Challenge 32 - Tarot

I didn't plan on doing this. Tarot has never held any interest for me. Conjures images of nasty old crones hiding in tents and sharping for money.

This is how it all began ...

Night before I leave my parents' I go through my brother's art works. It's more nerve-wracking than I expected. Haven't looked at this stuff for a couple of years and memories come flooding back.

'Don't forget Alien With Brain,' says Partner. Tell him I don't recall that piece. 'You'll know it when you see it,' he says.

Art all rolled up in postal tubes. Pick one up and try to take lid off. Art falls out the bottom. Mum flinches. Turns out to be art that other artists gave Rohan over time. Whew ...

Pick up another one and same thing happens. Why me? Try to distract mother with pithy observation: 'There's a frog on your book,' I say. 'It appears to have relieved itself.' 'Well, Dear, you are in the country,' says mother. I'm left wondering how something so big could come out of such a bitty little frog like that. 'You going to move it?' I ask. 'To, say ... the toilet?' 'Nope,' says Mum. 'The python's moved back in.'

Oh joy ... maybe it'll eat the tarantulas. Little brother told me Incey escaped last year. Incey is the size of a bread plate. Mum spent the next two days stalking around the house with a broomstick. Incey eventually turned up minus a leg. The common theory is that he got into a fight with the neighbour's dog. Having met the gigantic, poisonous arachnid my money's on the spider.

Back to the Tarot ... I move a pile of stuff and a Tarot card falls out. What is that? I wonder. The Nine of Clavicles? Ah. Pentacles.

Not too freaky as freaky goes. What's freaky is that I moved the same pile of stuff two more times and two more times the sodding Nine of Pentacles falls out.

Pick up a book on Tarot. Most embarassed at library as also have books on ghost hunting, witches, the occult and some fluffy thing by a former Las Vegas showgirl about the underworld (and she don't mean the one in Vegas, baby). All in the name of research for a novel, I assure you.

I open the book. Within a whole minuite I glean certain facts:

1. Fives are bad.

2. I should have checked to see if my card landed upsidedown.

3. There is a card called The Fool so I reckon I got off lightly.

Look up Nine of Pentacles (sounds like a lucky octopus, boom boom). The card features a rich chick holding a bird. So far so good - can't remember the last time one of those bit me. Book says I have no concern over finances and that the spirit world would provide buckets more than I'll ever need.

Run right out and buy a Lottery ticket.

Card also says I'll travel to exotic places. Not so far. And the next person who asks why will meet the blunt end of my boot.

If the card is reversed it means I'll still have buckets of money but no love to share it with. That's fine - I'll just move to Hollywood and join a support group for the rich and aimless.

Console self that if Lotto doesn't pan out, family is all the wealth I'll ever need.

PS to the Powers the Be: That doesn't mean I wouldn't like a super yacht ...