The Power Of Palms

    There were lines on his face, lines of books on his shelf, lines of customers outside his tent, lines on tree trunks beyond the silky walls of his tent, and so forth; but the lines that interested him the most were the ones on the palms of the lady sitting opposite to him. 

     "How now, sir?" anxiously beseeched the lady, after the palm reader looked at her hand with great deliberation. 

     "Hmm...interesting...very interesting. I see that you and your life have undergone many changes in the recent past...?" said he, wanting to sound more and more contemplative. 

    "Eh, well, yeah...I have" Seriously? Isn't that obvious from my protruding tummy.

    "I knew it!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. He then continued examining her palms. 

    "I perceive you're having difficulty dealing with life aren't you? You're experiencing certain things which you have never experienced before" 

     It could well be estimated from the lady's youthful looks that her belly had tumefied for the very first time.

    "Hell, yes" replied she, whose restlessness grew with the palm reader's every sentence. "Perhaps if you could just foresee my future..." she implored in her softest of voices, throwing glances at the modified part of her body. 

    "You should've told me before, madam! Nevermind, nevermind. Give me a bit" he said in an irritated tone and went back to the lady's hand. 

    "I apologise. You know I just-" 

    "Hush, madam! You need to maintain silence. I...I can see it. Hush" 

     All of it seemed more like a game of pretence to her, though she found it better to keep her mouth shut. 

    "I sense the presence of four people, that is to say- the doctor, the nurse, your baby, and you, during the auspicious time of nativity" he theorised, staring straight into her eyes. 

    Is this some kind of joke? "Tell me something else!" she grumbled; her annoyance reaching its limits. 

    "Calm down, madam. Calm down" he sweat nervously. 

    "Okay, hold on, I got something else..." he continued, "Hmm...I see...I see a lotus! And it's peach-tinged petals. The petals- they...they slowly unfold...and what they reveal is the head-" 

     Before the palm reader could break the so-called suspense, he was thrown back onto the ground along with his chair by the mighty hard blow. And the victorious lady stomped out of the purple and gold tent, showing him the true power of palms.

Author's Note

What say?

Reviews

[Delmar Cooper]

Well done. The introduction led us to the exact spot we needed for a proper beginning. The information was carefully rationed throughout the tale and the ending was sudden and surprising, perhaps not a strategic surprise but surely a tactical surprise.

So you think there is nothing to palmistry? Nothing at all? Even skepticism is a story mine. Thanks for sharing this.

[Zoya]

Thank you, Delmar! Glad you liked it. There sure is something to palmistry. I just believe it's losing its essence gradually. Too many fraudsters nowadays, I think.

[Delmar Cooper]

Of course I agree about fortune telling hucksterism. I do believe there are people, rather like the Sherlock Holmes model, sensitive to human clues. If the eyes are windows of the soul can not the hands be revelatory of occupation etc. All this is off subject to your fine story and I should not digress from that.

[Zoya]

I understand what you're saying, and I do agree to it. Thank you again for your time and review.

[ZakLeonRamsey]

I like it a lot and I like some of your others too.

[Zoya]

Thank you!

[Done]

Oh wonderful. I love it. Very well written and I love the ending.

[Zoya]

Thank you much for your read and review! You are appreciated.

[Done]

You are certainly welcomed. Thank you for sharing this. I loved it. I was pulled right in.

[Zoya]

It was my pleasure. Thanks again :)

[emipoemi]

there's a good sense of irony here, and you really have some fun with the presumed fraudulence of psychics and palm readers. It was quite enjoyable. The poetic flow of it also gave readers an easy entry into the realm of the story, and I quite enjoyed the rather archaic sentence structure. Well done!

[Zoya]

Thanks much, emi! I appreciate it.

[emipoemi]

my pleasure.

[Ethan Thompson]

The dialogue was a little weird but not in bad way.

[Zoya]

Well, thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.

[ROXANE DORSEY]

I must say I've slap a many with these wrinkled hands. thanks for sharing.

[Zoya]

Thank you for your time, Roxane!

[Coyote Poetry]

I went to many Palms readers. More for the cards. Sometime we don't want to know the truth. I was saved by one. I enjoyed the story and the ending. You create situation and wild end. Thank you Zoe for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Zoya]

Thanks so much, Coyote! I appreciate the review.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome Zoe.

[apennylate]

Rofl... Wow... Zoe... Your work has become as engaging as a published short story... I am almost envious as to how people can make such vivid and easily-read interactions... Marvelous, and I am not just blowing sunshine at you... You have an incredible talent for writing... Superbly penned... Loved it

[Zoya]

Haha, people be envious of you, including me. Lol. Thank you for your kind words, Silente! I appreciate the review.

[apennylate]

The grass is always greener, eh? Cause I would absolutely love to be able to write my book with this kind of brilliance... But nope... All I get is poetry, sigh... Keep writing, Zoe, cause you will have a book one day at this rate. A GOOD book...

[Zoya]

What you write is no piece of cake either. I'm literally flattered by your words...Thank you again silente

[apennylate]

Of course...

[Sami Khalil]

Hahaha. This was so good and riveting pulling the reader for more and more details. You know and have skills.

[Zoya]

Thank you so much. I appreciate it! :)

[Sami Khalil]

You are most welcome.

[emmajoy]

With places remembered ~ Or forgotten,~ Flying through landscapes ~ That never were.. '

Wonderfulyl created story, great language.. then thatr clevertwist at the end (Not saying more, your secret's saft with me.!)

[Zoya]

Lovely lines. Thank you, Emma, for reading and reviewing. Really appreciated.