third time's a charm

09

It was almost lunchtime when they arrived in a suburban village. Peaceful and just a little mysterious in its stillness. Honestly, from a distance, it seemed like the whole town was from a picture postcard. It looked quite ordinary, no one would even guess a clairvoyant was among its residents.

Win went out of the van at the same time Tay did. For a long while, he stopped and stared at a home that featured stone bricks with a simple color scheme, light landscaping, and several types of windows. Nothing much changed since he last visited the place and it gave him so much nostalgia to just look around its exterior. The white brick wall, low-pitched roof, pretty wooden door, rock lawn, and mountains in the background made the whole feel refreshing.

He would've turned around and left if he hadn't spotted her from where he stood.

There she was---"Madame Sukie" the village's self-proclaimed prophet, picking up zucchini in her garden. As a matter of fact, her entire garden was overrun with this single vegetable for whatever reason. The zucchini were also huge as she carried them like logs.

Her smile widened the moment she saw Win, which baffled the latter. He didn't expect her to still recognize his face. After all, she was an elderly citizen around sixty years of age if Win and Gun weren't mistaken.

Sukie wiped the sweat from her face and neck. "Well...I always knew you would return."

Gun smiled awkwardly and moved to assist the elderly lady as he took the basketful of zucchini. Win cautiously followed, watching her with mixed emotions. While Tay and New were intrigued, trying to figure out what kind of a person she was.

"Madame Sukie" may look pale and weak at first glance, but she was actually full of vitality. She opened the door of her house and ushered them inside, not even surprised to see them. She made one comment and already made it clear to the rest that she did expect their arrival. Perhaps, her vision had shown her or she might've known a long time ago that Win would return with Gun along with their other two friends.

"Sit wherever you like," she said as she carried some dishes to the sink and started washing them. "I'll join you later for some tea."

Win moved around the drawing room leisurely staring at portraits and paintings that hung on every wall. Yes, he was convinced. Nothing much changed since they last visited. Except maybe her five children growing up.

Sukie returned to the drawing room with a tray of teas and sandwiches. "Peanut butter?"

"Peanut butter and what?" Tay asked and New elbowed him on the side of his ribs and eyed him warningly.

Sukie only giggled. "Peanut butter and jelly. Just the way you like it, Taetum."

The grin on Tay's face slowly faded when he realized she called him by his full name. "How did you---"

Sukie's attention was fixed on Win. "So...you came back just as I foretold," she said, raising a cigarette to her lips. The young men gaped at her, dumbfounded.

Win narrowed his gaze on her. "I don't recall you predicting that."

"You don't? The last time you came before you and Gun left, I said you'd be back," she ruminated. "Here you are."

"Give me a break..."

New leaned forward and cleared his throat, much curious about the woman's gift and what else she could do. "So, you predicted Win's first two romances?"

"If you can call those romance..." Win continued to glare at her, she caught sight of it briefly, then rolled her eyes before taking another puff of the cigarette. She turned to New and gestured at Tay, "You should stop quarreling with him, no matter what you do, you two will end up on the same road."