章 4: Cherry Season (May - June) Part 4
"I'd like to get my fortune told," Annie said. "I think it would be fun."
"I see my hour off from being a mom coming to an end," Amy said, waving her hands over her drink as though it was a crystal ball. Ella Wright approached with two year old Ryan. Ryan squealed and started to run.
"Mommeeee!" he said as Amy caught him and gave him a hug. He started to babble and Amy beamed at him as she got him settled on her knee.
"Wow," she laughed. "You have been busy!" She looked at her mother. "Thanks, mom."
"He was a good boy," Ella smiled. She joined them at the table. "Hello, Lisa. Waiting for the judges?"
"Hi, Mrs. Wright. Yes, and just having a nice time. Don't miss this lemonade -- I got it over at the little stand called Jumpin' Juice. It's fresh squeezed and they have all kinds of juice over there. Ryan might like some of it."
"Did you see the strong man show with the girls?" Ella wanted to know.
Lisa laughed.
"No, I needed to get my pies to the pavilion before judging started."
"Good luck, Lisa. Not that you need it," Mrs. Wright told her. "What kind of pies did you enter?"
"Cherry and lemon meringue," Lisa replied, sipping her lemonade.
"Hey Ryan," Annie said. "They have smoothies over at that stand." Ryan squealed again and was about to get down and start for the stand by himself. Amy laughed.
"Thanks, Ann," she said. "Okay, Ryan. Let's get you a smoothie. And then we'll talk about what else we can do this afternoon."
"I saw pony rides," Ella told her daughter, "but I didn't think we should do that unless you were along."
"Good call -- I definitely want to see Ryan on a pony. Have fun with the future, you guys," she told Lisa and Annie as she stood, holding on to both her son and her drink. Ella got up with her. "We are going to entertain this boy into submission so he has a good nap!"
The Fortune Teller ... I just don't know what to think. -- overheard on the midway.
The fortune teller was in a brightly-painted gypsy vardo just back from the midway. There were no barkers, just a simple sign: "Madame Fatima -- Your fortune one ticket".
"You first," Annie grinned.
"No, I insist. After you," Lisa replied, laughing.
"Chicken." Annie laughed, too, and went up the steps to the vardo's door. She disappeared inside. Lisa wondered if she might have time to go to the restroom and be back before Annie was done. She decided she probably didn't and tried to think about something else. She sat on the ladder-like steps between the wagon traces and watched the people go by. Most of them were people she knew or they were at least familiar. Sometimes they noticed her and she waved to them. This appeared to be a more residential area of the carnival. She had heard there was more than one gypsy wagon, but she only saw this one here. There was a large tent that didn't seem to be an attraction of any kind. In fact, she thought she heard television noises coming from it. The other residences along this row were camping trailers of varying shapes and sizes.
Annie finally came out, looking a little pale, and Lisa stood before Annie could trip over her on the steep steps.
"Are you all right?" Lisa asked.
"Fine. Your turn," Annie said. "I don't want to spoil anything for you."
Lisa went up the wooden stairs and pushed aside colorful beads in the doorway. The interior was dark. The air was somewhat thick and smelled of patchouli. Lisa's eyes finally adjusted to the dim candle light and she looked around. The interior was even more brightly painted than the exterior, and was also draped in vivid patterned cloths. Lisa had the feeling of being inside of a kaleidoscope. The fortune teller was a small woman, probably around Lisa's mother's age. She wore colorful silks and lots of jewelry. She sat behind a table that actually held a crystal ball.
"I am Madame Fatima," she said in an accent Lisa couldn't place. It sounded a little like Dracula, but there were other elements to it, too. "Please sit. You are Lisa?" Lisa looked at her, startled.
"Yes. Yes I am." She hurriedly sat on the chair opposite the fortune teller. Madame Fatima began laying out cards on the table, then motioned for Lisa to extend her hands. She inspected Lisa's hands, then seemed to dismiss them with a pat and started to read the cards on the table. Lisa noticed for the first time that there was music playing softly. It sounded like a music box in a minor key, or coherent wind chimes. She'd never heard anything like it and strained to listen. As a result, when Madame Fatima spoke again it startled Lisa again.
"You like the home arts, do you not? Baking, gardening?"
"Yes. Yes I do." Lisa wondered how the fortune teller knew that. She had no idea why this woman had her so off-balance. There was another pause while Madame Fatima consulted the cards. Lisa tried to pay attention and not be distracted by the music again.
"You are a musician, correct? You play a musical instrument?"
"Yes I do."
"You are unmarried." That was an easy one; Lisa knew she wasn't wearing a ring. But she did understand why Annie had looked so shaken. This was distinctly unsettling, as though the woman could see right through her.
"So much to share, yet you do not share it." She turned over another card. "Aah. You've been waiting for someone. Someone who has been important to you in the past. This man has a past but you are his future as he is yours."
Madame Fatima looked up from the cards. Lisa noticed that she had very light brown eyes - almost a golden brown.
"That is the nature of love," Madame Fatima said. "To love is past, present, and future. You take them as they are, were, and will be. You have been my most exciting fortune all day." She smiled for the first time. "Was anyone behind you in line?"
"Not when I came in." Then it occurred to Lisa how the fortune teller had known her name, and she smiled.
"One ticket, please," said Madame Fatima, winking at her and holding her hand out.
"The magician is a good friend of Hal's. From college, I heard." "The mayor went to college with gypsies? -- overheard at the diner.
"What's wrong with you?" Larry looked at his son as they both squeezed into a booth at the diner. "You look like you haven't slept."
Fabian ran a hand over his face, then stifled a yawn.
"I've been having dreams," he said. "I meant to mention them to you -- could you please hypnotize me?"
"What for?" Larry pulled menus from behind the napkin dispenser and handed one to Fabian.
"These don't feel like dreams. They feel more like memories. I'd like to know what I'm remembering."
Larry shook his head.
"Fab, I don't think that's a good idea. I think if it's a memory you need to remember it on your own. What sets it off?"
"Any number of things. Have I ever been here before? I mean, in Twin Mills."
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