One girl doesn't look so angry as she passes by. In fact, she even forces a smile. From this alone I can tell she's new here. She also looks lost, and no doubt, she's probably wondering how she got herself into whatever situation brought her here. Whoever this girl is, she's in for a lot of surprises these next couple of days.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
It's too cold to leave the shop today, though I doubt I'd leave even if it weren't. This hasn't kept others from wandering the streets, however. So, I make myself a pot of tea and position myself on an old wooden chair near the window. It appears that no one outside is prepared for a cold front like this one. A few pedestrians even have the nerve to beam their beady eyes in my direction, as if it's my fault. No crystal ball or deck of tarot cards could have predicted this blizzard, and this isn't to mention that weather really isn't my specialty anyway. That midget girl gives me the worst look of them all, though I am sure it has nothing to do with the weather. She visited me last week, and when I refused to refund her visit after telling her what she didn't want to hear (that her father was, in fact, right about her job choice), she stormed her stubby little legs right out of here. I also picked up on a hint of her meeting someone special in the coming months, but I saw her head angrily bobbing up and down on the other side of the shop window long before I had the chance to tell her. I suppose that's for the best. Good news is much better off when it's not expected.
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"I walk in, and she's perched on a stool like a pigeon. "Welcome," she says, "what can I do for you?" I read the sign: "Palm Readings: $5, I Ching: $10, Horoscope: $10.50, Crystal Ball Readings: $25.00." I choose the crystal ball. Go big or go home, right? As she's readying the implements, I make light conversation:
ReplyDelete"So, what, exactly, is the crytal ball made of, and what makes it so magical?" She doesn't look up and answers seriously:
"Crystal deposits imported from the bottom of Peruvian waterfalls. This crystal ball was harvested from a waterfall in Machu Picchu in 1874."
Impressive. "So, how did you come to own it?"
"Bought it off Craig's List." Ah. "Stop talking now."
I say okay and she lights a fresh stick of incense, leads me behind a curtain into the back room, which smells old but nice, closes the curtain with a sweep, lowers the light, plops down with the crystal ball between us and begins the reading.
"I see...hmmmm...mmhmmm...oh dear...oh my...yes...
...
...
...oh?...a-ha..."
This goes on for a while, she sits there in quiet revelry, murmuring to herself. I get a little impatient and peek around to get a look. The crystal ball is filled with colors – yellow swirls, purple clouds...I think I spy the shape of a horse galloping...the design shifts and evolves, never staying the same, constant improvisation. I am enveloped in it. I feel as though I'm zooming forward. My mind is split into four sections, each one made of glass. Four glass panes, hovering in the air.
"AH AH AH!"
I snap out of it, looking up into the creased face of old Madame Maureen.
"Are you a licensed psychic?" she snaps. "There's a reason I'm sitting here and you're sitting there, you imbecile. You're not supposed to look into the crystal ball, that's my job." She stands and ushers me out of the room. She takes the twenty and the five I gave her and hands them back to me with a look almost of pity. "Keep your money," she spits out. Then her demeanor changes. Her eyes soften and she regards me once more with pity. "You poor, poor soul." She shakes her head and takes one last look at me. With that, I am ushered onto the street and the door slams behind me. I stare at it for a time, until the cold creeps up on me. Gradually, I become aware of my surroundings. I'm back in the city. It's gotten colder out.
"What a fucking bizarre incident," I mutter to myself. "Nothing a whiskey and a lap dance won't fix, though." I orient toward the Le Royale and start walking."