I'll Conjure You Up A Fortune
By
Mario V. Farina
Copyright 2016 Mario V. Farina
All Rights Reserved
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[email protected] What a frumpy-looking woman," thought Adele Griffith, as she opened the door of her luxurious home in Tall Oaks Estates. She smiled and held out her hand.
"You must be Sylvia Watson," she said. "Please come in."
As Adele led the way into the family room, she had a chance to study Sylvia out of the corner of her eye. If she was going to make a go of playing the part of a psychic, she had to sharpen her skills of observation. People reveal much of themselves by how they look, the way they speak, how they walk, what they wear, and in many other ways.
Sylvia was frumpy all right. She was about forty, she guessed, and looked it. Her mousy-blonde hair was in disarray. She wore no makeup. Her dress fit like a sack, making it difficult to ascertain the shape of her figure.
"Sit here, please," Adele suggested politely. Sylvia sat stiffly on the gold brocade couch.
"I'm a little nervous, Ms. Griffith. This is the first time I've ever visited a psychic. You were recommended to me by one of my friends."
"Really?" Adele was impressed. She had been doing this for only a couple of months. The word was getting around. "Can you tell me the name of the person who recommended me?"
"No, I can't. She asked that her name not be mentioned, but she spoke highly of you. She said that you had told her a great deal about herself and had given her some really valuable advice."
Adele rummaged through her mind but was not able to determine from whom the favorable referral had come. "It could have been Janice Campbell or Wanda Ferguson," she thought. "I made some pretty good guesses with them."
If there was anything that Adele knew well, it was that she wasn't a very good psychic. When her husband had left her for that pretty little snip some months earlier, the parting had been bitter. At present, he was not providing any support and the court wasn't proceeding very rapidly in issuing a decree in her favor. Part of the problem was hers, of course. At an earlier time, she had foreseen the split up and had withdrawn all their funds – some eighty-thousand from the savings account that they held jointly. Her husband had made a fuss and the judge was taking this into consideration. Then, too, he was an attorney in the firm of Brent, Cohen, Murphy, and Griffith. Adele thought this might be one reason the judge was dragging his feet.
In preparation for her new profession, Adele had obtained some candles, a Bridge deck, and some posters illustrating signs of the Zodiac. She had placed an ad in the personals announcing that she possessed special powers and was anxious to help people. She had even changed her appearance in several ways. She had spent several hundred for an auburn wig, and more money for a full-length gown with colors gold on gold. Whenever she met with a customer, she took special attention with her eyes and eyebrows. Deep black mascara gave her eyes a mysterious quality.
And, she had developed a philosophy. "Tell them what they want to hear," had become her motto. "Learn to make good guesses, then offer them love, travel, and money. Adele had decided that her fee should be $65 for a consultation of half an hour. She was thinking of going to seventy-five but she knew that she'd have to improve her performance before she could do this.
Now, with Sylvia, she had another opportunity to practice her skills. What did this mousy little woman want to hear?
"Don't be nervous, Sylvia," she cooed. "May I call you Sylvia? Why don't you relax while I set up." She glanced at her visitor and tried to make some determinations as to what she was like and what was happening in her life. Sylvia wore no ring on her left hand. She was unmarried, probably not engaged.
It's all a matter of using one's reasoning powers mused Adele. People give away a lot of information about themselves in subtle ways. She hated those people, usually men, accompanied by their wives, who came to her with nothing but a challenge on their minds. "Go ahead, try to find out something about me," they would seem to be saying. There was only one way to handle those brainless clods. Tell them that the extraterrestrial forces were not cooperating and summarily dismiss them.
Abraham Lincoln had enunciated it elegantly. "It's best to say nothing and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
Adele walked into the kitchen and removed some items from the broom closet. She carried these into the family room and set up a small card table in front of the couch where Sylvia was setting. On the table, she placed the cloth that she had purchased at Halloween time last year. The cloth was black, trimmed with a wide, orange border. "Just the kind of covering for a psychic's table," she had thought.
She placed the candles on the left and right sides of the table and lit them. Then she set the deck of cards in the center. It was an ordinary Bridge deck. Tarot cards would have been better, but they were a too sophisticated for her right now. She had no clue what they meant and how to use them.
"Sylvia, in your phone call, you told me that you wanted to know what the future holds. I sense that you are having some problems.
"Yes, oh yes," exclaimed Sylvia. "I do hope you can help me."
"Off to a good start," Adele gloated inwardly.
"Cut the cards," she directed. "Make three piles. Then turn up the top card of the middle pile."
Sylvia did as she had been directed. It was the Queen of Diamonds.
"The Queen of Diamonds! This is remarkable," exclaimed Adele. "The Queen, a woman. Diamonds represent money. Diamonds also have a connection with love and marriage. The mystical message is crystal-clear. There is a wedding in your future."
She was watching Sylvia closely. She thought she detected a quiver when she spoke the word marriage, and decided to follow up.
"I sense a serious impediment to a marriage."
"Yes! Oh, Ms. Griffith, you do know! You can see! I know now that you will be able to help me."
"Bull's-eye!" Adele congratulated herself, "I'm getting good at this."
"Let me see if I can tell you the name of the other person. I see an M, No it's an L. It seems to be changing to a J." She had kept her eyes on Sylvia's face. The M and L had evoked no reactions at all. The J had produced a slight shudder in Sylvia's shoulders.
"Yes, I do believe it's a J."
"This is amazing," Sylvia gasped. "You're right, Jimmy! Jimmy came into my life some months ago.
"Sylvia, I can see Jimmy clearly in my mind. He's very handsome, and good person. You love him very much, don't you?" "Yes I do love him. He's married but he doesn't love her. They're separated and she's trying to take him for everything he owns. We don't know what to do."
"I can visualize Jimmy's wife. She's a lecherous, money-grubbing biddy. Sylvia, you must take hold of yourself. I sense that all this is affecting your health. You are profoundly troubled."
"Oh, Ms. Griffith, how did you know? You have learned so much about me in such a short time. Please tell me. Will it be all right?"
"It will be fine. Sylvia, I see a marriage for you in the near future. I see a trip to a sunny island."
An exciting thought occurred to Adele. Sylvia was so gullible that she was probably good for more than one fee. She decided to try an innovation.
"I sense that there is much more to tell you, Sylvia. Unfortunately, the cosmic forces are fading. Would you
do something for me? Would you obtain a personal item from Jimmy – like a hanky, a lock of hair, or even some fingernail clippings? Anything at all would do. Do you think you can do this?
"Y-yes, I think so."
"When you bring me one of those items, I'll be able to understand Jimmy better and give you some really sound advice that you can use. Sylvia, I find that the session has been unusually exhausting. If you don't mind, I'd like to rest now."
"Certainly, I understand perfectly," said Sylvia. "When shall I see you again? What do I owe you now?"
"That will be sixty-five. Just place it on the table."
Sylvia rose from the couch and began walking toward the door. Adele accompanied her. At the door, Adele extended her hand and gave Sylvia's a squeeze. "Can you come back next week at this time?" She asked.
"Yes, I can."
Suddenly Sylvia stiffened and fixed her eyes on Adele's. "Ms. Griffith, something strange is happening," she mumbled.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. It's something about you. I had a momentary revelation about you. Just now. I saw a letter. You're going to receive some money."
"That's impossible," Adele exclaimed. Then she laughed. "What's going on anyway, I'm supposed to be the psychic here."
"Yes, you're probably right. It's nothing. I'll see you next week."
Sylvia left but Adele stood at the door puzzling over what Sylvia had envisioned. The only way that any money could be coming her way would be from a court