Fortune

Fortune

She was unassumingly cute in her thrift shop scarf

Surrounded by decks of cards that all meant something different 

It was the first time I had a reading in a long time

I did it on a whim the bar was empty 

She looked sweet

Time to conquer my fears

All was good

Decisions determination joy is what my future held

Many cards upside down to negate their negative meanings

So different than the last time I trusted a stranger with my future

I was 23 and excited to share my favorite place with my new husband 

The fair was always my happy place 

We walked the grounds 

Me with my big pregnancy belly

Him with typical bravado

When we saw the tent

Mystical readings 10.00

It will be fun he pushed me closer

The tent was shabby the sign small

She was as expected 

Almost a caricature of a Gypsy

Long white hair 

Leathered face

Crow like hands 

Gesturing me in

At first she just commented on my hat

He had won at a booth earlier

Then her sparkling brown eyes got dark

She got up and closed the tent flap

Closing out the world

Held both of my hands

And whispered 

“You will be ok there will be other children”

My blood ran cold

I felt a slight kick from my belly

I ran out of the tent and we left

The night after that was a blur

The next month found me at UTMB hospital

Giving birth to my stillborn daughter

Since then I have been fascinated by 

Healers

Gypsies 

Readers

The little girl in the booth hugged me

And thanked me profusely 

I walked away from her booth

A little bit braver