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As Alan and I drove through the winding to the cottage we were directed to, we were silent. Not because I had decided to embark on this wild goose chase according to him, but because of the strain in our relationship over the past couple of months. The tension in the air was thick and after several attempts to start a lively conversation to which he kept giving replies that were less than monosyllabic, I gave up.
Once the cottage was coming into view, impulsively, I told him to stop the car there and I will trek the short way to the cottage. He didn’t argue and then I asked, “Are you coming with me?” He was normally very protective and didn’t like me to go to unknown places.
“No, do your thing. That’s what you’re good at anyway.” He mumbled.
I didn’t want to get pissed off and so I just went out and shut the door. Trepidation filled me as I walked the steps and stopped at the door. I didn’t know who was behind it and I was even more scared at what said person would find, but Jane and Janice said she was the best there was. But then again, those two were usually prone to exaggeration so I was more than a little sceptical. Taking a deep breath, I knocked. Twice.
“Oh, just a minute. I’m coming.” Said a very cheerful voice. Once the door opened, I took a step back. Not because said person was scary or hideous but because she was beautiful. Very beautiful. She must have been in her mid-fifties but I could swear she was more than twenty years younger.
“Uhm…hi. I’m-”
“Oh, I know just who you are Sharon. Please, do come in.”
Was I a bit unnerved that she knew my name, yes I very much was. But, someone could have told her right? Nevertheless, I wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted me as I walked into the fortune teller’s home. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, but I didn’t think the house would look so….normal. It looked like any home in the country. Beautiful and cozy and devoid of voodoo dolls or other weird artifacts. I shook my head inwardly. Jane and Janice had said she was a fortune teller, not a witch.
“What can I offer you, dear?”
“Coffee would be fine,” I said absentmindedly as she motioned me to sit down on one of the chairs in the cozy living room. As she handed a cup to me, I looked at the contents warily but I took a sip anyway. A teaspoon of sugar and no cream. Just how I liked it. How did she know? I didn’t dare ask.
“I was wondering if I should make a cup for the gentleman out front but I don’t think he’d want that.” She said with a smile.
“No, he wouldn’t,” I responded equally cheerily, refusing also to ask how she knew. I felt myself relaxing, sipping more of the coffee. This woman was hard not to like. We chatted on random topics like two old friends and when I was done with my coffee, she offered to fill it up but I declined. She took our empty cups to the kitchen and I followed her like we’d been at this routine for years.
“The gentleman in the car,” she began suddenly. “Why have you shut him out?”
I didn’t expect her to start the fortune-telling so quickly and talk less of starting with Alan. “I don’t know.”
“But you do. Stop repressing how you feel. He’s been your best friend for more than fifteen years and he’s just told you how much he loves you. But you laughed in his face and told him to stop dreaming. Why?”
Woah. That took me aback. It was like she was there when that awful conversation happened. Was she really this powerful? “I don’t know why I did that. I’ve grown so comfortable with him. He’s my safe space. But I thought I’d be with someone that I was hot for?” Even to me, that sounded stupid.
“You’re looking for passion and heat. But all that fades away as quickly as lightning. It’s better to find sizzle in comfort than comfort in sizzle. Did you know that?” She looked so wise at that point, I almost burst into tears. She was right about everything.
“I guess I never thought of it that way,” I responded meekly.
"You feel insecure. You're scared of letting go cause you feel too deeply and you don't want to be vulnerable before him. But he sees a strong, beautiful woman who's not scared of standing up for herself but also trusts herself enough to let down her walls. To set herself free. You have to see it in yourself too.”
At this point, the tears flowed freely down my face. I promptly went and hugged her. She hugged me back and said “Trust in yourself, Sharon. It will be okay.”
As I walked out of the cottage with her in tow, I saw Alan run up. “You took so long. Are you alright?” he asked, his face etched with worry. I surprised even myself when I responded by running to him and clasping my arms around him.
“I love you,” I whispered. I guess he was too stunned to speak but he replied moments later. “I love you too.”
Behind him, I mouthed a thank you to my new friend. She smiled beatifically in response and I closed my eyes, never being more at peace.
This is my response to the STB Contest. All Rights Reserved. Copyright©️ Jhymi || 2023
