Hieroglyphs of Ages

7: The Mysterious Fortune-Teller𓅯

I did not think, of all things Ratheria could be, that she was it. Then why is Banshee wanting me to see her? What is their history? Why did she cry at the thought of Professor Banshee??? These and many more questions flooded my head.

"Please, come in. Sit for a while!" The British-Haitian lady said with warmth within her heart. I walked in. It was a strange place. All mystical and occultish. There were shrunken heads hung on line across the ceiling and African masks hanging on the wall. It is a small and I mean SMALL apartment. The whole thing was probably only a few cubic meters or feet larger than the secret study. There was a giant pillow and a few sheets in the corner. It was probably the place she slept.

The only other things in the room were translucent draperies surrounding a small square table in the center back of the room/apartment. The table was surrounded by three small stools, old and worn. On the table was incense, a Rider-Waite Tarot deck, a crystal ball, and various herbs. "You're a Fortune Teller!" I shouted.
"Shhh! I have neighbors." She said in a hushed tone.
"Sorry!"
"Yes," said the mysterious Ratheria, "I am a fortune teller."
"Isn't that illegal?" I asked.
"Technically, yes. Although it shouldn't be. We have the 'Anti-Witchcraft Laws' to thank for that!"

She asked me if I would like some tea. I never had tea before, but for her, I tried it. I took a sip. "Pffff!" I spat all over the fortune teller's face. "Ew!" She said while wiping her face. "Sorry again!" I said apologetically.
She carefully dumped the tea so only the leaves were in the cup. I see what she was doing. She was reading my future! She looked at the patterns the tea left behind, and without a word, she gave me something.

"A VOODOO doll!!! You're a Voodooist!?" I said astounded.
"I am." She said.
"It is my native religion in Haiti."
She is definitely an interesting character! She observed the cup carefully and unblinkingly. " I see." Calmly the fortune teller told. "Great struggles are to be in your life but none so great as the one within!"
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked her.
"It means you will have things in your life that will test you, physically, mentally, spiritually. There will be those that desire your destruction, but nothing will test you more than your own inner struggles, perhaps something within the mind, unkempt emotions perhaps?"
"Or maybe mistrust?" I said
"And why is that?" Now she's talking more like a psychologist than a diviner. I told her my story, the abusive father, the homelessness, my mother's death, everything! She saw my locket and opened it as I was talking about my mother.
"Is this your mother, then?" I replied yes. "She must be a special woman to protect you for so long! I see now why you have trust issues, but to whom?"
I remained silent, but I think she knew what I thought.

"I'll let you know, Professor Banshee IS a good man!" She started. "I would sacrifice myself to protect him even meaning death."
"How did you know what I was thinking?" I questioned in astonishment.
"I had a feeling." She said as she was to start a story. A story of tragedy and woe. Her story!

She started to tear up as she started. Once she lived in Haiti. She was born to a really poor family, so poor, they had to sell her just to afford to feed themselves. You see, she was a victim of an evil slave trade on the island. Poorer families would sell their children to richer families for money, while richer families would use the children as free labor. From the age of four, the family would beat her and force her to do unsafe grueling labor. Several times, she tried to escape with no prevail, only to be beat twice as hard. One fateful day, she decided to end it. She was gonna kill herself! She took some old rope she found in one of the sheds she was forced to clean. Then she found a tree to tie it on to, not realizing that she didn't know how to climb. Abandoning the rope on the side of the dusty old road, she decided to jump off a cliff. She found a perfect spot. She hesitated for a couple of times but determined she was to end her misery. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, and with tears in her eyes, she ran till no ground was below her feet.