by Belle Malory
After a few dazed moments, I laughed. “You guys really are crazy.”
I hoped it would be enough to make them doubt me.
But it wasn’t.
“Oh, yeah?” Lola asked, moving closer. Before I knew what was happening, she took my hand and said, “I want your trust. How do I get it?”
Three
We sat around a candlelit table at an outdoor Italian restaurant back at The Commons. I listened quietly while my stalkers broke the news to me: I was a huge threat to the world.
It really shouldn’t have come as a surprise. It was one thing having suspected as much, but hearing it said out loud was entirely another. I sat back in my chair dazedly, trying to digest everything.
Underneath the table, Abby sniffed at the rude guy’s shoes. Rex Constantin, I thought, remembering his name. It was old fashioned, like mine. He scratched the pup behind her ears and she kicked her leg in appreciation. Apparently he was nice to animals.
“Are you okay?” Lola asked me. “You haven’t touched your food. I think you should eat.”
“You just told me that I’m some sort of oracle, I’m in grave danger, and I’m a threat to the world. I lost my appetite somewhere in the middle of processing that.”
Lola’s fiancé, Gabe, spoke to me in an overtly calm voice, as if he were professionally trained at dealing with crazy people. “You’re not just the oracle, Estelle. You’re a gypsy. You’ve been within our folds for lifetimes up until recently.”
“Is that what all of you are? Gypsies?”
Lola nodded. “Gypsies, vagabonds, Roms. We have many different names.”
I scanned the table, looking at each of them. Apart from their exotic features, they certainly didn’t fit the description of what I thought was a gypsy. They wore crisp, modern clothes. Lola’s were a bit eclectic, but half the women in L.A. dressed the same way.
“So you’re like, travelers, right?” I asked. “When I hear the word gypsy, I picture fortune tellers, con-artists, thieves. Those people you see at carnivals.”
Gabe laughed, lighting up his dark gray eyes. “Some of us are known for that, yes. Your assumptions are stereotypical though.”
With a wave of her hand, Lola said, “But certainly not without merit. There are many responsible for smacking us with some of the more unsavory titles you mentioned. It’s unfortunate but true.”
Gabe explained, “Her father is known for being a scandalous con-artist and thief, among other things. He is one of those ‘some’ she is talking about.”
“And he is a profitable troupe leader and manager to a famous belly dancer,” Lola added. She turned to Gabe, narrowing her eyes on him. “Funny how you left the respectable titles out.”
“Oh, because he’s such a reputable, decent sort of Rom and has been for the last millennium?” Gabe countered. The hints of a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. He clearly enjoyed arguing with his fiancé. I would’ve thought it was funny if I weren’t so overwhelmed.
I caught Lola rolling her eyes as she turned away from Gabe, ignoring his comments about her father. “There are certain things that set us apart from everyone else,” she told me.
“Like what?”
“Well, many gypsies have a second form of sight. For instance, you can see what people want and how they can obtain it.”
“Can you do that, too?” It surprised me, hearing the inkling of hope in my voice.
Lola chuckled. “No, definitely not. Your sight is far greater and more powerful than any we’ve ever crossed before.”
“So what do you all…see?” Part of me was intensely curious about them. I think maybe I wanted the reassurance in finding out there were others like me. Maybe I craved it.
Gabe spoke to me now, explaining, “Sight differs with all gypsies. For instance, I can see my present surroundings within a few miles radius.”
“What do you mean?”
He pointed to the far end of the street. “See that corner, over there?”
I leaned forward and nodded.
“In just a few moments, a woman in a black dress will come around it carrying a vase full of purple tulips.”
I waited a few moments in suspense, keeping my eyes locked upon the street. Just as he’d said, the woman with the tulips turned the corner. I sucked in my breath in disbelief.
“How did you do that?”
“Let’s just say my vision stretches a lot further than yours,” he said.
I stared at Lola and Rex in wonder. “Can you both see things too?”
Lola answered first. “Unfortunately, I don’t possess any unique sight. However, Rex here has something we hope will protect you until we can figure out what to do next. He--”
“Otherwise, we wouldn’t have brought him along,” Gabe interjected dryly. “My brother isn’t the most friendly person, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Rex said as a lazy grin spread across his face.
Ah, so Rex and Gabe were brothers. It made sense, I supposed. They practically mirrored one another in appearance. Olive skin, dark hair, strong noses. The only exception was their eyes. Gabe’s were a cool shade of gray while his brother possessed that warm amber color that dazzled me earlier.
Lola looked pointedly at her fiancé. “Don’t start with the childish banter, okay?”
Gabe kissed her on the tip of her nose affectionately. “Sorry,” he offered lamely.
Rex gagged out loud, a thoroughly repulsed noise. I couldn’t help but laugh, it was so ridiculous.
Lola turned her attention back to me, smiling at my laughter. She seemed pleased to see me relaxing. At that moment, I decided I really liked her. I still wasn’t so sure about her companions though.
I took a bite of fettuccini, feeling my appetite return. Despite the topic of conversation, I began to feel a sense of comfort. It was something I hadn’t felt since first meeting these people.
“Anyway,” Lola moved on. “Rex’s unique sensory blocks out intruders. For whatever reason, mind readers can’t track his thoughts. He also lets us know who we can trust. That’s how he knew you were lying earlier.”
I arched a brow at Rex, swallowing my food. “Oh. And here I thought I was just bad at it.”
“You are,” Rex said. “Trust me, it doesn’t take any special sight to see right through you.”
I dropped my fork. It clinked loudly against my ceramic plate.
Wow. This guy took candidness to a new level. “Has anyone ever told you how charming you are?” I asked him, sarcasm dripping from my voice.
“Again with the compliments.”
Lola cleared her throat, treating Rex to a disapproving glare. She mouthed the words stop now, just the way a mother scolded a child.
“Let’s get back on track,” she told me sweetly. “And from now on, feel free to ignore him.”
“Noted,” I replied, before swallowing a giant gulp of iced water.
“There is one thing every gypsy has in common. We can all remember our past lives.”
“Past lives?” I sighed. “I don’t know how much more of this I can handle.”
She patted my hand. “I know. It’s a lot to take in.”
“I don’t remember any past lives,” I told her. “Are you sure I’m a gypsy?”
“Yes, and neither did I up until recently,” she said. “We’re the exception. We were meant to forget everything.”
“But why?”
Lola’s voice turned ominous. She seemed to stare at me without seeing. “For our protection.”
“I don’t think I understand. Are you linked to me somehow?”
Gabe and Lola glanced at each other warily. “I think we should save some of the explanations for later,” Lola said. “You have so much to process already. The most important thing you should know is that we have to leave California immediately. There are certain gypsies, mind readers, who will hunt you, probably already hunting you. They will use you as their tool towards power. And you hav
e the capability to tell them how to get whatever they desire. No doubt, they’ve read my mind and are on their way here as we speak.”
“Mind readers?” I asked, afraid to believe such a thing was possible.
“It’s another form of sight,” Lola explained. “Our thoughts become frequencies. If a mind reader picks up on your frequency, it leads them straight to you.”
“If that’s the case, why haven’t these mind readers found me yet?”
“They never knew they were looking for a person before. The legend of you led everyone to believe you were a crystal orb, not a human being.”
I exhaled, shaking my head. “I can’t just leave,” I told them. “I have graduation coming up, and then college.”
“Trivial things that mean nothing if you’re captured,” Gabe stated somberly. “Your only chance at freedom is to come with us. If you stay, you’ll become a prisoner. Not only in this life, but they’ll make sure they own you for the rest of your existence.”
I bit my lip, feeling the full impact of their words. It was heavy, this feeling of hopelessness. I looked out at the darkened street, watching the passersby as they hurried home with their shopping bags. They moved briskly, energetically…freely. I envied them a little. They owned their lives, were responsible for their choices.
“Where would we go that would be safer?” I eventually asked them. There was a shaky twinge in my voice. I hoped they hadn’t heard it, too.
Rex turned and looked directly at me, as if he were gauging my emotion. I caught his gaze for just a moment, then quickly turned away.
His eyes appeared all too knowing.
“I have a friend who can help,” Lola answered me. “She can see the future. And not just the future, but the immediate future. If a tracker shows up looking for you, she’ll know at least an hour before hand. We need to go to her until we decide our next move.”
“You’re asking me to simply trust you blindly.” I looked around the table, scrutinizing each of their expressions. “For all I know, your intentions could be no better than the other gypsies you mentioned.”
“True,” Gabe replied. “But you do know. When Lola asked you how to gain your trust earlier, you knew immediately you could give it to her.”
He was right. I hadn’t known I could do that until then. If I couldn’t have trusted Lola, I would’ve acknowledged that it wasn’t possible.
It made me think of the time my sister jokingly asked me how to obtain world peace. The beast inside me told her it couldn’t be done. We both held our breaths for several minutes afterwards. Later, she asked me why I wasn’t able to give her an answer. The truth was, I didn’t know. I figured either her desire for world peace wasn’t real or it simply wasn’t possible. Either way, it was one of the only times my will didn’t bend to give an answer. I wasn’t sure if I was grateful or heartbroken.
It got me thinking about possibilities. There were so many things on this earth that were possible. I could probably bring the world to destruction with my capabilities, and yet I could never bring about world peace. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
I eventually realized they were all waiting for my answer.
Should I go with them blindly? Or stay and be someone’s tool for the rest of my life?
I didn’t know them, but I knew I trusted them. Maybe, just maybe, they would be able help me find some answers.
“You should know,” Rex warned. “You don’t really have a choice in the matter. You can either come with us quietly, let us help you. Or we’ll force our help on you.”
The others didn’t contest what Rex had said. They seemed prepared to take me with them whether or not I put up a fight. Guess that settles that then.
“I’ll come with you,” I said tightly. “Just give me some time to pack a suitcase, say goodbye and stuff. I can’t tell my mother I’m going with you, obviously. But I would like to see her before I leave.”
“We don’t have time for that,” Rex said in an exasperated voice. “We didn’t have time for this dinner, much less to waste even more. We should’ve been on the road hours ago, and would’ve been, if you didn’t live amongst the rich, famous and highly over-protected.”
“Rex,” Lola pleaded. “It’s her family.” She said the word like he should understand what that meant.
“Yeah, well I doubt she’s as concerned with them as she claims,” he mumbled.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked indignantly.
“What do you think it means, babe? I can see right through you, remember? Your sincerity isn’t exactly at an all-time high. And we shouldn’t waste more time on people you don’t even like.”
Lola gasped in an obvious outrage over Rex’s words. “You’re an awful beast, you know that, Rex? What gives you the right to say whether or not she does or doesn’t want to say goodbye to her family?”
“It’s not an assumption, Lo. It’s a fact. Ask her for yourself.”
Lola turned to me now, her eyes glittering with anger in the candlelight.
“It’s true,” I admitted. “They’re not my favorite people…but it doesn’t mean I don’t care about them.”
Lola sighed despondently. “We’re here to help you, Estelle,” she told me. “More than that, we’re here to help the rest of the world, too. Please don’t play us for fools.”
“I’m not trying to back out,” I swore to her. “I believe you are who you say you are. And I’ve always kind of known how lethal I could be if someone with bad intentions ever found out about me. I wouldn’t ever want that to happen. Just…at least give me enough time to write a note. I don’t want my mom thinking something happened to me.”
Lola tightly nodded her approval. “Go,” she said. “But hurry. Our train leaves soon.”
“Okay,” I said, and then thought to ask, “Why are we taking a train? Why aren’t we flying?”
“Not safe. We need to stay on the ground where we can manage to flee if need be. There’s nowhere to run when you’re up in the air.”
Right, that made sense. Stay on the ground where there are places to hide. Lola’s sense of danger was finally beginning to impart itself on me.
There were people after me. People who knew I could give them whatever they asked for.
It was a difficult concept to swallow.
Four
“You’re not bringing the dog.”
“Well I say the dog is coming.”
Both of us crossed our arms, chins jutted out stubbornly, determined to win this battle. We were currently at a standstill. Abby’s puppy dog eyes darted back and forth between our faces while she stood on the sidelines, waiting for her fate to be decided.
“Oh, give in already, Rex,” Lola said. She took the one bag I’d packed out of my hands and winked at me. I smiled.
“She packs light,” Gabe noted, taking the bag from Lola and placing it within the trunk of their SUV. “Great habit shared by most fellow Roms.”
Rex turned up his hands in exasperation. “Are you really going to let her bring the mutt, Gabe?”
Ouch. He was attempting to reel in the opposition by using dirty tactics.
“It’s not the greatest idea,” Gabe allowed.
I frowned now, glancing at Abby’s hopeful little face. I couldn’t just leave her here. My mother would forget Abby existed and she’d end up starving her to death.
“However,” Gabe spoke again, surprising me. “If it brings the girl comfort, I don’t see any harm in letting her bring her pet.”
Yes! Score one point for Essie. “Looks like you’re outnumbered,” I said to Rex, flashing him a victorious smile. “Abby and I will take the back seat.”
The dog ran into my arms and I climbed into the SUV with her in tow. Rex rolled his eyes and mumbled something I couldn’t understand. I was pretty sure I didn’t want to hear it anyway being that he was probably cursing me out. Whatever. I wouldn’t let him bother me.
We drove away from my house, through the darkened streets of my quiet n
eighborhood. I peered out of the window, trying to catch my last glimpses of home. It was harder than I imagined it would be, leaving everything behind.
Earlier I’d gone through my room in something akin to a trance, running my fingers along the walls, my bed, the desk where I’d spent so many hours studying and writing on my blog. I said goodbye to my window seat, hugging one of my favorite pillows close to me. I’d sat on those cushions a countless number of times, staring out into the neighborhood, wondering what was out there in the world. Looked like I’d actually find out now.
My bedroom had been my protective cage for so many years. It was surreal finally being free of it.
I packed quickly, just a few articles of clothing, my cell phone, cell phone charger and some toiletries. A pair of diamond earrings sparkled from the top of my dresser. I picked them up, clasping them to my ears. They used to belong to Indie, but she’d given them to me as a birthday present, after buying herself a new set with more carats.
I scanned the room, sorting through the rest of my belongings. I hadn’t been sure what one was supposed to bring when escaping with a band of gypsies.
What would I miss in here? I silently wondered.
A painting on the wall caught my eye. A woman with red hair chased butterflies along a beach shore. I didn’t know what it was about that painting. There was something so ethereal, so serene and beautiful, I had to have it. It was the only thing I’d ever purchased for myself. I spent a fortune on it, (apparently the painting was really, really old) but I didn’t care.
The painting was too big to stuff in my little duffel bag. I had to leave it behind. A shame, too. My mother would likely toss it out.
I diligently finished packing, trying not to reflect on the things I would miss. They were just things, after all.
I jotted off a quick note to my mom. I hadn’t allowed myself a long time to overanalyze it. If I had, I would’ve been spent hours writing. Instead it was short, simple and to the point.
