The Aftermath Of You

Chapter Twenty One

The sign at the door read "Clairvoyant and Collectables". Toni wondered about the odd mix of business strategies as she rang the bell. The door swung promptly open to reveal Psychic Sue.

"Welcome," she said, taking a drag on the cigarette which dangled from an over manicured hand. Fire engine red lippie coated the butt. "Mind the dog." And with a swift kick, Psychic Sue booted the small Chihuahua out of the doorway. Yelping, the dog ran off into the backyard to do its business.

As far as first impressions went Toni felt a little let down. The picture in the newspaper showed a young gorgeous gypsy with an exotic scarf wrapped around her head, staring in a contemplative fashion into a large crystal ball. What stood before her now had none of those attributes. Psychic Sue was withered like a prune, her mouth like a facial sphincter . And the bleached blonde hair was at war with the dark brown roots.

"You must be Pamela," Psychic Sue said. "Here for the sixteenth century vase?"

"No, Toni." Such an oversight was expected of doctors and dentists, but not clairvoyants.

"Oh right, the real estate agent."

"No, I want my future read. I'm here to see Psychic Sue."

"Right, that's me. Palm?"

"I told you on the phone," Toni said, wondering if she should just reverse straight out of the door, "that I would prefer to have you read the crystal ball, like in your newspaper ad."

"Of course, I remember you."

Toni was highly skeptical about that.

"Follow me."

Assailed by the smell of socks and smoke Toni followed the clairvoyant into the house. Boxes were piled high throughout the hallway, filled to the brim with bric-a-brac and toys. "Don't mind the boxes; we're just clearing out our back room so the place is a shambles."

This would have been a fairly reasonable excuse if it weren't for the thick coatings of cobwebs which covered the boxes. "Of course," Toni replied.

She was lead to a darkened room barely/feebly lit by three tiny tea-light candles. Toni squeezed past a laundry horse covered in clothes. The curtains swished gently in the breeze and it was all Toni could do not to push the window wider and take to the house with a vacuum cleaner and a bottle of bleach.

Psychic Sue started foraging around in a large cupboard. Eventually she unearthed a large crystal ball. Taking a final drag of her cigarette she observed Toni's face. "In this room a collection of guardian spirits will gather to help me give you an accurate reading. But first I will need to summon them."

"Feel free." Toni busied herself by clearing space on a chair opposite Psychic Sue. She couldn't decide how many hours it would take before she could clean the room enough to feel comfortable.

Psychic Sue chanted and moaned and then turned her attention upon the ball in front of her. Gazing into its depths she said, "I see that you have had hurt in your past."

"Yes!" Toni said. "How could you know that?"

"You have been feeling lost."

"Er. Did you guess that from my apparel?" She wore leopard print pants that Jack had found at the dump and an oversized white t-shirt which read "Good girls go to heaven but bad girls go down under" with a large map of Australia. The look was set off by a pair of large black sneakers that were for comfort and not style.

"No, the crystal ball is showing me. It shows me that there is a man in your past who you loved."

"Yes."

"He has you hypnotized."

"I guess you could say that."

"His eyes."

"Yes, they were very blue."

"Very blue!" the Clairvoyant agreed eagerly.

"Look, I don't want to hear about the past, I just want to know about the future. Do you see anything good in there? Like money?"

"I see a financial windfall."

"Great! When?"

"In the next few months. As for love, there is a chance that he could come back into your life."

"Who?"

"The man with hypnotic blue eyes."

"REALLY?"

"You have to be open and let him in."

"Jack? How is that possible?"

"Everything is possible." Psychic Sue smiled warmly. Toni noticed that the fire red lippie had become smudged all over her front teeth.

After relieving her wallet of a small fortune Toni left the hodgepodge house wondering why she felt more than a little disappointed. She pondered whether she could cross Spiritual Enlightenment off her list. No, she would definitely have to see to her Chakras. That would make her feel better. It would have to!