Chapter 207: Naru (3)
Fortune tellers are an eccentric bunch.I’ve yet to meet one who wasn’t.They either collect bizarre items or have some peculiar quirk.Casablanca, the fortune teller of this ‘World Tour Group’, seemed to fit the mold perfectly.The tent’s exterior was adorned with animal skulls resembling hunting trophies, while mysterious totems and magical ornaments exuded an eerie charisma.It was overwhelming in many ways.The long line of women was also surprising.There were unexpectedly few couples. “Don’t couples usually seek love fortunes together?”
I’ve never done it myself, but I’ve heard couples often get tarot readings or love horoscopes when bored.Apparently, fortune tellers charging exorbitant fees spout plausible nonsense?When faced with a strong-willed woman and a meek-looking man, they say, “You should listen to the woman!” The woman then turns to her partner, saying, “Honey! Did you hear that? Listen to me well!” effectively putting the man down.That’s the gist of love fortunes as told by a college friend.But among those lined up at Casablanca’s tent, only three couples, including us, were present. The remaining 30 or so were all women.As I pondered this, Brigitte whispered to me.
“What if a couple enters together and the fortune teller says, ‘You can’t marry this man. Your soulmate hasn’t been born yet.’ Wouldn’t that be awkward?”“I see your point.”
There was certainly a chance of that happening.Of course, couples passionate enough to come here on their day off might storm out, exclaiming, “Hah, you fake charlatan! We’re soulmates and we’re going to get married!”But couples do fight and fall out of love. In those moments, one might say, “Remember when the fortune teller said we couldn’t get married…”If they break up, they’d claim, “See, we were destined not to marry.”Even if they do marry, during times of marital strife, they might wonder, “Were we punished for forcibly marrying when we weren’t destined to?”
So, it didn’t seem wise for couples to seek marriage fortunes together.Now I understood why so many women came alone.
Lost in these idle thoughts, it was suddenly our turn.We were given 10 minutes.Just 10 minutes for the hefty sum of 200,000 rene.I wondered about the fortune teller’s earnings as I observed the old woman before us.
She was elderly, draped in a purple robe adorned with various jewels.Her back was hunched, her teeth sparse.Her hands, wrinkled like an old tree, were laden with thick jewels, giving an impression of extravagance.
Overall, she exuded a mysterious and strange aura.She truly embodied the image of a ‘fortune teller’.
“A couple, I see.”