Idell Galina tells fortunes and casts spells from her little store on Eastlake Road.
Of Course Idell can't really see into the the future and she can't really cast spells but she can tell a good story and she's got a very winning smile and looks good in velvet so none of that really mattered.
Until the night Denae Colquite came in and asked for a Reading- then what Idell could or could not do mattered very much.
Denae Colquite took a seat on the little wooden chair Idell offered her and she kept her purse in her lap. She even kept her jacket on, refusing to take it off when Idell asked for it. " I know this is all- um, subjective. But I'm at a loss Miss-"
" Madam Galina " Idell extended a long hand over the crystal ball that sat on the table between them.
Denae looked down at Idell's left hand and then she looked back up and said, " Miss Galina. "
Idell shrugged pulled her hand back and slumped a little into her chair with her arms crossed over her chest and the air sucked out of her lungs. " What exactly can I help you with ..."
" Denae my name is Denae Colquite and I'll get right down to it Idell- I need to know if one can escape their fate."
Idell felt her Sea Legs come back, and she said " Our fates are..."
" Yes, yes, yes, written on the sands or wind or something like that but Miss Galina the upshot is my fate is about to ruin my life and I'd like to escape that. So, can you help me or not."
It wasn't a question and it wasn't a demand but Denae expected an answer all the same.
And it was obvious she wanted it now.
So Idell reached over to the counter to her left for a candlestick and she placed it next to the crystal ball and struck a match. Then she looked down into the reflection cast by the small yellow flame and as she did Denae put her forehead on the table's rounded edge and started to bang it up and down.
" Yes or no Madame Galina can you change a fate that's been cast. Do you really need to look into the future to answer that question? Because if you're that unsure of your present I don't see how you can help me with the future."
Without raising her head from the table Denae reached into her handbag pulled out a small box of playing cards and dropped it on the table.
" Here, it's all in here. My Grandmother did a reading for me 10 years ago when I got married. It's all there, in those cards. I need to know if I can escape it."
Idell smirked a little and wiped it off her face as Denae looked up. " Our futures, our destiny are constantly being rewritten, I see images, impression of things that could be. That's what I can offer you in the way of help and guidance."
Denae dropped her head back onto the table and mumbled, " Well, damn. It's starting to look like there is no way around this. No way at all. I mean the one person who can really pull this gig off was like a thousand percent right. You know, she was the real thing.I've been to hundreds of you people for the past ten years and all you guys have been less then...er talented then she was. Everyone said Grand was one in a million. I guess that was just the simple truth. She was one in a million."
Denae got up and sighed " How much."
" An offering of 20.00 is appreciated."
Denae got up and and put her jacket on. Then she opened her purse and dropped the offering on the table.
" Oh your..." Idell picked the box up.
" Cards- you can keep them I don't need them anymore. I know what they say. They've been saying the same thing for 10 years now."
And then as Denae walked towards the door the little flap on the bottom of the box slid open and the cards spilled out onto the table and the floor at Idell's feet.
Idell reached down and picked up one of the cards. She could see they were ordinary playing cards with something written in spidery red script across their faces.
She held the card up to the light and she could see written in old fashioned script, " My Granddaughter is going to kill you, run Miss Galina "
Idell looked up in time to see Denae throw the deadbolt on the door. " Don't bother, I told you...it's all in the cards."
