The Tea Leaves

Genecia was an angry girl. Actually, Genecia was always angry, 24/7, 365 days a year. This was even reinforced by her own mother who told her often enough. Genecia, you were born angry. Well, if her mother was walking in her shoes just now she would be angry. She had gotten the bus into town to check out a restaurant that was supposed to be opening. The sign on the window said differently. Due to unforeseen circumstances. It was always something, Genecia thought to herself. When the hell was she going to get a break. She tried a few other places, but no luck. She made her way back to catch the last bus. The bus ran straight past her. If Genecia was angry then, she was bloody apoplectic now. He drove by her cos she was black, the stinking white racist b*****d. She started walking the five miles home.

John admired himself in the mirror, the gleaming black uniform just stood out, the shiny buttons, the hat that made him feel ten feet tall. He had never worn it outside, but what the hell, he lived in the middle of nowhere, who would know.

Genecia had managed a mile before her heel broke off.

Jesus, give me a break. She noticed a track leading off the main road. Maybe this could take a few miles off her journey. What the hell. She took her shoes off and began to walk barefoot.

John felt the sun in eyes, his tunic buttons glistened in the midday sun. Looking down at his jackboots gleaming from the hours he had spent polishing them. God, it was good to be alive.

Genecia turned the corner only to be confronted by the black uniform almost upon her. She threw all five feet three inches of herself on top of him.

John was totally taken off guard thinking a wild cat was attacking him, then realising it was a girl. Being six foot four and weighing two hundred and sixty pounds slightly helped as he tried to restrain her. What the hell do you think you’re doing.

I’m attacking a giant lump in a Gestapo uniform, what do you think I’m doing.

It’s an SS uniform and you’ve bloody ruined it.

Well, excuse me for dirtying your pretty uniform but I could have sworn this was America.

It is America, and you’re on the part I own.

Typical white boy retort. Maybe I missed the no blacks entry sign.

What are you doing here anyhow?

I’m taking a shortcut home, what do you think I’m doing.

You do know mountain climbing is difficult to do in bare feet.

What the hell are you on about.

Let me explain it to you in simple terms. I assume you think you’re taking a shortcut to Bakers Town, which in theory would be correct if there wasn’t a bloody great mountain blocking your route.

Are you saying I’m stupid, cos if I think that’s what you're saying I’m going to whip your a*s?

Jesus, you are one angry woman.

I swear to god, do not call me angry, I am not angry.

Okay, miss not so angry, if you turn around, Bakers town is seven miles that away.

Right, little Hitler I’ll get off your precious land then.

John watched her walk off, then realised how he must have looked marching towards her. He shouted back to her. Hey do you want to use the phone and freshen up.

Who stays in your house, the Ku Klux Klan.

If it was they’d be running for the hills by now

Will you be taking the uniform off.

Yes, I’ll be taking the uniform off.

You won't molest me.

No, I value my life too much.

Genecia thought for a while. She was really done in, and the thought of walking home just wasn’t a comforting one. I could do with a coffee.

Well, I think that’s the least I can do for you, follow me.

Genecia followed behind realising the absurdity of it all. She envisaged writing in her diary. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. The house was stunning, unlike any farmhouse she had ever seen. It just looked regal in the land of rough. One part of her just wanted to cry. She had never known luxury and maybe resented the fact. But she had her pride, it had taken her this far in life.

Come on in, the phone is on the wall there. I’ll go and change. You’re on the Massey farm. Do you want a bite to eat with your coffee?

Yeah, thanks. Genecia looked around, the house was modern with a welcoming feel about it. It just seemed in total contrast to the person living in it.

He came through with coffee followed by chicken casserole.

I’m really sorry,I’m John, by the way, forgot my manners, I don’t usually see people for weeks on end up here.

Okay, I’m Genecia.

Okay, Genecia, you tuck in, do you want a glass of wine to wash the chicken down.

Yeah, that would be great. Genecia wondered if she was getting fattened up for the kill. What do you do here, John, I don’t see any animals around.

No, the animals were sold off when my gran died, I came back to sell the place.

Right, so you don’t live here.

No, I stay in New York.

That must be great.

It was, I mean, it is. I own a restaurant out there, but I’ve been here for months now.

Can you not sell the place, is that it.

No, I sort of fell in love with the place again. It’s hard to explain.

So, who runs the restaurant in New York.

Ellie runs it.

Is she your girlfriend.

No, Ellie’s not into men.

I don’t understand.

She’s into women.

God, you white folks are queer.

Ellie’s Black.

What, I don’t believe you, how can she be. Does she know you walk about in a Gestapo uniform, I mean, SS uniform?

She knows I have a passion for military regalia. Though she does rib me about it. But today was the first time I’ve ever worn it outside. You would be a friend for life if you told Ellie about our meeting today.

So, if you’re not in New York now, and you want to stay on the farm, what are you going to do.

I bought a restaurant in town.

Is that the one that’s not open due to unforeseen circumstances.

Yeah, that’s the one, did you visit it.

That’s the reason I ended up here. Genecia explained what had happened. What are the unforeseen circumstances?

Blueberry pie. It doesn’t taste the way gran made it, and I wanted that to be my theme dish.

Let me see how you’re making it.

They both went into the kitchen and John started mixing the ingredients.

Okay, you keep mixing, I need to pop outside for a minute. Genecia looked around till she found what she was looking for. When she got back she ordered John out of the kitchen. She began to add the extra ingredients. Okay, the pie is ready to go into the oven. Now we wait.

Fifty minutes later the pie was ready.

He cut into it like he was performing an operation, gently blowing before finally tasting it. That’s it, that’s grans pie, I knew I wasn’t going nuts. What did you put in it?

We’ll have to negotiate terms before I tell you.

What do you mean, terms.

I mean, what is my position in this new restaurant. Am I head of baking, will I have a title.

My God, you are something else. This is tantamount to blackmail.

Is that a yes.

I suppose so. What’s the ingredient.

All in good time. Let’s have a toast to our new restaurant.

You mean my restaurant that you’re starting work in.

Yes, that one.

He poured two glasses of Jack Daniels and they toasted the restaurant.

They talked for a while about recipes and life and how the restaurant should serve the community. John went off to make more coffee, returning to find Genecia fast asleep. Well, John boy you can still send them to sleep.

He found a cover and placed it over her. It was then he realised how beautiful she was when she wasn’t angry.

Genecia was in a deep sleep now, back as a little girl talking to  Mama. Mama, who am I going to marry when I grow up.

Mama checked the tea leaves and explained to Genecia how they worked. Well, Genecia, he’s going to be tall dark and handsome, then she paused.

What’s wrong, Mama.

He’s white.

Aw, Mama, you’ve been drinking the moonshine, tall dark and white don’t make sense.

Genecia, the leaves never lie.

Genecia woke up screaming. I’m not marrying you, I’m not.

You’re not marrying who, are you alright.

Yes, no. This is so crazy, mad even.

Are we talking about the man you’re marrying?

It’s you.

What’s me.

It was the uniform, don’t you see.

No, I haven’t got a clue.

Mama got confused by the black uniform.

I still don’t get it.

Mama told me when I was younger I would marry a tall dark stranger who was white. I thought she was drinking the moonshine.

Does Mama read the tea leaves?

She’s dead now, but yes.

Oh boy, Oh boy, you’re right it’s sheer madness. John walked out of the house, then walked back in. You’re pintsize, the wild one.

Who you talking about.

I’m talking about you.

Did you just call me pintsize, cos if I think you did I’m going to whip your a*s.

I didn’t call you that, gran told me about you a long time ago, it’s just come back to me, so blame her.

Is that her buried out there.

Yeah.

I’m going out to have a word with her.

You’re going out to talk to a grave.

Damn right I am, nobody calls me pintsize.

What the hell are you going to say to a grave?

You’ll be surprised at what I can say.

Think I preferred you when you were sleeping.

Genecia went outside, walking up to the grave of John’s grandmother. She knelt down beside it and began to speak. I don’t know how you and Mama did it and I don’t care. But from this day on I will never be going home. The Massey farm is going to come back to life, the restaurant will be a great success. In time, they’ll be little Masseys running around. I’ve been angry all my life, Granny Massey, but today has changed all that, destiny has brought us together, purpose has come back into my life. I’m going to make your grandson the happiest man on earth. But before this, all happens and I think you’ll agree, Granny Massey. I need to dig a hole and bury a uniform.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

This is one of the best stories I've read lately. This is hugely better than your always-excellent stories, in general, becuz you took your time & went into more detail, revealing more about your characters thru your amazing command of dialogue, thus the longer length is why I love this one the best of all yours. I love how realistically you convey the distrust between the two becuz of race & how this is overridden by the discover of each other's humanness. This is a story for our times. This is what all people could be doing quite a bit better . . . recognizing how we are all tormented by similar s**t & we all celebrate similar s**t, too. This is a delicious allegory to show how it could be contagious, opening up to people who we thought were "different" (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Paul Bell]

Hardly finished this, Margie, and my KKK membership was revoked. lol
God, stories are hard to write, stick to short and sweet from now on.

[barleygirl]

I'm trying to get up the gumption to start my next book . . . but it's like the difference between getting into a relationship, as opposed to just hooking up for a little release . . .

[Paul Bell]

It would take me ten years to write a book.
You've done one so that should be the incentive to do another. The sad fact is there's no easy way to do it, it's head down and do it. Take it there's no website that will do it for you. Now that would be great.

[Cleo]

I really enjoyed this story. It flowed very naturally and both characters were believable and appealing. I love the details included. Genecia is a great character - I admire her fierceness. I picturing somewhere idyllic in Ireland expect for the KKK reference and mention of New York. A really lovely romance!

three very minor points you can ignore as you will (they might be me being dense).
1, i was a little confused about the restaurant 'checking out'. I assumed that she was going there to eat and check out the food but now i understand she was looking for a job?
2, since she missed the last bus I assumed this was late at night, also because she was going to a restaurant opening which I assumed to be in the evening. This meant I was a bit thrown when John had the sun in his eyes and had to stop a second and readjust my mental image (it didn't stop me reading though).
3, I would have liked spaces and/or speech marks around the speech so i could be clear who was saying which. Because the formatting was quite dense I had to logic it out a few times. I might be a pedant though ;-)

[Paul Bell]

You're spot on, Cleo. I should have put a footnote to explain the story, and the era. I seldom do stories, so I tend to get them out without much thought to the process.

[Onlyme]

Aw, this was an incredible, beautiful tale that made me laugh, cry at the end and in between moved me deeply. From a young girl who was angry and felt useless in life with no mean or purpose to the ending of finding her value and worth. As well as the young man finding his partner and spiritual connection with someone wonderful. How path connects, fate awaits and no matter your background you can find love, happiness and true meaning in life. Romantic, sweet and beautifully written.

[Paul Bell]

They do say love is strange. Don't know if they'll tell the children how they met, mind you. Spring must be in the air.

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Wow, so different for you Paul. This is a gripping, moving, romantic, spiritual tale. It combines skillful scene-setting, seamless paragraph transitions, great character development and a decidedly surreal, urban flavor. You describe sweet, tough, angry Genecia in an appealing, unforgettable style. Love the realistic dialogue and city language you use well. And the eccentric but somehow vulnerable John, well... All in all one heck of a good story. Maybe there’s a sequel??

[Paul Bell]

You can do the sequel, Annette. Stories are hard work and brain cell demanding. Little poems are the future. lol Did like that nobody died mindyou.

[Mrudula Rani]

What a marvelous, romantic account! Story runs like a smooth river, the dialogue is fast-paced and carries your reader on magic carpet of enchantment. I am one of those people who believe in divination, and foretellings.

[Paul Bell]

Knew it would be up your street. Took this from an old aunty who done the leaves for me. She was spot on.

[Mrudula Rani]

I have a over working intuition. I loved the conversation Genecia had with Granny Massey.
In India they usually have horoscope charts done to see if the girl and boy match before wedding proposals are made , and they are extremely accurate.

[Paul Bell]

Funnily enough, there's a programme on here where couples are matched by the computer. They turn up at the church,get married without ever meeting.

[Mrudula Rani]

You probably heard of this account from Brasil, they met on internet... she invited him over. He brutalized her, just about every part of her body was bleeding when finally the neighbors called the police hearing her cry for help. It was in news every day, sowing her apartment that looked like a battle field. It happens so often!

[Paul Bell]

Not heard anything like that. Mind you, all the news here is brexit.