The Fortune Teller

By Hallie Oakwood

Leo and his cousin Joe mooched around the whole of the county fair, candy floss melting on their tongues, reminding Leo of childhood. Half the town was there. Some of his friends were in the far distance; he could just make out his school friend Lisa’s red ponytail. After strolling past a vintage stall, Joe pointed to a fortune-teller’s tent. “Go on, try it. I’ll pay,” he said. Leo raised an eyebrow. He did not believe in fortune-tellers, but out of curiosity, played along.

“On your 34th birthday, your soul mate will stand in front of you,” she said while frowning at his palm. After suppressing the urge to laugh, Leo thanked her and left through the beaded curtain.

His birthday was on a Saturday, and that morning while making coffee, his phone pinged. Happy Birthday! Sent by his school friend, Matt. The same message two minutes later from Lisa. Happy Birthday! Keep an open mind today, pinged from Joe. Leo scoffed, although he planned to have fun testing the prediction, which he believed was just the fortune-teller’s gimmick.

Sitting in the barber’s, he reflected on his love life. He had been in several long relationships and wanted commitment, but there was always something missing. Joe called him cynical because he’d given up on the idea of ever finding love. As soon as Leo finished at the barber’s, his rumbling stomach craved blueberry pancakes. A café opposite looked inviting, and he was checking the menu in the window when Lisa stepped out of the café with another woman.

“Leo,” she beamed. “How’s your birthday going?”

“Good, just the barbers so far.”

“Looking good,” Lisa smiled and gestured at Leo’s freshly trimmed undercut. Leo’s brown goatee beard hid his blush. They paused together before being aware of Lisa’s friend standing beside them.

“This is Amy,” said Lisa, looking flushed. “See you tonight.”

“Hi Amy, see you later, Lisa,” replied Leo. He was meeting his group of friends, mainly from school, at the bar that evening.

After fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, he visited the grocery store. While pushing a shopping cart to the checkout, he noticed Lisa, in a t-shirt and running shorts, buying an energy drink. She glanced his way after paying and waved. Leo smiled and mouthed “hi” back.

With his hands clutching bags of groceries, he delivered them to his grandmother. There, he met her caregiver, Hannah, and they talked while he fixed his grandmother’s leaky tap. Hannah was three years younger than him, and he often chatted to her while he helped his grandmother, but there was no spark there.

After seeing his grandmother, he walked through the park, which had fountains and sculptures. Leo often pushed his grandmother there in her wheelchair; she enjoyed the sculptures and lattes at the café. Behind the fountain was a walking trail. As he crunched through twigs and leaves, dappled sunlight warmed his face, the fortune-teller’s prediction swarming in his mind. No one had caught his attention that morning. He bristled at the realisation she was probably conning people and might use a similar line on everyone. Some poor fools might believe it. He jolted from his thoughts as a group of eight runners approached. Lisa was in the middle of them and waved as she ran past, her red ponytail bobbing.

* * *

At midday, he watched a baseball game with Matt and Joe. Between innings, while they edged back to their seats loaded with sodas and chips, he could see Joe’s eyes darting around.

“Seen anyone?” Joe asked.

“Nope.” Leo smiled to himself. He was quietly enjoying being able to prove the prediction was nonsense.

* * *

With his usual crowd of friends in the bar later, packed tightly together, they sat and talked, laughed and drank. Lisa bought a drink refill, an hour in, and Leo noticed her talking to a man at the bar counter. The man, tall and athletic, was from the running group earlier, and Leo found himself glaring daggers at him. While craning his head to get a better view, there was a tap on his shoulder. Matt wanted to know what Leo was staring at. Lisa returned with her drink, and as she edged past Leo, his breath quickened. He tried hard not to notice when she sat down and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He cleared his throat and sipped some beer before stealing a glance at her open-back shoe, dangling from her toes. Lisa looked up and their gaze held before Matt started talking to them.

When the sky darkened at closing time and rain pelted, Leo and Lisa, who lived near each other, walked together. Wet trickled down his neck, clothes damp. Since school, they had always dated other people and “missed their moment,” and Leo had divulged too many messy confidences to Lisa, things he would never admit to girlfriends. He had always placed her in the friendship category. Yet despite this, when Lisa slipped in the downpour and Leo reached to help her, he felt a charge run through him. There she was: long red hair, jasmine scent, so close he could hear her breathing. They stood facing each other, soaked through, hair plastered and dripping. When Leo closed the gap between them, Lisa reached up and kissed him. Although drenched, heat flooded through him, and he knew he was kissing his soulmate. He’d been so blinkered. He realised the missing something he had been searching for in all his previous relationships was Lisa. His soulmate had been there all along. He kissed her back as the clock tower chimed midnight.

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

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Hallie Oakwood is an art teacher and writer. Her work has appeared in Flash Fiction Magazine, Fairfield Scribes and others. Her stories have been broadcast on BBC Radio.