Zitana, my psychic advisor, was old school. Crystal ball, gypsy clothing, stiff Tolkienesque speech. She looked ancient but was mentally keen. I wasn’t sold on psychics. So, why see her? Well, because of Mom, of course.
Last week, Zitana gave me six losing numbers. For the MegaMillions, she said, untold riches await you! I followed her advice. Not one number came up.
Occasionally, she was right. She said once, you will soon meet someone special. Four months later, I met Lara. For five months, we were ferocious. Then she ditched me for her financial advisor.
Dad disliked Zitana. He said, you’re wasting money. They would argue. When a stroke killed Dad, Mom said, Zitana predicted this! Mom, though, never relayed this dire forecast.
So I returned to Zitana, bogus numbers on newspaper, said, not even close. She was at her desk, Maury on rabbit-eared television, half-eaten cheeseburger Happy Meal before her. Her usual garb had been replaced by jeans and Disneyland sweatshirt.
Unconcerned about her character breach, she studied the paper. Well, I didn’t mean this week. Keep playing.
On Maury, a woman had nine children by eight fathers. When will I win, I asked. The crystal ball doesn’t reveal that, she laughed, biting her cheeseburger. Otherwise, I’d be in Tahiti.
Mom died ten years ago. Pharyngeal cancer. I never knew if Zitana had predicted it. Near the end, unable to speak, Mom handwrote on paper, don’t forget Zitana. So, I haven’t. Maybe one day, those numbers will hit.
52|250 A Year of Flash 
this is terribly sweet. incredible piece – love it.
I am cross – I read the opening line and it sounded like something I would write. And as the story progressed, it just seemed – in theme, in tone – like something I would write. An the ending – yes, something I would write too. So, no wonder I enjoyed it – sad and amusing and kind of pointless and fruitless, but so much of life is like that … a poignant, alive, frustrating slice of life. Ja, reading it, I liked it a lot.
This made me think of how people who believe they know the future take their fate out of their own hands. Well done.
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