse and give her a crisp twenty.
‘Cheers, Jessica, if you’ll be wanting a follow up reading please just give me a ring.’ I watch as she pops my crisp note down her neck line and performs a tucking-in action.
I stand and make for the door.
‘Jessica…’
‘Yes,’ I say, eager for any additional information.
‘Will you say ‘hi’ to Annie for me… I keep meaning to drop by and ask how Mick’s back is.’
My heart sinks. Not so psychic after all.
*
‘You silly mare!’ laughs Annie. ‘Why didn’t you say?’
‘I didn’t think it necessary,’ I mutter, like a chastised kid.
‘Everyone knows everyone around here – I’d have saved you twenty quid by telling you Dippy Doris is Old Nancy’s bloody sister. Psychic my foot. Bloody gossip queen more like.’
‘So how did she get me to select those particular cards then?’
‘Lord knows… but Old Nancy will have told her your story – so she knew what to aim for.’
‘Maybe she’d have linked my search regardless of the cards I chose.’
‘Mmmm, does Joel know?’
‘Why would I tell Joel?’
‘Why not? He’d have warned you too.’
‘I don’t have to run everything I do past Joel, you know?
‘Really? You could have fooled me! Here, get a glass of wine down your neck and next time don’t be so naive.