Chapter 6
I was about to get my first tarot card reading, and I wondered what the cards were going to show. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the rattle of door beads. Grandma and I both gasped.
My father popped his head into the study. “Would either of you like a cup of tea?” he asked.
“Daaad!” I cried. “You scared us.”
“Wait, you mean, you didn’t see me coming, Mother?” he teased.
“I was focusing on the cards, dear,” Grandma said sternly. “And yes, we’ll have two cups of green tea. Decaf, please.”
She turned to me as soon as Dad left. That same twinkle was in her eye as before. “Your father thinks he’s a comedian like Grandpa, but I don’t have the heart to tell him it’s not true.”
I giggled a little bit.
“Now, where were we?” Grandma said as she reshuffled the cards. “Ah, yes, close your eyes, darling, and tell me what you see.”
I shut my eyes and relaxed my mind. I tilted my head as a vision started to appear. It was a little murky, but it soon cleared.
“Water,” I said.
“Excellent,” Grandma replied. She had already turned over a card. Its image was facing up.
I looked at it. There was a picture of an angel with yellow hair and red wings wearing a long white robe. In its hands were two golden goblets. The angel was pouring water from one goblet into the other. It was standing near a lake. Underneath the image was a word: TEMPERANCE.
“Tem…per…ance,” I said, sounding out the word. “What does that mean, Grandma?”
“The word means moderation, Krystal, but in the case of the card it stands for balance and harmony in life.”
“Like, both good and bad?” I asked.
“Yes. In order to appreciate and enjoy the positive things in life, we must also experience the negative,” Grandma explained.
She flipped over a second card and placed it next to the first. The card showed a circle in the center. It was marked with symbols or letters.
Beneath it were the words WHEEL OF FORTUNE.
“Hmm,” Grandma said. “This card usually means sudden change or new developments.” Then she smiled when she saw my face. “Don’t worry, my child. It also means surprises.”
Grandma pulled one last card. “Ah, of course,” she said. “The Sun.”
The card she placed on the table had a big yellow sun with a face on it. The sun’s rays pointed in many different directions.
“This card symbolizes renewed energy, brilliance, and joy,” Grandma explained.
“Ooh,” I said. “I like the sound of that.”
“My darling,” said Grandma, kissing me on the forehead, “your radiance and power will always bring happiness. Do not ever forget that.”
***
After we drank our tea, my parents and I prepared to leave. “Goodnight, Grandma,” I said, hugging her goodbye.
Outside, we walked in the cold night air back to the metro stop. We passed the Roseland Ballroom where the concert was in full swing. The muffled music pounded through the outer wall. It sounded like cannons firing.
Dad smiled, and said, “Sounds like the Army of Ares is off to war!”
After the subway arrived, we were on our way back to Queens. During the ride, I had gotten so sleepy that I dozed off in Mom’s arms.
When we got home, she carried me to my bedroom. “Honey, you have to put on your pajamas,” Mom whispered.
While I was getting in bed, I mumbled, “Water. Water everywhere.”
“What was that, sweetheart?” Mom asked. “You want some water?”
I pulled the bedsheets over my head.
“Hmm. Guess not,” my mother said, shrugging her shoulders. She turned off the lamp, leaving only the Saturn-shaped night-light aglow.
Then I was fast asleep.
That night, I found myself on the deck of a large pirate ship. The sails were at full mast, and the crew bustled around me. It was sunny and warm, and the sea was a crystal clear blue.
The captain of the ship stood at the wheel, yelling commands at the men. She was wearing a feathered hat and a long red coat. There was a sword in a scabbard on her belt, and its gold hilt was glinting in the sunlight. Her long hair draped over her shoulders like a black waterfall.
Gosh, she’s beautiful! I thought. And not at all like the pirate captains I’ve seen in storybooks. She’s even got both her hands.
Suddenly, the ship lurched forward. We lost our balance and fell to the floor.
“Avast!” cried the captain. “To the fray!”
I had no idea what was going on. The crew prepared to fire the cannons.
The captain drew her sword. She looked at me and exclaimed, “Get down below, child. The Kraken is upon us!”
Running for cover, I asked, “What’s a Kraken?” But no one answered.
Splash! Crash!
An enormous tentacle came up from the water.
“Uh, I guess, that’s a Kraken,” I said. “Or at least, part of it!”
As the creature crashed onto the deck, men scattered and wooden planks broke into pieces. I saw the sea monster’s slimy suction cups scrape along the deck, leaving a trail of slippery ooze. Then another tentacle lifted high into the air. It was grasping the captain.
“Shiver me timbers!” she shouted. “I shall not be shark bait!”
With that, the captain sliced her sword through the tentacle.
The Kraken howled in pain and disappeared into the depths of the sea, causing a tidal wave. Saltwater splashed all over us. When the ship hit the shore, I crawled onto the dry sand.
“Aye, mateys,” yelled the captain. She came out of the water, picked seaweed off her sopping coat, and shouted triumphantly, “We lived to tell another tale!”
There was a cheer of joy from the crew.
I splayed out on the sand like a starfish. It was nice to feel the rays of the sun warming my face. I closed my eyes and thought, Phew, time to get some rest after such an amazing adventure.
And then, the alarm clock rang.