Palm Thursday

I’m late for Thursday because I realized it’s already Friday and I don’t know how that happened. Well no matter I’m going to add my fare to THEME THURSDAY anyway. What are they going to do? Give me a ticket? “Ma’am you posted on a Friday instead of a Thursday. You’ll need to sign on the bottom line and you can either pay your fine or choose to appear in court.” How would that be, appearing in Blogger Court? Who would be the judge? Perez Hilton? Who sit on the jury? Well anyway it’s Fursday and the topic is PALM. I thought I might tell you a story about Palm trees and my brother-in-law Bob but I decided to save that for another day. Then I thought about the first time I came to California and saw all the Palm trees but in the back of my mind one story kept nagging at me. Now you may or may not be aware but I’m the type of person who believes in signs and omens. I figured that that replaying of the event in my head over and over was an omen to share this story with you. Now after you have read mine and if you haven’t already gone over to THEME THURSDAY and read all the other wonderful contributions I highly recommend that you do so.




Gladys looked at the sign in front of the little cottage. She parked her little blue car and looked all around. There didn’t seem to be any others in the parking lot so she exited her vehicle and began the embarrassing walk to the door. What would people think if they saw her go into the little cottage? Would they think she was a kook? Would they point and laugh and cry “look at the sinner! Devil worshipper!” She turned the handle and heard the little bell tinkle.

“Aw you have come to seek advice” was the greeting from the dark skin woman in flowing robes. “Um, yes, are you the lady who tells fortunes” Gladys asked. The reader laid her hand on Gladys’ shoulder and took in a deep breath then exhaled “oh my you have much going on, please, come sit.” The reader sat down at a table covered in cards, beads and bones. “My name is Youvonda and yours starts with a G, yes I’m getting a message from the other side. G like you are happy. Glad yes you are glad. Your name is Gladys?” Goose bumps rose on Gladys’ skin and she swallowed hard “YES! HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?” Youvanda smiled and winked “it says so right there on your key chain. Why would you walk around with someone Else's name on your key chain.” Gladys relaxed back into the chair and giggled “oh, yeah. Ok so how does this work? I mean do you look into a crystal ball or what?” Youvanda smiled and replied “first you must put forty dollars into the glass jar. It must be two twenties and you must fold them into triangles, like the pyramids.”

Gladys did as she was instructed and carefully folded her money then placed each one in the large empty jar. “Now you must clear your thoughts. Take deep breaths and with each exhale breath out your thoughts. Relax” Youvanda whispered. Gladys closed her eyes and tried to clear out her mind but there were just too many thoughts jumbled up inside. She wanted to ask Youvanda what that intoxicating scent was that was wafting from the candle in the corner and where she got her beautiful flowing robe. She exhaled again and a whole new set of thoughts started bouncing through her mind. “Whoa! Slow down!” Youvanda cried. Man it’s like a pin-ball machine in your mind.” Gladys took another deep breath “Sorry, it’s like that all the time. I have all this stuff going on and I don’t know what to do with it all. Okay I’ll try again.” Once again she breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled, eyes closed and concentrating on just her breath.

“Oh, my! Let’s see you have a very long life line but your love line is fractured in many places. Oh this is interesting” Youvanda declared as she traced the lines across Gladys’ palm. “Oh look at this, four children but only one baby. Hum, this is interesting.” She continued studying the road map of life across the Palm as Gladys squinted trying to see whatever it was that Youvanda saw. She relaxed into the gentle touch of the reader and tried not to tense up as she made each declaration. “You see much, but you block it out. You must let your inner eye see. It will guide you”. Then Youvanda took the forty dollars from the jar and put them in her decolletage. Gladys started to stand but sat back down and asked “Do you talk to dead people?” Youvanda sighed and asked “yes, what do you have in mind?” Gladys blushed and replied “well since I was a little girl I have had a dream about my Nanny. She is always in a coffin in our living room. I walk in and there are two coffins, a big one and a little one. When I open the big coffin her body is there but not her head. Then I open the little one and there is her head and her eyes open. I always wake up screaming.” Youlanda squinted and looked into Gladys’ eyes “so you want to ask her what she wants?” Gladys sighed in relief at last someone understood “YES!”

Youvanda patted Gladys’ hand and replied “this I do for you for free. This seems to bring you much pain and unhappiness. But I will need something of your Nanny’s. You bring me anything that belonged to her and I will help you find out what it is she wants.” Gladys grabbed her purse and pulled out a single black screw back earring “this was hers. Will this do?” Youvanda placed the earring in Gladys’ palm and then she covered it with her own. She closed her eyes and began to mumble. Gladys felt the room grow cold and the little candle began to flicker. Youvanda opened her mouth as if to speak but no sound was emitted. Her eyes snapped open and she began to sing in a low sweet voice “somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby”. Gladys sucked in all the air out of the room and whispered “Nanny? Is that you?” Youvanda’s eyes looked through Gladys and she continued “just put my head back on. That’s all I want.”

Gladys’ palm began to get hot and she tried to pull it away from the medium. She tugged but Youvanda would not let go “Where trouble melts like lemon drops

High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me”. Gladys was confused “what does that mean? I don’t understand!” Youvanda sagged in her chair and let out a breath. She shook out her hands and sighed “did she answer your question?” Gladys was full of angst “no! Now I’m more confused. What does she want me to do?” Youvanda reached across the table took Gladys hand in hers and looked deep into her palm “for another twenty I can tell you.”