CHAPTER TWO

Agatha Promeaux listened as her friend Maureen spoke about the visit to the psychic at Jackson Square. She'd been talking about going for quite some time, and two weeks ago, finally worked up the nerve to do it. Most of the residents of Maison Soleil were skeptical and tried to talk the woman out of it.

Now, as she was packing her things to leave the senior home, the other women were all interested in what she had to say.

"Maureen, this seems sudden," frowned Agatha.

"Listen, I went to Madame Serena, and she knew everything about me. She even said that I was going to meet someone that I would fall in love with. I literally ran into Al on my way back from visiting her. He spilled his coffee on me and invited me to join him. I'd seen him around the complex but didn't really know anything about him.

"It was an instant connection. I've been alone fifteen years, and this is the first time anyone has held my attention or interest. I know you all think I'm being a foolish old woman, but we have something special, and I'm too old to ignore it."

"But you're going on a long cruise with him and then moving in with him, Maureen. Why does he still have the house and live at Maison Soleil? There are a lot of questions unanswered. Why not wait?" said Agatha.

"Because I'm eighty-one," laughed the woman. "What am I waiting for? What am I worried about?"

"I don't know," said her friend. "I just worry for you."

"I know you do, Agatha. That's why I love you. But Al is wonderful, and with him still having his little house in the Garden District, we can spend part of our time there or rent it out. It's big enough for the two of us. We're still relatively healthy, with a few aches and pains. We'll keep one another company, and we'll tend his gardens and spend the rest of our time here. We both can afford to keep both places."

"Alright," nodded the older woman. "I'll come and visit you soon."

"Promise?" smiled Maureen.

"I promise," nodded Agatha with a smile.

"You know, it might be a good idea for you to go as well. She's really wonderful, Agatha. She was right about everything with me, and you already know that she got everything right with Norman and Charlotte."

"I don't know," said Agatha, shaking her head. "I've never believed much in psychics."

"Just think of it as having a little fun. You might be surprised at what she tells you." Agatha just nodded at her friend, hugging her once more as the last of her bags were packed and carried to the front of their community center.

Al was still driving his own car, a relatively new mid-sized car with a great safety record. He seemed solid, caring, and real to Agatha. He was in relatively good health, other than blood pressure medicine, and showed tremendous affection to Maureen. He planned the entire cruise after they spent a few days together at his home first.

It bothered Agatha that he lived at the retirement community but also kept his house. Why would he do that?

As they drove away from Maison Soleil, the entire community waved at them, tossing rice, although they weren't married. It was nice to see community members leaving on their own two feet instead of inside an ambulance or a hearse.

"What do you think?" asked Gladys. Agatha stared at the other woman. "About the psychic. Do you think we should try it?"

"I'm just not convinced. Not yet," said Agatha.

"Well, I think I'm going to make an appointment and go see her. It could be exciting. Besides, it will get me out of here for a few hours."

"Let me know how it goes," smiled Agatha.

"You'll regret not going," waved Gladys. "You never know. You might meet mister right."

Finding Madame Serena wasn't all that hard. Gladys found her in the same spot she was when Maureen visited her. Apparently, she'd been at that spot around Jackson Square for almost ten years. She'd looked her up on the internet and found out that she once had a small storefront in the Quarter but closed it due to crime and insurance costs.

Since that time, she'd been at the Square and still continued to have a thriving business. Her reviews averaged four-and-a-half stars, and her predictions were spot on.

Gladys loved the energy of the area around Jackson Square. She'd taken the streetcar to downtown and walked over to Café Du Monde for beignets and café au lait. From there, she did a little shopping in one of her favorite boutiques, grabbed some lunch, and then headed toward her appointment.

The umbrella-covered table was decorated with a colorful purple, orange, and black cloth. There was a stack of cards on one side of the table and a few other things that Gladys didn't recognize on the other. Before she could even say hello, the woman smiled at her.

"Welcome, Gladys," she said. Gladys opened her mouth, then closed it realizing that she was expecting her. There was nothing psychic about her calling her by name. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you. I'm a bit nervous. I've never done this before," said the older woman.

"I assure you, it's perfectly harmless," smiled the turban-clad woman. "I will simply feel your aura, touch your hand, and get a sense of what you're hoping to see in the future."

"I'd love it if you could speak to my husband, Arnold. He's been dead ten years now. I just want to know that he's alright."

"I'm afraid I can't speak to the spirits," smiled the woman. She always answered honestly to her clients. Speaking to the dead was a touchy thing, and if you didn't know what you were doing, you could cause more trouble than you could possibly imagine. "I can find someone for you that can, if you like."

She nodded, only mildly disappointed. The psychic shuffled some cards and asked her to cut them twice. She placed five cards in front of her, turning over one after the other.

"What do they say?" she asked. The first card had a photo of the sun on it. It was colorful and seemed harmless enough.

"This first one tells me that you will have good fortune in your life. You won't be rich, but you won't want for anything."

"That's nice to know," smiled the older woman. The next card was called ‘The World.'

"Ah, this card is interesting. It says that you will have another love in your life soon. Is there someone special in your life?" she asked.

"Oh, no. I mean, not really. There's a man at the senior center that's been asking me to dinner. Maybe I should accept. Should I accept?"

"We'll talk in a moment," smiled the woman.

"This card says that you've had great pain in your life. Throughout your life. Are you unwell? Do you suffer from a bone condition?"

"Arthritis! How could you know that?" She could only smile again, not saying anything to the woman. She turned over the fourth card and frowned. This card was not what she expected to find for this woman. "What? What's wrong?"

"This card tells me there will be death close."

"Death? Well, I am eighty-three," she smirked. "How close?"

She heard the screeching of tires and the sounds of metal against glass and brick. Looking up at the woman in utter panic, her eyes went wide, and she spoke.

"Now."