Reading Between the Lines
I’ve been studying the Rom for some time now, and I haven’t yet had my palm read. The truth is, I’m a real skeptic when it comes to this kind of thing. I want to believe–I really do. For the sake of my research, it’s something I need to experience.
So I stop by the carpa of one of the local families. They invite me in and offer me cup of coffee. We begin chatting until the grandmother just happens to offer to read my palm.
“All right,” I agree. She holds my right hand in hers and gently runs her hand over the surface of my palm in a circular motion. “Now,” She says. “What do you want to know?”
The question caught me off guard. I guess I thought she would intuit what I wanted to know. So I say something about wanting to know how my time in Mexico will go.
“You want to know about love? Well then…You will soon be married. You are trying to marry but can’t. Don’t worry. It’ll all work out soon, very soon. You don’t trust each other very much yet. It’s mutual. But he’s the love of your life. You’ll see.”
All of this sentimental stuff embarrasses me. I think I blush.
“What else do you want to know? How many kids you’ll have? You’ll have three. See? Here are the lines. Three. Anything else?”
I think for a moment and decide just to repeat the first thing I said, “I guess just how my time will go in Mexico.”
She seems a bit bored by the question. “It’ll be fine.”
“Now,” She suddenly gets more somber, if you really want things to go your way, I can give you an amulet. This is a special amulet. No one else can get this amulet for you.”
All right, I think. An amulet would be nice.
“Now I want you to think about how much an amulet means to you. Think hard–how much is an amulet worth?”
Is she talking about money? I have no idea how much an amulet is worth. I just look at her.
“300 pesos. That’s how much an amulet is worth.” Yikes. I didn’t realize amulets were so expensive.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” I tell her.
“Close your eyes,” she tells me. “How much is an amulet worth to you? I want you to look deep in your heart, and tell me how much this rare gift is worth to you.”
I open one eye to see if she is watching me. She is. “I really don’t have any money to buy amulets.”
“So be it. Then come by some other time when you have money, and I’ll give you your amulet.”
I know I’ll want to stop back by, if nothing else just to talk to her. I don’t know when I’ll be able to though. I’ve been spending all my free time at Immigration. You see, I am trying to get married.