Chapter 24 #2
She told them Chris was missing, and they were supportive, offering to fly down, which she declined. Their brand of support wasn’t what she or Bella needed at the time. Later, when she knew the truth, she told them that Chris had died, but there wasn’t going to be a funeral. Nothing else.
Suze is her confidante now. But Shirley and Paul’s embracing of them feels good. Feels welcome. She looks at Danika, who gazes back with a soft smile. A nod. It’s enough. Kim’s heart overflows with the acceptance of these people, who have every reason to push back and reject both her and Bella.
She reaches out with both hands. Danika takes her left, Shirley her right. Paul joins hands with his wife and daughter. The contact is comforting, and she feels the weight behind Shirley’s words in her touch.
“Thank you all,” she says.
“Can we go see Suze and Jorie at the market?” Bella asks as they drive back to St Kilda from Shirley and Paul’s.
“Sure, why not.” It’s been a while since they’ve gone to the St Kilda Esplanade markets.
Suze reads tarot cards and sells crystals, tarot decks, and books.
If things are quiet—which they seldom are there—she’ll give Kim a free three-card reading.
Kim isn’t at all sure she believes in the tarot’s power—the readings are more, “Whatever you are worried about won’t be as bad as you think” rather than, “Watch out for a red-headed woman in a green jumpsuit when you’re at Coles on Monday at 9:07 am.
She’ll try to steal your wallet from your unattended bag.
” and she thinks that the most “accurate” readings are when people adapt the generalities they’re told to events in their own lives.
Suze shrugs when asked about this, and says that she has many repeat customers, and they say she’s mostly accurate in her predictions.
“I want to get Cami a present,” Bella says.
“Sure, we can look.” Kim resigns herself to traipsing around the crowded street market for the next couple of hours while Bella darts from stall to stall and, inevitably, ends up back at the first one.
The market is as crowded as expected. Kim finds a vacant space and pays the exorbitant parking fee. “What do you want to get Cami?” she asks.
“Don’t know yet.” Bella marches up to the first stall, which sells magnesium cream for muscle aches and restless legs, and Kim mentally revises her estimate to three hours.
Suze is busy with a customer when they pass her stall. Kim waves, but Suze is intent on the cards and doesn’t see her. Jorie isn’t there. “We’ll come back,” Kim says to a disappointed Bella, who’d been hoping Jorie would help her pick out a present.
When they loop back—still present-less—Suze is completing a sale for a crystal pendant. They wait until she’s free, then go across.
Suze hugs them both. “Jorie’s over at the playground with Dasha’s son.”
“We’re looking for a present for Cami,” Bella says. “You can tell the future. Please can you do a reading for me and tell me what she’d like?”
“Hella-Bella, Suze’s readings aren’t for that sort of—”
“I can try, if it’s okay with your mum.” Suze raises an eyebrow in query.
“Sure.” Kim suppresses a grin. There’s no psychic ability needed to answer that question. She’s sure Cami would love the string of glow-in-the-dark ducklings, the crystal to hang in her window and catch the light, the paint-it-yourself plant name tags—all things they’ve already looked at.
Suze seats Bella at the card table with the appropriate amount of fuss and dignity. She sits facing her and shuffles the cards, then holds the deck out to Bella. “Pick three cards, and hand them to me face down.”
With a serious face, Bella picks three cards, and Suze places them one by one. She turns up the first card.
“The Page of Wands. This represents someone young, energetic, and fun.”
“Cami,” Bella says. Her face is solemn as she studies the card.
“Yes, maybe Cami. It also represents embracing your passions, new directions, and doing what you love.”
“Soccer starts soon,” Bella says.
Suze nods. “Maybe it’s that.” She turns over the second card. “The Queen of Cups. This card represents love and caring. It can stand for family—your mum, maybe. Or it can stand for sisters.”
“That’s me and Cami,” Bella says confidently.
Suze smiles gently at her. “The first two cards show you’re very caring of your sister and you truly want to make her happy. You treat her with kindness—and she does you. I think the third card will give us an idea of what present to buy for Cami.”
Kim doesn’t move. This is Bella’s reading—if indeed Suze isn’t humouring the child—but so far, what Suze has said could apply equally to her and Danika.
Suze turns the third card. “The Sun.” She touches the card reverently with one finger.
“You are lucky, Bella. This card embodies fun, innocence, warmth. The child riding the horse doesn’t need harsh bits or spurs to control the horse; indeed, the horse and child are riding happily along together, a true partnership.
I think you have your answer too, quite literally. ”
“What’s that?” Bella looks up from her study of the card.
“You and Cami ride hobby horses a lot, don’t you?” At Bella’s nod, she continues, “There’s a stall down the far end that sells beaded items. I happen to know that at the back of the stall there are beaded browbands for hobby horse bridles, as well as pretty things to tie in their manes.”
“Cami would love that!” Bella looks at Kim with shining eyes. “Can we go there please, Mummy?”
Kim nods. It seems Suze has come up trumps. She reaches for her wallet to pay for Bella’s reading, but Suze waves it away. “My pleasure.”
“Can Jorie come with us?” Bella asks.
“Of course,” Suze says. “Tell her I said it’s okay.”
As Bella dances off toward the playground, Kim says, “That was perfect. Did you tailor that reading knowing what Cami would like?”
“The cards never lie.” Suze rests a hand on Kim’s arm. “Come back later. I’ll read yours.”
Kim laughs. “What, more tall, dark, handsome strangers?”
Suze smiles in response. “You never know.”