“Can you make me that tea to help me sleep?” the woman at Jane's table asked.
Jane blew out and exasperated breath. “Of course I can. But aren't you sleeping plenty now?” There were cards laid out in front of her on the table.
“Not really.” She squirmed around, pulling at her expensive t-shirt before reaching for her Coach purse. She rooted around in it looking for something.
“There's a handkerchief in your pocket. That's for you.” Jane said, irritated.
The woman pulled a hankie out of the pocket of her jeans and wiped her face with it, she was sweating.
“So, what do the cards say? Should I sue for more child support?” She leaned on her elbows and looked at Jane expectantly.
“The cards say you should go to rehab. The cards said you should go to rehab last time you were here. The cards will say you need to go to rehab the next time you're here. I can read them again, but they'll just be same. Here, I'll show you, you shuffle.” Jane gathered the playing cards up into a tidy stack and pushed them across the table.
The woman picked them up uncertainly. “Go ahead. Mix ém up.” Jane took a drink of her iced tea and watched her shuffle clumsily, a difficult task with her long nails.
“These are trick cards aren't they?”
“No Madison, they are not trick cards. They're just playing cards. When these wear out I'll buy a new box at the dollar store. No, don't give them to me, you're going to lay them out.” Jane showed Madison the pattern to arrange the cards in.
They fell in exactly the same order as when Jane had laid them out three minutes before.
Madison looked up sharply. “You're a fucking liar and a thief. You've been taking my money and you just have a trick deck. My ex put you up to this didn't he? Didn't he?”
Jane looked at her with sympathy. “Madison, I don't even know who your ex-husband is. I know that you don't have your kids. I know that you have a problem and you need to go to rehab.”
“I take my medication as prescribed.” Madison tapped the table with her first finger for emphasis.
Jane sighed. “Okay. Look, if you keep coming back here the cards are just going to say the same thing. I can give you some tea to help you through some of the withdrawls but you really need to go to a medical detox center. “
“Give me some honey then.”
“Honey is not going to cure anything. You want some honey for your toast? Fine. I'll give you some honey. But you can't keep coming back here. “
“I suppose you want me to pay you?” Madison picked up her purse. Pills rattled inside.
“Whatever you think it's worth.” Jane replied.
Madison reached into her handbag, tossed a quarter on the table and left the house. The windchimes sang her a good-bye song.
Jane blew out and exasperated breath. “Of course I can. But aren't you sleeping plenty now?” There were cards laid out in front of her on the table.
“Not really.” She squirmed around, pulling at her expensive t-shirt before reaching for her Coach purse. She rooted around in it looking for something.
“There's a handkerchief in your pocket. That's for you.” Jane said, irritated.
The woman pulled a hankie out of the pocket of her jeans and wiped her face with it, she was sweating.
“So, what do the cards say? Should I sue for more child support?” She leaned on her elbows and looked at Jane expectantly.
“The cards say you should go to rehab. The cards said you should go to rehab last time you were here. The cards will say you need to go to rehab the next time you're here. I can read them again, but they'll just be same. Here, I'll show you, you shuffle.” Jane gathered the playing cards up into a tidy stack and pushed them across the table.
The woman picked them up uncertainly. “Go ahead. Mix ém up.” Jane took a drink of her iced tea and watched her shuffle clumsily, a difficult task with her long nails.
“These are trick cards aren't they?”
“No Madison, they are not trick cards. They're just playing cards. When these wear out I'll buy a new box at the dollar store. No, don't give them to me, you're going to lay them out.” Jane showed Madison the pattern to arrange the cards in.
They fell in exactly the same order as when Jane had laid them out three minutes before.
Madison looked up sharply. “You're a fucking liar and a thief. You've been taking my money and you just have a trick deck. My ex put you up to this didn't he? Didn't he?”
Jane looked at her with sympathy. “Madison, I don't even know who your ex-husband is. I know that you don't have your kids. I know that you have a problem and you need to go to rehab.”
“I take my medication as prescribed.” Madison tapped the table with her first finger for emphasis.
Jane sighed. “Okay. Look, if you keep coming back here the cards are just going to say the same thing. I can give you some tea to help you through some of the withdrawls but you really need to go to a medical detox center. “
“Give me some honey then.”
“Honey is not going to cure anything. You want some honey for your toast? Fine. I'll give you some honey. But you can't keep coming back here. “
“I suppose you want me to pay you?” Madison picked up her purse. Pills rattled inside.
“Whatever you think it's worth.” Jane replied.
Madison reached into her handbag, tossed a quarter on the table and left the house. The windchimes sang her a good-bye song.
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