Page 139 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

‘Sí,’ the girl replied. ‘But I have no money,señor.’

‘Then go away,’ he shouted at her. ‘You are putting other customers off.’

The girl shrugged and turned away. I felt moved to defend her.

‘She’s not putting me off,’ I said, and walked over to the freezer, where I surveyed the rainbow of colours which were on offer. The green ice cream looked the most enticing, and I pointed to it. ‘I would like two of those,’ I said.

‘Sí,señor,’ replied the bad-tempered café owner.

Behind me, the bell in the plaza rang, and I turned to see crowds flooding out of the cathedral. I guessed that morning mass must have just finished. I handed over a few pesetas to the café owner, and took the ice creams. I looked down at the little girl, who was staring up at me with wide eyes.

‘Here,señorita,’ I said as I handed one of the cornets to her. She looked surprised.

‘For me?’ she asked.

‘Sí.’ I nodded.

‘Gracias a Dios,’ she said as she took a lick of the ice cream that was already melting in the sun and dribbling down her hand. ‘A usted le gustaría que diciera su destino?’

I think she was asking me a question. ‘No comprendo,’ I replied with a smile. ‘Hablo... Inglés?’ I thought she had a better chance of understanding English than French.

‘You like fortune tell?’ she asked sweetly.

‘You can tell my fortune?’ I looked down at the girl, who returned my gaze quizzically.

‘Mi prima, Angelina.’ The girl pointed back towards the plaza. ‘She very good,’ she said, as she stretched out her palm and mimed the reading of it.

‘Why not?’ I shrugged as I licked my ice cream, and indicated to the girl that she should lead the way. We walked back down the narrow alleyway to the now buzzing plaza. I followed the girl towards a slightly older young lady in a bright red dress. She was sitting on the steps of the cathedral, and was finishing a reading for another client. When themoney had been exchanged, it did not pass me by that the woman who was leaving looked a little shaken, and I wondered what was in store for me.

‘Toma, tengo un hombre para ti. Su Español no es bueno,’ said the younger girl.

‘Hola,señor,’ said the fortune teller, who turned towards me.

I nearly fell where I stood. I knew this person. I had seen her before, several times. My jaw dropped as I observed her heart-shaped face and huge, blue opalescent eyes, framed by dark eyelashes. She had a long glossy mane, and wore a garland of flowers.

She looked just as she had the night she appeared to me the first time.

In the fire.

In Leipzig.

She gave me a bright smile. ‘I see your hand?’ she asked me. Hypnotised by the face I swore I recognised, I gaped at her as she grabbed my arm and examined my palm. ‘Then I tell you about your daughter.’

My stomach turned. ‘My daughter?’

‘Sí,señor,’ she replied. ‘Please, sit with me.’

The younger girl gave me a nod, and skipped away to finish her ice cream in the shade of an awning across the plaza.

‘Your face...’ I stuttered. ‘I know it. You’ve appeared to me... in my dreams...’

The girl giggled. ‘I assure you,señor, this is the first time we have met. But you are not the first to say that you know me. Sometimes this can happen. It is the way of thebruja.’

‘Thebruja?’ I parroted.

‘Sí, yes. My spiritual ancestry.’ She sighed. ‘It is difficult to explain to apayo,señor, but I will try.’ She looked up at thecathedral, seemingly for inspiration. ‘You and I were always going to meet. Our destinies are entwined, if only in a very minor way. Because of this, our souls may have already done a dance together. Do you see?’ My mouth continued to gape open. ‘No,’ she laughed. ‘I thought not.’

‘I don’t understand it. You’ve spoken to me. I’ve heard your voice.’