It was school holidays and the fair was in town.
She had been waiting for this. This was when it would all come together, just the way she knew it would. He had asked her if he could take her. That’s when it all started to fall into place. From that very moment, she saw her future coming together. All it needed was to get mystic confirmation, and she knew where to find it. She would know the tent’s colours. She would soon find it.
As they entered the noisy throng of brightly coloured flashing lights, people screaming and laughing, the smell of popcorn and candyfloss, she felt so happy feeling their arms entwined, having his body tight by her side. They moved through the crowd, taking in the sights. Then, she saw it. The tent was on the edge of the fairground, waiting. It just sat there, waiting.
“Oh! Look!” she said, tugging at his arm. “That must be the gypsy fortune-teller. I’d love to find out about my future, wouldn’t you?”
He smiled kindly. “Well, to be honest, not really. There’s a shooting gallery back there. I wouldn’t mind a go on that.”
“OK,” she said. “You do that and we’ll meet back there, at the tent.”
She stood for moment, watching him work his way through the fair-goers, heading for the gallery. She felt the excitement build as she made her way to the tent.
Inside, the old gypsy sat reading a magazine. A large crystal ball sat on a small table. She looked up as the girl entered, slipped the magazine to the floor and said, “Welcome, child. Sit, why don’t you?”
The girl sat. A little nervously, she said, “I want to know. I want to know about my future.”
The old gypsy smiled. “Well, my dear, you’ve come to the right place.”
“Wonderful,” said the girl, handing over the money and sitting back into her chair, wriggling to make herself comfortable.
“Let me see now.” The fortune-teller stared intently into the ball.
“Ah! Yes… I see a long journey coming for you my dear. It will be a hot place that you are going to. You will need to keep in mind…” she paused and looked up.
The girl sat frowning.
“No. Perhaps not,” she went on, “there will be a very important man coming into your life in the near future with an exciting job offer. He will see great potential in you and will see that your career…”
The girl was still frowning and shaking her head slowly.
“Oh!” she said peering back into the crystal. “It’s becoming clearer now. Yes. It will be such a surprise. You will win a great deal of money when you buy the ticket. It will change your life, give you the sort of independence that you’ve always wanted.”
The gypsy saw movement behind the girl.
“Oh! Dearie me! No.”
She looked up again and caught sight of the young man peeking through the flap.
“Ah! I see it now. A young boy with ginger hair going down on one knee, proposing.”
The girl brightened and nodded.
“I see the wedding day with family and friends. Such a happy time. And the babies, lots of lovely little babies!” She looked up from the ball. “You are such a lucky girl you know.”
She smiled. “Yes, I know. Thank you so much.”
Outside, her future husband, holding a small teddy bear, was waiting patiently. “You were in there a long time,” he said. “Is everything OK?”
She put her arm through his, hugging the prize he won for her, as they wandered back into the crowd.
“It’s fine,” she said, “just fine.”