The Amazing Ms. Rayven

"Chocolate cake and a rootbeer in a frosted mug."

"Sure thing Ms. Rayven."

"Thanks Sara."

I could feel in her energy that Sara would ask me her burning question today. I'll be able to give her a positive answer.

This busy day meant my order would take a while. And my dining companion hasn't arrived yet. So, I might as well get right to it.

The man two tables over has two spots in his energy right by his heart. One is very dark black about the size of my thumb. It's pulsing so it's conditional. The other is a medium gray color covering his heart. Hmmm. A heart attack coming in the months ahead. Getting past today will give him the time he needs to sort issues he's been having with his son.

That lady over there has been married thirty-four years. She has three kids. One died. Last year. That is what brought on her crisis. Her husband is having an affair. She is estranged from her living daughter and son because she's been consumed with grief. Ah, I see it. A dark thumb sized pulsing black spot on her head. She needs to get through today so her family can heal and she can enjoy the life that's ahead for her and them.

That's two.

Sara looked at me from across the way. The young woman Kim had arrived. Perfect timing. I nodded. Then Sara and several coworkers rushed to surround the young woman singing a nonsensical song. They lead her away giggling. I see several of the dark thumb sized pulsing black spots on her. One in the neck. One in the abdomen. One in her forehead. It's her birthday. It's going to be a really good one.

One of the young males close to her also has a black thumb sized pulsing spot on the back of his hand. He plays guitar. He will become very successful locally. But he will need that hand without injury.

That's four.

Are there any more?

No. Just lots of light pink energy swirling. It's sort of a starburst shape. It's chaotic. I get a few images and impressions rapidly flash through my mind. Lots of voices. Crying. A feeling of panic. I push it away. I don't need to experience that. Nobody does.

A young man passing behind me bumps into me hard and steps on my strategically placed foot in the aisle. "I'm sorry ma'am," he says and reaches out and touches my arm. "Are you okay?"

"No worries. I'm good." I give him my best smile.

"Good. I'm so sorry I was..." He lifted his hand from my arm so I quickly took his hand into both of mine and leaned towards him.

I see it. The pulsing black thumb sized spot under his chin.

"...looking for someone? You're really anxious to talk. Get things sorted. She's 'the one', right? How long have you been together?" He had green eyes, freckles and a slight build.

He pulled away. "What?"

"Sit down honey. Sit with me awhile." His energy was fluctuating wildly. I could hear his rapid heartbeat.

"Who are you?"

"Sit down baby. Chat with me." I patted the spot next to me and nodded at the chair. "Go on. I don't bite." He would sit. His mother has alzheimers and he sits with her often. He really is a good boy. Except for today but we will fix that. His energy sucked tight against him. I'd get him to relax and spread it back out. I smiled and nodded to the chair again. "Go ahead, sugar. Sit down."

His eyes darted around the tables. Then he looked up and down the street. Hot but breezy. Perfect weather for sitting outside. "Come on. Sit. I'll keep you company while you watch for her."

He eased into the chair. "Are you a friend of Kim's? Because I don't know you. Do I?"

"So that's her name. Kim. What's your name hun? You look like a 'George' to me." I reached across and put my hand on his. It helped the connection when they shriveled their energy tight against themselves. I'd keep my hand on his to comfort him and anchor him while I stay tied into his energy.

Sara brought my cake and rootbeer. "Here you go, Ms. Rayven."

"Sara, could you bring the same thing for my friend?" I gave a slight squeeze to his hand. "You okay with that? You like rootbeer don't you?"

"Yeah, sure. Actually rootbeer is my favorite. Chocolate cake is too." He smiled a bit and his energy got a little bigger.

"Well look at that. We have some things in common...." I trailed off waiting for him to provide his name.

"Oh, Edward. But everybody calls me Ed."

"Hmmm. So you're not a George." I teased.

"Well, actually I am. It's George Edward, Jr. So my dad is George and I'm Edward, Ed or Eddie. Mostly Ed now that I'm older."

He pulled his hand away from mine as Sara brought his chocolate cake and rootbeer.

"You're gonna love this cake Ed. It's divine. And the rootbeer. Ohhh it's perfect." I gave him another one of my warm smiles.

Ed took his fork and cut a bite. Right before he popped it in his mouth, he leaned forward. "Excuse me. How did you say you knew me?"

I sipped my drink and looked at him over the brim of my glass. "Woo, that's refreshing on a hot day like today."

He stared at me waiting.

"I didn't. And I don't. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends and enjoy this treat together. Surely, if you can trample my foot, you can indulge an old lonely lady in a bit of company."

Some of the tension left his body.

"And just so you don't get the wrong idea, this whole thing is on me, you hear? I can afford it." I gave him a no nonsense look. He relaxed a bit more.

"Ok, Ms... what was it? Raven?" He scanned the crowd and streets again.

"Yes. Rayven with a 'y' in it. R-a-y-v-e-n."

"Go on and take a sip of this rootbeer," I whispered as I tapped his mug handle. My bangles jangled like soft wind chimes. I scratched my fingernails across the top of the metal mesh table making a distinctive sound. Then I flicked my fingernails together making clicking sounds. I swiped my hands all through the air as though shooing away a fly. "Get, get. Be gone, be gone, be gone." I stopped and smiled.

Ed watched me with a wrinkled brow. "You're a little weird."

I cackled. "More than a little." I leaned across to him, winked and whispered, "And I've been called worse." I deliberately clincked my fork on my plate.

He shivered. The ASMR was working. I needed him to stay focused. "Focus, focus, focus." I whispered snapping my fingers in the air.

He shivered again and paused. "Like I said, weird." Then he laughed softly. Covering his mouth to keep from loosing some of the cake.

"Do you ever think about dieing?"

He froze and gave me a "what the hell" look.

"I'm old. I think about it a lot." I cut a huge bite of chocolate cake. Poised to put it in my mouth, "I think death by chocolate would be the way to go. Just eating slice after slice of this chocolate cake until I went into a coma." I laughed, jangled my bracelets and whispered, "dieing is silly, silly, silly. No. No. No." I did air snaps and swiping.

He shivered again watching me. "Really weird."

I smiled. "I'm harmless."

He shrugged.

"So, tell me about your Kim."

He looked pained. "She isn't mine. Not any more. She left me months ago." He jutted his chin out. Shook his head a bit as though shaking off pain.

"I see. And she's with someone else and you're not liking that much, right?" I looked him straight in the eye.

"Yeah. That's pretty much it."

I felt the energy of rage pulse through him.

"As long as we're getting to know one another, let me do a little something else for you." I pulled out my cards and ruffled the corner as I sat them down.

Ed did a head roll. "You've got to be shitting me."

"Ahh ahh ahh. Remember? Everything is my treat today." I smiled and pushed the cards towards him. "Come on, pick three. Any three." With a swipe I spread the deck out before him. I smacked my palm on top three times. "Three."

I made this deck myself. Thirty-six bright multicolor cards. No words. No images. Just swirls of colors. The cards were for them. The messages come to me through inner knowing.

His energy fluctuated. He was irritated and intrigued at the same time.

"Come on. Have you ever had a reading?"

He shook his head no. "So you're a hocus pocus person huh?" He swore softly under his breath. "Let's do it then."

I watched him draw the cards. One with red swirls, one black and one green.

"This red card is the pain and rage you're feeling. All consuming. Explosive."

"This green one is relief. Release. A good life ahead."

"This black one. It's why we're here. You've planned it all out. But Ed," I looked him straight in the eye, "you can't get to the green part if you follow through with the black card. Are you hearing me?"

Ed was pale and visibly shaken. He stood and clutched his vest pocket.

"No, no Ed. Let me have it. You don't need it any more. Just give it to me. Come on." I stretched my hand for it.

Trembling, he took the pistol from his pocket and placed it in my hand. I quickly put it in my pearled clutch and put it in my seat as I stood to face him.

"Give me a hug baby and let it all out." His rigid body collapsed sobbing in my arms. "Shhhh shhh shhh. It's ok sugar. It's ok."

He sat back down and cried quietly for a bit. "How did you know?"

"Just hocus pocus I guess," I chuckled. "Finish your cake."

We sat for a while longer eating our cake and drinking our rootbeers. I tipped his chin up. The black spot was gone. "Take care Ed. You hear? Go on home now. Kiss your momma. She'll be glad to see you."

I watched him walk away. He had no idea his momma could comprehend everything he tells her. She fought hard to get lucid long enough to call out for help. I heard her plea. His energy was good. He is going to be ok.

I turned and looked at the man two tables over. The spot on his heart was gone. The spot on the woman was gone. The young woman Kim came from inside arm in arm with the guitar player. His hand is clear. Her forehead and neck are clear. And her abdomen is clear. Their baby is a boy. They'll name him Allen after her dad.

I take a deep breath of fresh air. The pink chaos is gone. The only sounds are casual conversations and traffic.

Sara slips up beside me. Here it comes. "Will you teach me how you do it?" she whispered softly.

I smiled my best smile. "Yes."

"Oh, thank you Ms. Rayven!" She squealed and hugged me tight.

"It's Matilda. My real name is Matilda."