Time Is Short

TIME IS SHORT.

I had a rare five minutes before my next appointment.  Breathing in deeply, I spread my hands, one either side of the deck of tarot cards facing me.  Smoothing out the black silk table covering, I exhaled and picked up the deck.  I started ‘washing’ the cards, shuffling gently, allowing each card to run through my hands, feeling the warmth they stole from my fingers.  I began chanting, invoking the cards' spirits.

“In the divine name Iao, I invoke thee thy great angel Hru, who art set over the operations of this secret wisdom, Lay thine hands upon these consecrated cards of art, that thereby I may obtain knowledge of secret wisdoms –

The doorbell chimed, interrupting my concentration.  Here was my appointment.  I continued the mantra mentally and walked slowly to the door.  A bright shaft of sunlight lit up my small parlour, highlighting the dust mites swirling through the air.

“Christine?” I asked, smiling.

“Yes, Hi!”  Her eyes didn’t reach mine.  She was a short, slight girl, dressed in a grey trouser suit, spiky red hair made her look younger than her obvious thirty years; her brown eyes were shifty, betraying her nervousness.

“Come in.”

She stepped into the room.  I closed the door, returning the murky darkness to my studio.  Moving around the table I indicated her seat to the right of my own.
Her discomfort prickled the air.  Her hands were curled around each other in her lap.  Taking her left hand in my right, I placed her hand on the deck of cards.

“You’re cold” I commented.

“Yes, She replied. “It’s nippy outside.”

“It’s nothing to do with the weather.” I smiled, attempting to hold her gaze.

“Oh!” Her eyes dropped back down to the table.

“Why are you here today” I asked picking up the cards and shuffling.

“Well – I play around with the tarot cards myself, but I’ve never had mine read properly, so I thought, why not?”

“One should never play around with the tarot.  It brings bad luck.  And one should never do their own cards.”  I spoke softly, hoping to get my message through to her.  I moved the squared deck along the silk towards her.

“Please pick up the cards with your left hand and shuffle until you are comfortable with the cards, take your time, and then place them back on the table with your left hand.”

I mentally chanted my mantra while she shuffled.  I felt time shift, I had reached my plane, the spirits were present, she stopped shuffling.

Slowly, I picked up the cards unfolding their faces in the form of the Celtic cross.  I looked for her story.  I began counting, six major arcana cards, and the rest minor. A distinct lack of pentacles grabbed my attention. 

“You have a love in your life, he’s dark, younger than yourself?” I began.

“Yes.” She said expectantly.  Five minutes ago, she could not look me in the eye, now, it seemed she couldn’t take her eyes away from mine.

“He’s not from here, he’s from over the water.”

“Yes, Yes.” She nodded excitedly.  “He’s Greek.”

“His name begins with a ‘T” I stammered, looking inside me for his name.

“Thanos! Yes” She said breathlessly.  “What of him?  What do you see?”

“I see your time together is short.”  I held her eyes.

“Oh, Why? Is he not the right one for me?”  She asked downhearted.

“They tell me that is irrelevant.”

“They?” She asked.

“The spirits.” I answered.

“Who is Audrey?” I asked her.

“Erm, - she’s my best friend.” Christine gulped, eyes wide.

“She will betray your friendship, she may have already done so.” I mused.

“What do you see?”

“I see a fair haired woman, who once had your best interests at heart, however, now her good intentions towards you are inverted to herself.”

“What does that mean?” Christine asked frowning.

“It means, she gains more from your friendship than you do, you are paying her money aren’t you?”  I fingered the three of pentacles showing her the obviousness of her friend’s gain.

“Well – she’s my flat mate, we share everything, but she’s studying at the moment so I’m covering her share of the rent until she earns more money.”

“She has her own money.  She is using you.  Making a fool of you, perhaps?”  I explained.

“Can you see any good news in there for me” She asked sarcastically.

“You are with child.” I said, not looking up.

“You’re kidding!” She exclaimed, falling back in her chair.

“This is good news – you wanted good news.”

“Phew!” Christine exhaled.  “This is all going a bit fast for me, there is a lot to take in here.  Are you sure of all that you’re telling me?  I feel a little faint from all of this.”  She waved her hands around in the air, not really able to point to anything.

I moved slowly to my bar fridge, opening the fridge I took out a bottle of cool mineral water.  I kept my back turned to Christine while I tried to figure out how I was to tell her the worst news of all.  I’d spotted the reversed death card amongst her recent future.  It was the immediate future.  I didn’t know how much time I had to tell her.

Placing the water in front of Christine, I sat and once again stared at the cards before me.  Making sure of my instincts. 

“Thank you.” Christine spoke blankly; clearly she was having difficulty digesting much of the last 15 minutes. 

“Would you mind opening a door or a window – I feel I need some fresh air?”

I hid my disdain.  I was not fond of mixing sunlight with the darkness of my boudoir. 

“Of course.” I muttered as I raised myself.  Moving over to the bay window I drew back the green velvet curtains and opened the top three windows.  Instantly, fresh, autumn air flowed through the room.  Sitting myself back down. I furtively glanced at Christine.  Judging she looked a little better.

“Feeling better?” I asked.

“Much! Thank you.” She smiled.

“Sadly” I began, “I have further bad news to impart.”  I watched as once again, she paled.

“What?”

A truck steamed round the corner, past my driveway, emitting a blast on its air brakes.  I waited patiently for the noise to subside.

“I see a death, it will happen soon.”  She sucked air through lips formed in a round O.

“I feel it’s a male’s death, but unfortunately I do not see who this person is.”

“Is it my father?” She whispered.

“This is not an old male.”  I searched the cards for more clues on the death it had shown me.  Quite suddenly, a horn’s blast sailed through the window, followed by the noise of crunching metal.  I pulled myself slowly from my concentrated reverie.
Christine had jumped from her chair and stood at the window.

“Do you have a phone?” She asked.  I nodded my head to the phone that lay atop the bar fridge.

“There is a blue Corsa outside that has driven straight into the back of the truck that’s parked outside your driveway.  I don’t think anyone will come out of that one alive, In fact I -,

Her words trailed off.  I moved to the window following her gaze. 

“Oh my God No!”  She whispered.

“What is it dear?” I asked.

“The registration.” She pointed a shaky finger at the mangled Corsa.  Running for the door she screamed over her shoulder.

“It’s Thanos!”