Leon knocked on their front door shortly after 3:00 that afternoon to tell her that her friend had agreed to hire her and that she would start the following Monday.
Marianne could hardly contain her excitement! Her first job! Thank God her friends had bought her those clothes. She raced upstairs and started going through them. She figured she had enough for five working days now. Her hair! What would she do about her hair?
The first day arrived. The time flew by. She put on the new dress...the one that made her shine.
“If you feel confident, you will look confident,” Leon told her. “I will drive you to work for the first few days, then you will have to ride the bus. I have to go to Vegas to check on my company sometime next week. Be sure to leave in plenty of time to get there. You should try to arrive a little bit early. Remember first impressions do count.”
Monday arrived bathed in sunlight. Marianne was awake by 5:00AM to start getting ready. She took a few seconds to breathe a thank you to God.
Leon was there to pick her up at 7:30. He parked in the front and tooted the horn lightly.
Marianne didn’t see Mavis or Rex at all that morning and she was thankful for that. Actually things had been unusually quiet the whole week and she wondered what could be going on that was keeping Rex so quiet.
Leon made his way quickly through the downtown and to the bank building where his friends business was located.
“Now take a deep breath and walk in with a smile on your face. You are happy to be there and there's nothing wrong with showing it,” He told her. “Be polite and friendly to everyone. Introduce yourself and remember that it's okay to ask questions. Nobody minds. People generally like to help others and it usually makes them feel good about themselves. I remember a new girl that I hired who refused all offers of help. I guess she thought accepting assistance would make her look incompetent to me. The result was that everyone thought she was a snob or a know-it-all and some people even vowed to refuse to help her in the future. So don’t feel bad about asking questions. After all, everyone has had a "first day."”
Leon leaned over and opened the door for her. “Good luck!” he said as he closed the door. “I’ll be here to pick you up at 5:30,” he called out.
5:30. Wow, It's going to be a long day! She thought as walked quickly into the building and found the elevator.
By 10:30 she was so surprised that the time was passing so quickly. A lovely girl by the name of Rosie was showing her what to do and had been so helpful; showing her where things are and even asked if she wanted to go to lunch with her. Marianne agreed, of course; it would be rude not to.
Rosie, she noticed, didn't seem to talk to any of the other girls. She walked about doing her job very efficiently, but without making eye contact with any of the other girls in the office – except, when she got to Marianne, she would smile and chat a little. Rosie was a pretty girl who, with some effort, could be truly beautiful. A little shorter than Marianne at around 5'5”, with long rich dark brown hair which was scraped back into a ponytail. She also had a curvy figure, if a little heavier than Marianne, at around 160 pounds at a guess. The thing is she was dressed in a shapeless sack of a dress, but Marianne could see as she walked that she had a large curvy bottom and thick legs but still lovely.
The work was not hard and the computer program seemed simple enough. Marianne was grateful for that. It seemed similar to some of the programs that she had studied. It was simple date entry and it seemed to Marianne that as she kept doing it, she would soon be able to do the job without much thought, much of it repetitive.
She carried on, doing the work, looking forward to lunch as she was starving. She had been too nervous to eat more than a slice of toast with Grape jelly. By mid-morning she figured there was not too long left before lunch. Bang on at twelve, Rosie was at her desk. “Come on before they get too crowded!” She laughingly said, so Marianne grabbed her bag and followed.
They went to the food park at the mall. When they arrived, the mall was empty. But, wow, what a display of glorious food! Different stalls all around, all from different countries. Rosie went straight for the Chinese stall. Marianne drooled for a few seconds and then opted for Italian pasta, only taking a small portion. She didn't want to appear like a pig in front of someone she had only just met.
She need not have worried about her portion size –Rosie's tray held three plates, all over flowing with food. As they sat to eat, they starting chatting; it turns out they only lived a few blocks away from each other.
Marianne finished her plate and sat watching Rosie eat hers with relish. She was really enjoying seeing a girl eat like she wanted to when all off a sudden in came the rest of the office. The change in Rosie was apparent from the word go; she quickly pushed her plate to Marianne’s side of the table so it looked like they had both eaten two platefuls instead of Marianne one, Rosie three.
She put her head down and became very quiet, not the same laughing animated girl she’d been chatting with less than twenty seconds earlier. The reason for this soon became apparent. As some of the girls walked past, one of them kicked her chair, causing Rosie to knock her paper plate to the floor. The whole of the food park seemed to stop and stare at them. Rosie slowly picked up her plate and sat there, apparently deeply embarrassed as her face was flushed beet red.
“Hey!” Marianne cried. Rosie kicked at her and pleaded with her eyes not to say anything.
The girl looked at Marianne and replied, “What?”
“Nothing,” she murmured.
When they had passed and sat down laughing, Marianne got up, made Rosie get up and linked her arm. And with her head held high, she walked out of the food park with Rosie.
When they arrived back at the office, she asked; “Why did you let her get away with that? “ Poor Rosie wouldn't answer at first, then said “It’s nothing really. Her boyfriend came to visit me a few times and Marilyn thought we were having an affair. Although I told her it was innocent, she never believed me.”
“Oh, okay. I won't push the matter,” she said. “It was rude of me to ask,” she said.
Rosie didn't say anything, but Marianne noticed a small smile as she walked away as if she knew that they were going to be friends.
Before she left that evening she thanked Rosie for making her day so nice; it was the best first day ever she said. Rosie just laughed and said, “See you tomorrow.”
She thought about Rosie for a very long time that evening and wondered if she would be able to get her to talk a little more. She was very curious about her new friend.
Leon was waiting at the curb as he had promised and Marianne slid into the luxurious seat with a sigh.
“How did it go?” he asked as he pulled away from the curb.
“Better than I anticipated,” Marianne breathed out. “I believe I’ve made a new friend, as well.”
“We all need friends, that’s for sure. I’m so happy for you.” He adjusted his seat belt and turned to look at her.
“Marianne after our talk last week I’ve been thinking of you so much. I’d like you to get out of that house as quickly as possible. I don’t believe it’s a healthy atmosphere for you.” Marianne didn’t think it was healthy either and quickly agreed with him. She would speak to Bill and would need to setup a bank account with her first check but she was sure it was going to work out. She would be able to live her own life without Rex or Mavis to interfere. She could apologize to Michael, make something up, tell him she was commitment phobic or something. Surely he would understand and she could see him any time she liked and could build a nice life with her new friends. She was collecting a nice set of friends, Heather, Connie, Abby and now Rosie. Who knows what the future could hold for her? It could be wonderful.
“Marianne, I would like to take you someplace tonight. Madame Sapphira is doing a show out by the mall and I would like to take you to see her. Maybe she can somehow help you to recall what happened that awful day when your sister died. In any case, the show should be entertaining for the both of us. It starts at 7:00 and I already have the tickets. I got them this afternoon. Can you make it by then? That barely gives you an hour to get ready. We can grab a bite to eat after the show.”
Marianne was happy to have something to do besides hang around that house with Rex and Mavis and told Leon she would meet him at his house by 6:30.
The house was quiet when she got there and she was thankful although it was beginning to seem strange that Rex was never there anymore. So strange Marianne wondered what he was up to. Maybe he had a new girlfriend that had captured his full attention. In any case, she was grateful. She walked quietly to her room and wondered what would be appropriate to wear to a show such as this.
The show started promptly at 7:00 PM. Madame Sapphira stepped out in a red turban, large gold hoop earrings, gold chains and wearing a long flowing black dress. She stepped onto the stage to the welcome sound of applause. After a few minutes of waves, smiles, and some audience banter that passed for warm-up, she picked out a young guy in the first row. “What about you, handsome? Are you ready to be spooked?” She bent down closer to him and dropped her voice into her sexiest register. “Care to have your innermost secrets exposed to this raucous crowd?
“I’m ready for anything with you, Madame Sapphira.” He reached out for her, nearly making contact. “In fact, you can take me home and I’ll tell you everything you want to know about me.” The audience burst into laughter and applause. Madame Sapphira threw back her head, tossing her mane of shiny black curls, and laughed along with the others. Waggling her finger at him as she strutted backward on high heels, she said, “Uh-oh, I better stay away from you. You could put an end to my act.” She teased a few others before scanning the crowd.
She randomly chose a chunky, red-faced woman from the third row, coaxing her to come onstage. “You don’t have to if you’d rather not,” she said to the woman. “And you can stop the reading at any time. No problem.” After hemming and hawing, the woman went into a huddle with her husband for a minute. The crowd spurred her on. “Oh, go ahead,” one man shouted. Another voice rang out. “Scaredy cat.” The woman chewed her lip. “Oh, why the hell not?” She rose from her seat. “I have no secrets.” Perfect. The sparse stage displayed two wooden chairs and a café table containing a crystal ball, a deck of cards, a large pitcher of ice water, tissues, and a stack of plastic cups. Madame turned to her and said: “Please, have a seat and relax.”
As the woman approached, Madame Sapphira detected the stale smell of cigarettes. “You’re thirsty,” Madame Sapphira said. “Nothing telepathic. Just an observation.” The woman’s lips twitched into a tight smile. Madame Sapphira poured a cup of water and handed it to her. “All set?”
“Yes, I’m fine. A little nervous, that’s all.”
“No need to be.” She took the other chair. “If you wish, you can tell me your name.” “Oh, I thought you’d tell me.” The woman chuckled, and scattered sounds of amusement rose from the dimmed theater. Madame Sapphira joined in with a smile. She searched the faceless crowd and shrugged, as if she’d never before heard the comment. “Well, that’s a new one— a subject turning the tables. I have to admit, you have me stumped.”
“Elsa. Elsa Carpenter,” the woman responded. “Okay, Elsa. You managed the first surprise of the evening, now let me hold your hands and see whether I can surprise you, okay?” Elsa sucked in a deep breath, let it out in a huff, and reached her hand across the table. “Okay, I’m ready.” The audience went dead silent. Madame Sapphira felt their expectation. She took Elsa’s hands in hers, closed her eyes, and let some time pass before she spoke in a voice everyone could hear.
“You have a child who’s away and you’re worried. A young man, right? Answer yes or no. Nothing more.”
“Yes.”
“He’s in his early twenties.”
“Yes, that’s right. He’s—” Madame Sapphira’s eyes flared open. “Please don’t say anything before I finish.” Elsa nodded and Madame Sapphira closed her eyes again. “I see a uniform. He’s in the military―”
“How did you know that?”
“He’s stationed overseas. The Middle East, I believe.”
Elsa’s bottom lip quivered. “Oh, dear God, is he all right? I haven’t heard from him in weeks.”
Madame Sapphira opened her eyes. “He’s fine, fine. Missing you. I think you’ll hear from him soon.”
Tears filled Elsa’s eyes. “Oh, thank you. I’ve been so worried.” Sporadic applause drifted throughout the theater, along with the obvious intakes of breath, signifying either belief or skepticism.
“Are you all right, Elsa?” Madame Sapphira asked.
“Would you like a moment to gather yourself?” She poured more water into Elsa’s glass and her own. The stage lights seemed especially brilliant tonight. Sweat dripped down her back. Both sipped their water.
“That’s better,” Elsa said, plucking a tissue from the box and wiping her cheeks.
Madame Sapphira slipped back into meditation mode, waiting long enough to pique interest before speaking. “I have a strong sensation you want to quit something, maybe your job. No, no,” she said shaking her head. “That’s not it. Ah, you want to quit smoking, but you’re afraid you’ll gain weight, like before.”
“How did you… I can’t believe you know that.” Elsa turned to the audience. “How did she know that?”
“Because I’ve been there. Every smoker has.”
“You can do it, Elsa. Just takes a little willpower… and a patch or two.” Murmured agreement skittered through the audience. Acutely aware of her timing, she held off another moment to let her success resonate.
“By the way, Elsa, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? About what?”
“I sense you recently lost a pet, a traumatic experience you haven’t quite gotten over.” “Yes, our dog, Boomer. He was a member of the family.” She dabbed the damp tissue to her eyes. “Did my husband tell you this?”
“No,” Madame Sapphira said. “You told me.” Now a buzz rose from the theater. Madame Sapphira waited, milking the theatrical moment for all it was worth. She didn’t enjoy resurrecting the woman’s loss, but the emotional response of touching a raw nerve never failed to pull the audience into her mystical world. “But I see you have a new puppy in your life. A Puggle you’ll grow to love as much as Boomer.”
A smile lit Elsa’s face. “Yes, he’s a love.” After a few more on-target disclosures, Madame Sapphira ended the reading. Elsa hugged her and left the stage to a thunderous ovation.
Composing herself, she bowed and left the stage. The persistent applause almost drowned out the announcement that the show would resume after a ten-minute break to give Madame Sapphira a chance to rest.
During the break Marianne expressed her fascination to Leon. He said that he would try and speak to someone to see if they could get Marianne on the stage. He hoped that Madame Sapphira could awaken some long ago memory in Marianne as to what happened on the day her sister died. It made absolutely no sense that she couldn’t recall anything that happened that day.
Madame Sapphira extended her hand to shake Marianne’s, and when she made contact, her touch jolted her body as if she were electrically charged. White lights exploded in her head. The sounds of the audience echoed in her ears, then receded into a soft hum as Madame Sapphira saw what she’d tried so hard not to see, not to feel, for the last twenty years― death.
The vision clarified. A child in the throes of death appeared. Then, as in the past, Madame Sapphira became her. Her head began to throb and she lost her breath. She was gasping for air and then darkness and cold surrounded her. Now, as she left the child’s body, Madame Sapphira watched the girl fade from view, her glassy-eyed stare straight at her, beckoning her to follow. The room dimmed, leaving the macabre sight incandescent in the surrounding darkness. Madame Sapphira sank deeper, unable to breathe from the pounding pressure in her head. Gasping, she dropped her water from one hand and Marianne’s hand from the other. Marianne watched her struggle for air, making no move to help. Madame Sapphira sank to her knees, choking, sucking air. The frigid darkness crawled over her like melting ice as she slid deeper and deeper into the murky abyss, unable to see, powerless to breathe. She crumpled to the floor in a heap and darkness enveloped her as she took her last breath. A gentleman in a dark suit extracted a handkerchief from an inner pocket and dabbed her forehead. She didn’t know how long she’d been out before she woke to someone alternately slapping her face and dousing her face with icy water. She waved the man away.
“Are you all right? Can you get up?”
“I’m not sure. I think so.” She coughed and sputtered a few times to clear her throat. “My head is spinning.” People gathered around.
“Please, she’s not feeling well. Fresh air. She needs fresh air.” The man in the black suit pushed them away and hovered over her, whispering.
“Are you sick? What’s happening?”
“Where is she?” Madame Sapphira mumbled, standing with the help of the two men.
“Where’s who?”
“The girl I was talking to a minute ago.” She looked from one to the other of the men.
“Why, did she attack you?” The man in the black suit asked in an anxious voice.
“No! No, she didn’t do anything to me. It was a vision.”
Reluctant to tell either man what happened, Madame Sapphira shaved the truth. Alert now, she scanned the room, craning her neck to see over taller heads.
“I saw no one,” the man in the black suit said, “but I didn’t get to you until after you fainted.”
“Are you sure you’re all right, my dear? There are a number of hospitals in this town. I’m sure they will send someone. You need to be checked out just to be sure you’re okay.”
“I’m going to be fine. I just need to speak to that girl again. Find her and tell her that I must speak to her again.”
Marianne was so alarmed when Madame Sapphira fell she ran straight to Leon. She was so shaken that Leon lifted her and carried her to the Caddy. They were still sitting when the man in the black suit ran out and began looking up and down the street. He spotted them in the white caddy and came over to them.
He immediately addressed Marianne. “Madame Sapphira insists that she must speak to you again. Please come back with me and we will talk in Madame’s dressing room.”
Madame Sapphira sat in her dressing room at a small table much like the one on stage. She was sipping what looked to be a glass of red wine.
“Please accept my apology for what happened out there,” she began. She went on to say that her first name is Yaska. “It’s Romanian,” she said. “Please call me by my first name. My parents came here from Romania in the early 60’s. I’ve been here since then. I was never a normal child,” she said and took a sip of wine. “I’ve had visions of the dead since I was very young. I would’ve rather just been a normal little girl, but I wasn’t. I had a special gift. Besides communicating with the dead, I just knew things about people that I couldn’t explain.” She rose and began to pace in the small room. “When you touched me tonight, I saw a small child lying dead in a pool of blood. Could that be anyone you know or knew?”
“My sister. My baby sister. She was only five years old. They say that I killed her and sent me to prison for ten years.”
“Oh, dear. I’m so sorry for your loss! I feel that you didn’t have anything to do with her death. Everything is not entirely clear yet but I definitely feel that it was not your fault. There’s more. I feel someone close to you is in danger.” She sat down in the little chair and took another sip of wine.
“As I said, everything is not entirely clear but I feel you must be very careful.”
Leon cleared his throat. “Isn’t there anything more you can tell us? You tell her to be careful but what is she to be careful about? Is there anything you can do to see more?”
“Not at this time. Is there an article of clothing or a toy that belonged to the little girl that you can provide me? I might be able to tell you more.”
Marianne thought about it for a brief minute and told her about Shelby’s teddy bear and how Shelby carried it with her everywhere and even slept with it. She could bring it to her the next day, she said.
Marianne hugged Madame Sapphira, Leon shook her hand and the two of them found their way out.
One the ride home Leon shared with her how he had read that Madame Sapphira had helped the police locate bodies of dead persons for twenty years then she suddenly stopped. He speculated that it may have been too much for her emotionally.
Again, the house was dark and quiet when they got home.
“Don’t forget we are only few steps away from you if you have any problems,” Leon said as he opened the car door for her. “You can come to us at any time of the day or night. We are here for you.”