The Reading

The Reading



Good friends and good wine means a good time. Myself, Bill Anderson, my wife and I are entertaining our friends; Alice and Frank Murdock as well as Betty and Stan Beaumont.  We enjoyed dinner and now the six of having sharing another glass of wine were trying to decide how we would spend the rest of our evening.  We couldn't find a movie that we wanted to see and parlour games were definitely out.  As the casual banter went back and forth  Betty makes a suggestion.

"There's that fortune teller down on Bleeker street.  She's suppose to read tea leaves".



"Gee that's a great idea" chirps in Alice.



"You've got to be kidding!  Don't tell me you believe in that stuff " I offer.



"No it sounds like fun" says my wife Margret



"Does she do coffee grounds too"  kids Steve "I don't like tea"



"No" says Betty "and don't either you or Bill be party pooper."  This remark she makes to her husband Steve and me.  Margret is also giving me the cold stare. 



"Ok, ok" I respond.



"I'll drive, we can all fit in the van" offers Frank



So it's decided.  Against my better judgement I reluctantly go along.  There is still a lot of friendly jesting as we pile into the van and take the short ride to Bleeker street.  We pull up in front of a older house with only the porch light on.  There was nothing to distinguish it from any of the other houses on the street.  The six of us exited the van and gathered on the sidewalk not sure of the next move and finally Betty prompts the group to head up the walk to the house.



"She'll probably say that she knew we were coming" I snickered and in reply Margaret kicked me in the ankle.



As we filed onto the porch a small frail looking woman greeted at the door and says, " Welcome, please follow me, the mistress is expecting the six of you".



"How do you think she knows there are six of us" queries Frank.



"She looked out the window ouch" I replied as Margaret gives me a sharp elbow in the ribs.  We are ushered into a large plain room.  The only furnishing in the room is round table encircled by seven chairs.  A white tablecloth with a five pointed star in the centre covered the table.  On the tablecloth there were six indistinct cups and saucers and a large emerald teapot sitting on the far edge.



The small woman said "The reading will cost ten dollars each".  I wanted to protest but one look from my wife told me to just pass over the twenty dollar bill.  The woman collected the money and exited the room.



As we stood looking around the room not knowing what to expect next, a large rotund black woman about fifty years of age emerged from an open doorway on the far side of the room.  She was dressed moderately in a blue-green housedress.  I don't know but I had half expected her to be attired like some type of gypsy with a red bandana over her hair.



"Please come and sit.  Alice and Frank over here, Betty and Steve next and last of all Margaret and Bill" she spoke in an accent that I couldn't quite identify.



"How did you know our names?" asked an astonished Betty.  The woman did not answer her but motioned to us to sit.  I didn't have a quick answer for Betty's question either however I was still convinced that all this was hocus-pocus you know all smoke and mirrors.  It couldn't be real.



"My name is Madam Esther and I will be doing your reading this evening" stated our host.



Still looking around at each other we took our prescribed seats at the table.  Our heavy set host seated herself and poured tea in each of our cups.  The tea was very light in colour and peering over the edge of my cup I could see the tealeaves in the bottom.  There were lemon wedges tucked on the saucer of each cup.



"Betty", the seer said, "you were going to ask about milk".



"Why ... yes" Betty responded falteringly.



"I would prefer if you had clear tea.  Milk sometimes clouds the reading" our host responded.



Oh boy I thought what a load of crap, but here was my opportunity to mess this babe up.  I opened my big mouth " Well I for one would.." again a sharp tap against my ankle  " be happy with lemon"  After all I had to go home with my wife and I figured she was angry enough for one night.



After we had politely and I for one silently, drank our tea which I saw Steve grimace through, she instructed us in the next step of this tea reading ritual.



"Turn yours cups over on your saucer.  Rotate then three times and only three times in a clockwise direction."



Again I wanted to protest but I could feel the cool glare of wife's steady glance. We all followed the instructions.



"Now turn your cup back so it is right side up, Alice could I see your cup please?" Alice pushed her cup and saucer across the table to Esther, the seer.



I watched as she lifted cup carefully and looked inside like she examining a precious jewel.



"Ahh  ... yes I see that you will be traveling soon, the leaves are not quite clear but it looks like a place with ice and snow"  Esther said in a completive tone.



Boy was she wrong.  Alice and Frank always go south to somewhere warm on their vacation.



"That's amazing.  Frank and I decided to take a cruise to Alaska instead of going to Mexico." Alice replied.



"There is more," our mocha coloured host shared "A flower will become very important to you.  It will give you peace and serenity,  I also see much activity which will last about two years then I see you receiving even more good news."



"Golly... that's fabulous" responded Alice.



That's hogwash I thought.



"Now Frank, can I have your cup please"



He slid it forward.  Esther raised it from the saucer and peered inside.  She turned the couple and took a couple of minutes examining the contents before announcing, "I see the letter T and a crowd of people.  There is much good luck.  I also see a handshake.  Does this have meaning to you?"



"Maybe I have a big presentation next week.  We are trying to land the Thurlow account.  That must be it.  Great."  He announced.



Lets wait and see what happens at the presentation I thought lowly.



"Me next please." announced Betty as she slid the cup and saucer forward.



Esther took the cup in her strong hands and cradled the cup as she peered at the contents.



"I see a woman with an envelope which means you will receive a letter.  The letter will be from the woman or about a woman.  There is also money connected to the letter.  The leaves tell me that you already know something about this." Then looking directly at me she said "Am I correct Betty".  She continued to keep eye contact with me as Betty spoke

"well, my great aunt Phyllis died recently and we were waiting to find out about the will,  She had told us that she would have something for us".



"Wow" comment Margaret.



"Don't get too excited, she never gave us anything as long as we have been married" inserted Steve.

"Steve don't you talk bad of the dead, now push your cup over to Madam Esther".



Steve complied giving me a glance that told me that he had the same feelings as I about the entire phony tea leaf reading stuff.



She took his cup and examined the particles left inside.  She looked coolly at Steve and said. "I see a person, I think a woman.  There is much confusion here.  I see the numbers one and four as well as the letter T".



"Doesn't ring any bells with me" Steve responded quickly.



I noticed Betty take his arm and squeeze.  I knew at that instant that Steve and I were comrades in our feelings about this so-called seer.



"It's my turn" said my wife pushing her cup and saucer forward.



Madam Esther took the cup from the saucer.  A drop of liquid dripped onto the white cloth in front of our host.

"Tears, so there will be sadness in your future".  She then peered into the cup.



"I also see a large gathering, but it is not a party.  There are many friends and relatives and I also see money".

Good I thought I hope that part of this fantasy comes true.



"Well, I wonder what that is.  Do my husband's please",  Margaret intoned.



  Madam Esther reached over and drew my cup and saucer in front of her.  When she lifted the cup from the saucer again a drop of liquid dropped as before staining the white tablecloth.  Sadness again, I thought?



She looked into the cup.  Her eyebrows furled and she spoke solely "I'm sorry that is all I can do now.  No more reading tonight".



"What" I almost shouted.  "You haven't finished with me.  I paid my ten dollars.  I demand that you read my tea leaves.  I want to know my future".



She shook her head indicating no.



"I insist".  I demanded as I pounded my fist on the table making the cups and saucers rattle.



Alright" she said in almost a whisper.  She lifted my cup once again and turned the cup towards us letting each in turn see the inside of the cup.  The last was I.  All the leaves were in the saucer.  The inside of the cup was as clean as if it had been washed.



With that I shouted aloud.



I guess you would like to know if what Madam Esther foretold was true.  Was the reading of the tea leaves accurate?

Alice and Frank did take their vacation to Alaska.  Frank's presentation was terrific and was responsible for his company landing the Thurlow account.  His company made him a vice-president as a reward.  Alice was rewarded also, but in a different way.  The flower that Madam Esther saw in her cup was daffodil.  The daffodil is the symbol of the cancer society.  Alice was given the honour of being the national chairperson, a post she held for two years.  Her efforts on behalf of the charity caused Time Magazine to name her "Woman of the Year".



"Great Aunt Phyllis did leave Betty some money.  It was $150,000.00 dollars to be exact.  It arrived two days after Steve filed divorce papers and left Betty for his secretary Theresa.  They now live at 41 Brock Street.



My wife's fortune?  Well the teardrop falling from the cup did denote sadness. 



Madam Esther was right that the gathering was not a party.  It was a wake because I died that night.  As I shouted out at the end of the reading I had a massive hear attack and fell dead  on that very white clothed table.  The money my wife received?  Well that was my  insurance policy that kicked in with my death.  As for me.  It was also quite clear.  The  empty cup meant that I had no future.





Word Count 1902