Truth story mixed with fiction

-Prophesy-

“Give me your hand, son” - An old lady asked sacredly.

“Why am I should give you my hand? Are you asking for help?” – A sailor answered.

“No, I’m not asking for help. I can prophesy you a future!”, - the old lady said again pompous and added with shyness and a smile: “for a dollar”.

“Isn’t it calls the “asking of help”?” - Andrew rolled his eyes, holding out his hand to her. “Let's do this".

-Divination-    

“Let’s see...” - the old gypsy lady started mysteriously: “You healthy and good, and you have kind heard, and lucky all your…”. “Sss…” - The old lady added painfully: “But you were apart...”

“What do you mean? All fine with me…” - Andrew was surprised.

“No… I mean destiny decided to set you apart…” The old lady added with sadness: “You’ll die young...”

“Ha”, - Laughed Andrew: “And now you want five dollars for “change my destiny?”

“If it were possible, I’d ask 10!” – The old gypsy lady puckered up proudly. “But…” – she added with sympathy: “your line of life is too short… I can do something with it and I don’t know when, but you’ll die young…” She added tried to encourage him: “All doors are open before you”. She smiled kind: “Live a great life.”

“Thanks for prophecy…” – Andrew said empty. He handed her five dollars.

“Thank you, young boy!” She gladly took dollars, turned to go away, and glanced at him last time: “I did want it... Sorry, young boy…”

“I understand…” – Andrew said in emptiness.

- Ten years later –

“Happy 35th birthday!”

“Enough, Tim!” – Andrew barked.

“Yes, Sir, Major!” – Tim rapped out.

“Tim you can call me by name in my cabin, ‘cause we’re friends."

“Yes, I remember, Andrew,” – Tim speaks calmly and some sad: “but I see you again in bad mood”. “Who knows what you have in your head” – Tim smiled.

“You know what in. I guess only you know” – Andrew said sadly.

“Ohh, come on! Don’t say again about your granny!” – Tim took a bridge of his nose. 

“She wasn’t my “granny”… Just passed by an old lady”.

“Nevermind, FRIEND! You are 35 ALREADY!" "You overgrew even Christ!” –Tim grinned, spreading his arms and tucking his elbows to the body: “I can’t understand your worries! It looks stupid for me!.. Sorry... But I’m honest...”

“Yes... Maybe I worry too much about this” – Andrew looked sad, but he added strictly: “Don’t joke about Christ when I'm near. Ok?”

 "“He just hasn't mood…As usual..."” - Tim thought inward, but added aloud “Yes” and smiled.

- Congratulations –

***whispers in the background***

“He looks weary. Maybe something happened?” – Someone said.

“Nothing wrong” – Tim said: “If we let him, he all-time will be drooping. Let’s make for him a celebration!” 

“Good idea” – Someone else said.

“Go on, I’ll be with you, just say something encouraging, and next we bring the cake” – Tim commanded to someone. "That’s a good tradition!” – Tim sincerely smiled at everyone. 

 *******************************

“Khm, khm” – started member of the headquarter's team. Ship’s headquarters lined up in a row. “Major, sir! Permit to speak!”

Major understood what going on and tried to look happy. “Permit!” – Andrew said peacefully.

“We, by all our team, want to congratulate you with your 35th birthday!”

“Thanks” – Andrew said again peacefully.

“You reached all of this so fast and you have been a major over our two hundred ships for three years now, but you just 35. Your youth passing not vain!..”

Andrew tensed up, but outward still smiled.

Tim tensed too...

“Let pass your birthday with a celebration cake! And let all that destined about your life certainly fulfill!” – ended member of the team and winked for bringing the cake.

"“I should have edited it”" – Tim had thought and inward touched the bridge of his nose.

“Hold on!” – Andrew looked worried some: “Let’s postpone this moment!”

“Why?” - All surprised.

“Let’s celebrate at the dinner, now we have duties” – Andrew got out of it: “And now I should fulfill all my reports before evening." He nodded respectfully to all team and went to his cabin.

“Fair enough..” – noticed someone.

- Prayer –

“God, is this day had come?” Andrew remembered the story of Hezekiah from the Bible: “Yes, I’ll not ask You extend my life…” “You know, I worried about it for ages. Depression didn’t release me all this time… And this year especially…”. He had a deep exhale. Andrew took the Bible, which he read so rarely. “I just want to read something before continuing my duty and finish, maybe… my last day” – Andrew shook his bible and looked up.

He opened a random place. “2 Kings 21 chapter… Hm… Hezekiah’s son… Terrible part…" He started to read: “1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord…” He continued to read: “6 Also he made his son pass through the fire…” “Disgusting…” – Andrew drooped. “Wait…” – he was some exciting: ““PRACTICED SOOTHSAYING, USED WITCHCRAFT… AND consulted spiritists and mediums”!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What was next, Dad!?”

“Next I DIED IN THAT DAY!”

“Ohh, come on!”

“You should be more patient, Sam!” – Andrew rebuked him. “Of course I’m kidding, son!”

“I get it…” – Sam said with an unexciting face.

“Next, maybe, end of that year and all next year of my life I spent in some sort of worries…”. Andrew smiled: “But I started more carefully read the Bible. Visit the church in my holidays and next I met your beautiful Mom. So God turned my life better and I was convincing in baptizing!”

“So you realized what the old lady worked on Satan or what?” – Sam made a questioning face: "Why did you remember this story?"

“This story is just a good remembrance that even we can be sincere; it’s not mean what we are fully right. That old lady didn't work on God definitely, But she was mistaken that's true".

"I anyway can't understand, why did you start to tell me this story!"

“Look, you said what you worry about what you're single. I just remembered this story when I worried much" - Andrew smiled.

"Finally you touched interest theme for me!" - Sam was exciting!

"So, don't be like me..."

"What do you mean?"

"LET ME FINISH MY SPEECH!"

"Ok" - Sam had smiled.

"So, I glad what you do not like me. I worried too much about early death. I thought I see hints on it everywhere". "But you're truly an optimist" - Andrew smiled.

"Thanks, Dad" - Sam had smiled too.

"But be better like Timothy!" - Andrew started to laugh.

"What do you mean, Dad?"

"Try to infect each by your optimism!" "Dam Tim" - Andrew quiet scolded with a smile. "And have PATIENCE!" - Andrew had lathed and ruffled Sam's head.