by Gail Cleare
I felt I had found a good friend, and a very useful ally. The opening party seemed less daunting now.
Laurel seemed to know a lot about healthy foods. The way she and John lived seemed noble and smart. The idea of a lifestyle with a low impact on the environment was very cool. I had a feeling I would learn a lot of useful secrets from my new friends.
That night I dreamed I was floating in outer space, looking down at the Earth. I wasn’t inside a space ship or wearing a special astronaut suit, it was just me, hanging in the blackness.
The planet looked beautiful, like a blue and green jewel. I noticed that there were several bands of particles circling the Earth. On closer inspection, the particles were people and animals floating along weightlessly like me. A zebra flowed past, moving his legs as though he were running. A little girl riding a tricycle followed. Everything was in slow motion.
I moved my hand and discovered I could change position by flapping it. Waving my arms like a bird, I flew over to a little cluster of creatures and watched a mother dog nurse six squirming puppies. She smiled up at me, panting a little, then reached down and washed one of the pups with her tongue. A man and woman floated by, wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing and pressing their bodies together. I started to feel lonely. But the Earth was sparkling up at me, twirling me around with all of life. I got the feeling everything would be OK.
Then Mr. Paradis appeared, seated at a small table playing chess with the dark man I had seen that first day. My employer shook his finger at me, waggled his eyebrows and said, “Emily, time to get to work!” The younger man seemed annoyed at the interruption, but then he smiled and stared at me admiringly.
I wondered how I must have looked, wearing nothing but my scandalous shortie nightgown!
Then I woke up, lying sideways across my bed under the bright blue skylight. Tree was at the head of the bed curled up on the pillow, staring at me with his gorgeous kitty eyes. It was another glorious sunny summer day, and I was finding my place in the circle.
The Empress
NURTURING, COMFORT
Description: Serene and elegant, the experienced mother rests a hand on her swollen belly.
Meaning: The earth mother. Nurturing, protection and soothing. Comfort food for the body and the soul.
Just after two o’clock on the day of the Grand Opening, I walked through the store tweaking the showroom for the umpteenth time. Nursing a slight headache, I suspected I had taken on more than I could handle and actually snapped at Mr. Paradis, immediately regretting it and feeling humiliated. He scurried back up the stairs to his private lair, getting out of my way, which was probably very wise.
Two banquet tables covered by pristine white cloths had been set up in front of the broad windows that looked out on Crescent. The windows contained a smashing display of unusual objects. Banners in the windows proclaimed, “Grand Opening Party, Tonight 6-8 p.m., Open House ~ Free Refreshments.”
Several flower arrangements had just been delivered by a young man dressed in kitchen whites and a Green Thumb apron. I snapped at him, too, when he put the vases down too close to the edge of the coffee bar. The food was scheduled to arrive at around four o’clock.
I was looking forward to seeing the place filled with people for a change. Maybe I would even meet an interesting man or two. I hadn’t dated anyone for a while, and socializing could be fun as long as things didn’t get too intense. I definitely wasn’t going to surrender my independence to some attractive guy who probably had more than one hidden agenda up his sleeve. I had learned a lesson about that from my last relationship.
I went outside to scrutinize the storefront one more time. I had trimmed the ivy around the front door and the stonework beneath was now fully revealed. A beautiful stone angel with long curling hair and a beatific smile looked down from above the entrance, blessing all those who passed. I was thrilled to have discovered her and hoped she’d bring us luck today.
I grabbed my broom and briskly started working on the sidewalk in front of the entrance. The sound of childish shouts came rolling toward me down the street, and I looked up to see my Indian friend approaching with her baby stroller and parade of pre-schoolers. Today she wore jeans and a purple T-shirt, but somehow looked just as exotic as before.
Our eyes met and I stopped sweeping to lean on the broom. Just the sight of her seemed to calm me down, somehow. She was very beautiful, with a voluptuous hourglass figure and full sensual lips. She wore not a spec of make-up, but glowed with natural vitality. Her shining black hair was worn loose today, hanging down to her waist. She looked gorgeous.
“Hello again!” I said. “What a lovely day for a walk!”
She paused for a chat. The children climbed up and down the front steps, peaking inside the door but not daring to enter. Their busy hopping, shoving, tussling and clamoring would have driven me crazy, and but somehow she managed to stay cool and serene.
“I hope you received an invitation to our party tonight,” I said. “I sent them to everyone who lives nearby.”
“Oh yes,” she replied. “We did receive it. Thank you very much, we’ll stop by after my husband gets home from work.”
I asked if any of the children were hers, and she proudly introduced her son and daughter. He was one of the older boys, dark and slim like his mother, and she was the hazel-eyed blonde baby in the stroller.
“My name is Siri Ajala, “ she told me. “We live in the large yellow building, just there,” she said, pointing down the street.
“What a lovely name,” I said.
“Yes, it means, ‘Beautiful Earth.’ Very poetic! But my married name is Rodgers.”
Two of the little boys had dared to step just inside the open front door, and she called to them sharply.
“No, no,” I said, eager for the chance to get to know her better. “They’re welcome to look around. Won’t you come in for a minute, Siri, and give me your opinion?”
Her dark eyes gleamed.
“I would very much like to see,” she said with excitement, “If you are certain that the children will not be a bother.”
She lifted her daughter out of the stroller and put her into my waiting arms. The little girl looked at me with a shy smile, her fingers heading toward her mouth. Then she got distracted by my earring and gently touched it, her eyes wide. Picking up the second baby, Siri deftly stepped on a lever that folded the stroller into a narrow bundle. With a call to the children, she was up the steps and standing inside the door within seconds.
The toddlers quickly found the children’s play area in the corner, I was happy to see. I had gathered some second-hand toys and games to help keep the little ones busy while their parents shopped. There was a low table with four small chairs, occupied by two little girls having an imaginary tea party with their dolls. The boys seemed to be interested in a basket of rubber dinosaurs and wooden blocks. They dumped everything out onto the floor and constructed a sprawling maze.
Siri pulled a blanket out of the big pocket on the back of the stroller and spread it out on the floor. She lay the two babies down on it. Siri’s daughter rolled over onto her tummy and fell asleep, while the little brown-skinned baby cooed with excitement and began to squirm his way over to where the older children played.
“Thomas,” she called to her son, who looked up obediently. “You watch, eh?” Thomas nodded.
“Who are all these other children?” I asked her, watching the activity. “Do you run a daycare center in your apartment?”
“No,” she answered, “Not a real daycare, it is not allowed. I just help the other mothers from time to time. We take turns, so everyone gets a little break.”
I showed her around the shop. She admired everything, speaking very quickly in a light, musical voice.
Siri told me she had been born and raised in India, living there until she reached her teens. Then her family had moved to the U.S., and she had finished her education here in the public school system. She had been accepted to the st
ate university, but was unable to attend because of her mother’s sudden illness with cancer.
Staying at home after her mother’s death to care for her father and younger brother, Siri married an American boy she had met in high school. Her brother now worked for the city as a policeman and their elderly father lived with Siri and her husband, Tom. I guessed that it must be getting rather crowded, with two children and three adults in one apartment.
“And, your father, is he well?” I asked.
“Oh yes,” she said, “Very well. Perhaps a bit bored, I am afraid. He is retired now, with no job to keep him busy. Just his books, his beloved books. My father was a professor. He taught at a university in Delhi, when I was little. When we came to this country, his credentials were not correct to teach in the schools, so he became a substitute teacher and a private tutor.” She waved her arms, using hand gestures to underscore her words.
“Siri,” I said thoughtfully, thinking of my recent conversation with Mr. Paradis about hiring some part-time help. “Would you possibly be interested in taking on a little job, just a few hours a week?”
“Here?” she asked, her eyes widening.
I nodded.
“Oh yes, please! Thank you, very much!”
“Would you be able to leave the children with one of the other mothers?” I asked. “Would your father be all right by himself for a little while?”
“Most certainly!” She was obviously excited and began to speak quickly. “My father has his chess games every day. He plays with his friends down the street. And I can arrange something for the children, too, if it’s not for too long.”
“What exactly would you have me here to do?” She looked around with an appraising eye.
“Help with the customers when it gets busy,” I said. “Dust a little, help me keep the store clean. And, I was thinking of serving tea and espresso, maybe some baked goods or something like that. What do you think?”
“I think it is a lovely idea,” she replied, her eyes shining. “There is nowhere close by to sit down and have breakfast or lunch on the weekdays. Perhaps we could offer this as a way to get people interested in browsing. Do you have the permits for serving food?”
I had already asked Mr. Paradis to look into it. He had agreed to some minor renovations in the kitchen, too. I helped her gather up the children and put the toys away, carrying the still-sleeping baby out to the sidewalk for her while she re-opened the stroller and tucked the other child under the seat belt. Pulling a long shawl out of the bag on the stroller, she arranged it across her chest and knotted it at the side, making a little sling for her daughter to snuggle in. Supporting the baby with one hand, she was able to steer the stroller with the other. She managed it all effortlessly, with a calm born of much experience. I found it amazing.
Siri promised to return that evening with her husband and her father. I urged her to bring her children too. She said that many of the other women who lived in her building were also planning to attend.
“It’s a good arrangement,” she said. “We all help each other. You’ll have to meet them!”
“We can start on that tonight,” I agreed, gently stroking her baby’s soft little head with the back of my index finger. What a little lovey. And what a lovely woman! It made me feel more secure just to be around her.
I felt my guard slipping down as I relaxed, the feminine softness in me welling up to replace the hard shell I had developed over recent years.
It was a comfortable feeling, and I sighed happily as I watched Siri and the children make their way down the street. Being near her was like water in the desert, and I looked forward to the next soothing sip with happy anticipation.
The Emperor
LEADERSHIP, POWER
Description: The Emperor is a strong, paternal man with wealth and power, dressed in flowing dark robes and carrying the orb of power.
Meaning: A powerful leader and figure of authority. Paternal influence, fatherhood. Providing materially for the family, the community.
At seven thirty that evening, the store was packed with guests and the party was peaking. It was a huge success and I was ecstatic. Winding my way from the coffee bar through the mob in front of the buffet tables was a challenge. Everyone was talking at the same time, in various languages. The background music could barely be heard any more.
Many people had obviously come straight from work. Several women wore medical uniforms, and members of a landscaping crew all had on identical logo-emblazoned T-shirts. Laurel’s team was easily spotted, with their Green Thumb aprons. The barista she had hired for the party pulled shot after shot of espresso. He entertained the waiting customers with jokes and coffee trivia as he worked. The combination of his upbeat personality plus the caffeine kick created a dynamic energy that had spread throughout the room.
The beautiful food Laurel had prepared was very well received. There were several salads, a vegetarian lasagna cut into squares and a big pan of spanakopita, flakey Greek pastry stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. The second table held an assortment of desserts. Everyone helped themselves enthusiastically.
A noisy cluster of kids was building a block city in the children’s corner. Siri’s father, whose name was Gupta, was a dignified gray-haired gentleman with wire-framed glasses who sat in a nearby rocker and supervised the construction. He seemed to be enjoying himself. I had also met her husband Tom, earlier. He was a friendly redhead with freckles and hazel eyes like his daughter, the little love who had stolen my heart that afternoon.
Mr. Paradis had installed himself majestically behind the cash register in the front of the room, where he held forth on many subjects. The neighbors greeted him as though they had not seen him in a long time. He had dressed for the festivities in a long purple caftan decorated with embroidery that contained little mirrors, worn over his traditional black sweatpants and slippers. He looked magical and mysterious.
He was kept busy by a steady trickle of sales, as the guests explored the shop and were thrilled to discover amazing things. We were definitely getting the word out. Two local newspapers had interviewed me so far this evening, and one of the reporters had snapped some photos.
“Welcome to Paradis,” I said as a new group entered.
“Welcome to Paradise! Welcome to Paradise!” several of the children echoed, giggling.
I smiled. Maybe they were right!
I introduced myself to the newcomers, directing them to the food and drink, then I ducked into the front hallway for a moment to catch my breath.
“Paradise lost, or Paradise found?” A sexy male voice with a slight foreign accent came out of the darkness behind me. It sounded like the person who had been phoning my employer.
I jumped.
He leaned forward into the light with one eyebrow raised. It was the same man I had glimpsed on my first day at work and now I had a chance to get a better look at him. He was tall, dark and very handsome in a dangerous, brooding kind of way. I shivered. Dressed in a dark jacket over a black shirt and slacks, he blended in with the shadows. He looked like a vampire but I was pretty sure he was just European.
“Newly found, for me,” I said, trying not to stare. A little tingle started in my cheeks as my face flushed.
“And newly re-found for my friend Henry,” he said, stepping forward into the light. “Thanks to you!”
“Anton Novak,” the dark man said, taking my offered hand, not to shake it but to hold it in both of his, dashing European-style.
His fingers were long and elegant, his grasp warm and firm. It was an intimate gesture, and my breath caught. I couldn’t help noticing that he wore no rings. A lot of married men don’t, though. Sometimes they carry their wedding rings around with their pocket change, presumably to slip them back on when they head for home and wife. I’ve seen it several times at the cash register, when I’ve been making a sale.
“Hi, I’m Emily. I’m so glad you could come,” I said, reclaiming my hand and pretending to adjust one of my ear
rings. I recognized his name from the list of special customers. “Were you already in the U.S.? Or did our invitation reach you in London?”
“I was in New York when Henry emailed me about the party. He said he had something he particularly wants me to see.”
He looked at me frankly and approvingly. I mean, from head to toe.
“Well, well then, “ I stammered nervously, “I’ll just have to, um, relieve him from his cashier’s duties and let him talk with you personally.”
I smiled and nodded, cursing myself for feeling so awkward, then spun around to slip back into the showroom and behind the jewelry counter. I indicated to Mr. Paradis that he should go mingle. Anton Novak leaned in the doorway, watching.
They caught eyes and my employer headed over to take the European by the arm, clapping him on the back like an old friend. A broad genuine smile transformed the younger man’s face. Mr. Paradis waved his arm in my direction as though he was discussing me. Novak looked over at me too, in a suspicious manner. He seemed gloomy, dark. I glared back at him, my guard going up like the wall around a medieval castle. The two of them turned and disappeared up the stairs.
I was kept busy with sales and conversation for the next half hour, when things started to wind down. Siri and her family found me at the front of the store and lined up to say goodnight. She also introduced me to her neighbors.
Rolando and Isabella Reyes were a beautiful young couple with shining dark eyes and hair. They had a one-year-old daughter and lived across the hallway from Siri. Isabella congratulated me on hiring her friend, complimenting my wisdom. Isabella seemed outgoing and full of fun. Her husband was more restrained, a little shy.
Tom Rodgers introduced his friend James Godard, who was a carpenter and worked with Tom at a local construction company. Wearing a brown plaid flannel shirt and jeans, James was very attractive in a huggable All American way. His large, calloused hand engulfed mine. He seemed like someone I might enjoy knowing better.
