The September drizzle was sorrowfully hitting against the train’s window as Sarah was sitting curled up in her seat. She could not shake off the recent death of her parents at all. It happened just a few days earlier and she had no idea what would happen next. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was going to move to her aunt’s house. She hasn’t seen aunt Caitlyn that many times. It was mainly during family celebrations such as Christmas. As far as she remembered she was nice, but eccentric. Sarah tried to keep calm since she could do nothing about her situation. But she knew it would be difficult.

The train was approaching the platform at the Oftenhides Main Station so Sarah started preparing to leave. She had two giant suitcases and a heavy backpack with more of her possessions coming in a courier’s truck. With her baggage Sarah stepped towards the door and waited for the train to stop.

“Looks like this is it.” she thought. “The end of a chapter comes with the beginning of another one, huh?”

The train froze in place and the door opened. Following a short line of other passengers Sarah got out to the platform. The weight of her baggage has been slowing her down as she walked towards a taxi stop. She was lucky since there was a small line of them. She waved at one of them and walked towards it.

“Good afternoon!” Sarah said after opening the front door. “Can you help me with the baggage?”

“Sure thing.” said the taxi driver as he stepped out of the car.

The two suitcases landed in the trunk and the backpack sat next to her on the back seat.

“Where are we going?” asked the driver.

Sarah took out her phone and looked at the address from a note she took.

“Sir Gawain Street please.”

“Understood. Here we go.” said the driver and started the engine.

When Sarah put the phone back she remembered her parents one more time. She remembered how caring they were. How they always were on her side. She knew she was going to miss them. She knew that a lot of tearful nights awaited her. And she remembered one more thing. For some reason her parents gave her a strange book. A heavy tome with a hard brown cover.

 

The book was in her house for as long as Sarah could remember. But she was never allowed to read it. The parents were always saying that they will let her when she is old enough. On the day Sarah listened to her parents' last will she found out they wanted her to have the book. She remembered a strange sentence in her mother’s will.

 

Since we are dead, consider yourself old enough.

 

Just as if she subconsciously knew something was going to happen.

Sarah has not even opened the book as of then. For some reason she could not bring herself to do it. Maybe she just needed to get over some stuff. At that moment the book remained in one of her suitcases.

 

Soon the taxi arrived on Sir Gawain Street. Sarah has paid the fare and unloaded her baggage. She was standing in front of the house of aunt Caitlyn who was supposed to take care of her from now on.

“I guess this is it, huh?” thought Sarah looking at the doorbell.

After a bit of hesitation she finally pressed the button. From the inside of the house Sarah heard a strange sound. Four notes of a slow melody played on bells. Sarah has thought it was an interesting soundtrack for such a liminal moment.

“Good evening! Who’s there?” asked the voice from the intercom.

“Aunt Caitlyn, it’s me, Sarah.” the householder’s niece answered.

“Ah! Right! I will open the door in just a moment.”

After a while the door to the house opened. From the house stepped out an old woman holding a flashlight. Sarah recognised her aunt.

“Welcome, my dear!” she said to her niece to greet her. “Do you need help with these suitcases?”

“Not really, I’ll be fine.” Sarah answered. “Good evening, auntie!”

“You must be very tired after all your way here. Would you like to eat supper or drink some tea?” Caitlyn asked in the manner of a caring grandma.

“You know what?” Sarah answered. “I am a bit hungry, so… Sure. With pleasure.”

 

The two ladies were sitting in the dining room. On the table in front of them were two plates full of toasted bread. Between them there were multiple jars of jam. Strawberry, apricot, blackberry and even cranberry sauce. Sarah was looking at her plate with a toast with blackberry jam and a plain one underneath. Her eating was significantly slowed down by reminiscing memories of her old city.

“Is something happening?” asked aunt Caitlyn.

“I think I haven’t got over this whole situation yet.” Sarah said not wanting to produce rude silence. “My parents being dead, having left my home behind…”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine sooner than you’ll notice.”

“Thank you. It would be nice to be so sure.”

The next half of a minute was almost completely silent, filled only by sounds of toasts crunching between teeth. Then aunt Caitlyn asked Sarah one more question.

“Is there anything you’d like to do to feel better?”

“Short term? Probably just go to sleep.”

“And long term?”

Sarah had paused eating and tried to think. What would be the best thing to make her feel better? Maybe seeing her parents one last time. And out of realistic things? Then she thought that it would be nice to make a friend. That would be one thing that could make Oftenhides better than her old city. She didn’t really have any real friends back there. And she wanted to experience some joys of true friendship.

“I want to find a friend.” Sarah said not wanting to conceal the truth.

“If that’s the case…” Aunt Caitlyn made an expression suggesting that she was thinking about something. “In fact, I regularly get visited by a girl about your age. It’s Sunday tomorrow, so she should come around noon. Maybe you should get to know her?”

“Yeah, that’s a nice idea.”

Suddenly Sarah was overwhelmed by exhaustion. She felt that it would be best to simply go to sleep. She thanked Aunt Caitlyn for the supper and went to bed. She couldn’t fall asleep for some time still thinking about mom and dad. But the exhaustion from the trip has quickly knocked her out.

 

The next morning, in a small flat on Anthony Powell Street, a phone rang. It was picked up by a young girl that has just finished dressing up. The name of the caller displayed on the screen suggested that it was her dear friend.

“Good morning, Giovanna!” she said to greet her.

“Hi, Ursula.” the phone let out.

“It is unusual of you to call me this early.” Ursula said. “I assume you want to tell me about the results of your morning tarot reading.”

“Yes. Listen, because it’s interesting. Today I’ve drawn Death, the Fool and the Ace of Wands.”

“And what does it mean?”

“Death means transformation. The Fool means a fresh start or lack of experience. And the Ace of Wands means collecting energy.”

“Interesting indeed. How do you think this prediction describes me?”

Giovanna took a brief pause after her friend’s question. Maybe she was trying to prepare her mentally for striking news.

“There’s the catch.” She said after a while. “I don’t feel that it’s about either of us.”

Ursula had to admit that it had surprised her. Usually Giovanna’s readings revolved around the future of the two of them or someone from their family. Or Giovanna’s boyfriend, but he was away doing some work. That could only mean one thing.

“Do you suggest we are going to meet someone new in the near future?” Ursula asked.

“That would make sense.” Giovanna answered. “It fits both Death and the Fool.”

“And what about the Ace of Wands? Do you have a theory?”

Giovanna has thought for a moment. She has been experienced with tarot, so she had no problems understanding what the Ace of Wands means. The problem is never to understand an individual card, but to understand each card in the given context. She thought and thought about all the possibilities for quite a while. And finally she has answered her friend’s question.

“We’ll see. But I think I have one.”