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I typed no idea, sorry then gulped. He couldn’t be serious about the bungy bedroom activities, could he?

Beep!

Don’t worry, I’ll have a look. Just about to go on my lunch break. If not, one of those stretchy exercise bands you have at home might do the trick.

My God, he was serious. I gulped down my gulp and turned to Diora. “Will you be okay getting back to your car?”

She flicked a hand at me. “Of course, Mum, the baby may be slowing me down but it’s not stopping me from getting where I need to go. I just need double the time. Or maybe triple. Go and enjoy your day and I’ll see you tonight.” She gave me a quick hug, followed by Elaine’s.

I walked out the door and turned left.

Elaine poked her head out the door of the salon. “Kel, where are you going? It’s that way.” She pointed right.

“Oh, whoops!” I waved to her and walked in the other direction. I had to find a map or something.

At the top of what seemed to be a cross between an escalator and a lift was a large floating screen with a layout of the shopping centre. I typed in a search for City Junction Cafe and a red flag appeared, followed by a green flag showing me where I currently was, and the route I’d need to take to get to my destination. I imprinted the route into my mind and began walking.

Just before turning a corner that would lead me to the cafe, a store drew my attention. It was one of those new-age shops, with the smell of incense in the air and brightly coloured tie-dyed outfits displayed on a rack at the front, next to a sign that read: Psychic Expo Here Today: Fri-Sun Only! I could see four psychics sitting in makeshift cardboard booths, each with their name written above and a sign saying 15 Minute Psychic Readings - $300.

Three hundred bucks? They had to be kidding! It looked like I wasn’t the only thing inflated in the future. Three hundred dollars was probably equivalent to about fifty dollars back in my time. Back in my time? I was starting to sound like a grandmother.

I glanced at the time on my e-pad. Fifteen minutes exactly till I was to meet Kasey and two of the four psychics were currently available. I wouldn’t normally have considered seeing a psychic – they were probably quacks – but what I was going through right now wasn’t exactly normal, so maybe there was something in this stuff. Maybe they could tell me what was happening to me and why I’d skipped ahead to the future.

Could be a waste of time, or it could help me make sense of everything. It was worth a shot.

Chapter 8

Past, Present and Future

“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” – Chinese proverb

I entered the shop and assessed the two psychics with a twist of my lip – Liliana, or Rosie? Rosie gave me a look that said please pick me, so in sympathy, I did.

Once payment was confirmed on my e-pad, Rosie drew in an excessively deep breath through her teeth, almost whistling, and then released it so violently I thought her teeth might fly from their sockets. In fact, I think my windswept hairdo was more like hurricane-swept now.

“You are going through a period of transition right now, yes?” she asked.

I nodded. If only she knew the extent of that transition. Well, maybe she did.

“I sense that you are feeling… what’s the word…” she circled a hand repeatedly, “… ambiguous about a situation at the moment. You’re not sure which direction to go in, yes?”

“Um, not really. I know which direction I want to go in, but I can’t seem to get there.”

“Yes of course, that’s what I meant. You’re torn between where you are and where you want to be.”

No, she definitely said I wasn’t sure which direction to go in. Strike one for this psychic. She drew another deep breath and I held on to the edge of the table, leaning back, bracing myself for the onslaught. Whoosh! There we go.

“You have children, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Beautiful children, I can see.” She smiled. I shrugged and tilted my head. “Oh wait, I’m sensing something… yes, that’s it… you’re wishing you got a chance to have another child and you’re feeling like you’ve missed out, yes?”

Was she for real? I never planned for any children and certainly didn’t want another one. “Actually no, I don’t wish that I had another child.” Strike two. Another strike and I’d be outta here.

I shifted in my chair and Rosie did the same, and then she inhaled again, sucking the oxygen from our immediate environment. I gripped the table and wondered if oxygen masks might drop from the ceiling and a fasten seatbelt sign would flash in preparation for the impending turbulence. Whoosh! Oh, dear God. I’d paid three hundred big ones for this?

“I feel that deep down you did wish to have another one, but you’re hiding this in your subconscious. Sometimes we are not ready to accept our deepest desires.”