adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

The Story of the Fortune Teller

So, I think I'm finally ready to share the story of the Fortune Teller. Back in July, when we were in Switzerland, a man claiming to be a Fortune Teller approached me on the street and asked if he could speak with me.  It's not that this Fortune Teller told me anything particularly profound or even foreboding, but for some reason I felt very strange about the experience for a long time.  I've been working on a blog post explaining how Ramona Rose got her name, and even though her name was decided long before meeting this Fortune Teller, it somehow feels like part of the story.  So here it is.

Michael, Marq, Dawn, and I were getting ready to leave Geneva and we all decided to pop into Starbucks for a caffeine boost before we left.  I was 27 weeks pregnant at the time and was pretty tired from walking around and sightseeing all morning, so I decided to wait in the car with Figgy.  As you know, The Pony does not have A/C and it was quite warm outside, so I sat in the parked car with the door open and Fig on my lap.  A few moments later, a tall, dark man wearing a turban approached me and asked if I spoke English.  I warily replied yes and he told me that he was a Fortune Teller. The mysterious man crouched down beside me and spoke softly.  He said that he does not see everyone’s fortunes, but he that he could see mine and it looked very good.  I was skeptical, figuring he wanted money, and at this point my mind was racing that I was all alone in an alley talking to a strange man in a foreign country, who was probably just looking for money.  I was distracted, trying to hold onto Fig’s leash and keep my eye on my purse at the same time.  My purse was on the ground at my feet and I kept picturing him grabbing it and running away.  But as he continued speaking, my ears perked up when he mentioned October, the month of my due date.  The man told me that October was going to be the best month for me this year in terms of luck and good fortune, and that I would be very happy with the month's events.  I wondered if he could see my burgeoning belly behind Figaro and guess how far along I was, but he never acknowledged that I was pregnant or even said anything about children during our entire conversation.  He just continued with his premonitions, telling me that I have a good heart and that I will have a satisfying and healthy life. Then he said that he wanted to give me a good luck charm.  At this point, I told him that I didn't have any money.  He just smiled knowingly while telling me, "I don’t need money, just respect."  He took out a piece of paper, wrote something down, crumpled it into a ball, and handed it to me.  He asked me if I "spoke flower."  I wasn't really sure what he meant...did I talk to flowers?  Was I supposed to name a flower?  I figured we were losing something in the translation.  He explained that he wanted me to name a flower and so of course I said, a Rose.  The rose is a very important flower to me.   It has several different meanings in my life and that's why I have a rose blossom tattooed on the back of my neck, well hidden behind my curtain of hair, reminding me of things I need to remember in tough times. Rose is my Great Aunt's (Grandma's sister!) name, it's my sister's middle name, and now it's my daughter's middle name.  For these reasons, picking a rose as my "flower language" was like a reflex, instinctive.  It was the only choice in my mind. Then he wrote the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 down on a different piece of paper and asked me to pick one.  I picked 3, although I’m not sure why.  He went on to tell me that I will live a very long life, past the age of 85, and that I will die peacefully.  Not in an accident, not in a hospital, but very serenely.  I will die happy.  He predicted that I will have a good life of eating healthily, drinking well and getting lots of sleep.  Then he told me to put the ball of paper up to my forehead for a moment and open it.  When I opened it up and looked inside, it said “Rose, 3.” I was shocked and confused.  I glanced over to my right and saw Michael, Marq and Dawn returning with their coffees.  Obviously they were curious about what was going and even a little worried that maybe I was being harassed.  As Michael approached, I gave him a look letting him know that everything was ok and turned my attention back to the Fortune Teller.  The man moved his body to block out everyone else so that we could continue our conversation privately.  He leaned in close to me and spoke very softly so that only I could hear.  He whispered that I needed to remember 3 things.  First, he said that I think too much, and that I need to stop over thinking everything because it’s not good for my health.   (Obviously, I didn't listen)  Next, he asked me what time I woke up in the morning.  I replied that I wasn't sure and that it depended on the day.  He explained that it was very important for me to get up at the same time every morning.  Finally, he warned me that sometimes my heart is too open and I need to be a little bit more secretive with my plans. Then he gave me the good luck charm - a small pearl.  He placed it in my palm, curling my fingers around the treasure and cupped his hands over mine.  He urged me to make a ring out of the pearl and wear it on my left pinkie finger, starting the following Monday.  He said that he would be praying for me, and then just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone.  Michael, Marq and Dawn started piling into The Pony, eyes wide, exclaiming, "Ok...what was that??" The whole experience was very bizarre.  I felt very weird the rest of the day, trying to figure out if there was some way this strange Fortune Teller would have known I would pick “Rose, 3.”  Is that what most people pick?  Was I just part of the collective?  Or was this guy for real?  He didn't really predict anything all that specific for my life, but how did he know the flower and number I would choose?  How did he know that October was going to be so important to me?  And why did he choose me to talk to in the first place? I never got around to turning my little pearl into a ring, but I have been carrying it around with me in my wallet.  I’m still feeling very confused about the whole experience, but I did feel a sense of peace that he acknowledged October as a month of good fortune for me.  He said it would be my luckiest month of the year and make me very happy.  And of course, he was right. So maybe he was the real deal after all.

2 Responses to “The Story of the Fortune Teller”

  1. Greer says:

    What an interesting experience! I have always wanted to have my fortune read but am too afraid…sounds like this guy was the real deal. As usual I loved this post! love and miss you! Give a kiss to Ramona for me!

  2. ok, this was an awesome story. this stuff gets me every time!

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