Patience

“So, what’s the catch?” I heard my lone customer call out from across the room. He was facing the wall of crystals, messing with the organization that I set up that morning.

“Huh?” I responded from my seat behind the counter. “I don’t think I understand the question. You give me money, and you get to walk away with the item you bought.”

He exhaled loudly. “No, I mean, how do these stones work? Do I just… hold it? Will it give me my inspiration back?”

Without looking up, I conjured the instructions that I heard Auntie Athena repeatedly give customers when I was a kid visiting her here at her occult bookshop each summer: “Charge the crystal overnight by putting it outside under a full moon. Then maybe wear it or put it under your pillow. Do what feels right to you.”

“This exact one?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t even look,” he whined, “I’m seriously stuck in the novel I’m writing.”

I glanced over at him. I don’t remember exactly when it was, over the last couple years, that I stopped believing in the magic of Auntie Athena’s crystals, but I could still expertly identify them and recite their meanings. Walking over to him, past the table of tarot cards and candle displays, I took a long look at the almost clear blue stone in his hand, admiring it.

“This one is my favorite. Blue Lace Agate. And yeah, it promotes expression. I’m sure it will draw your story right out of you.” I cringed at my lie.

The customer grinned, as he slipped his credit card out of his wallet and handed it to me. I processed his payment, wished him luck, and waved goodbye as he walked out, leaving me alone again in the store.

Business had been slow even before I took over the shop from Auntie Athena while she recovered from her latest brawl with breast cancer. Unfortunately, her crystals weren’t helping her health or her sales. I was struggling to keep the place from shuttering.

Her shop was the oldest occult bookstore in the French Quarter. We were far enough away from Bourbon Street that thankfully the air carried more the aroma of Sweet Olive bushes and beignets baking at the cafe next door than the stink of partiers’ revelry, but the location also left us a bit too hidden from easy tourist foot traffic. On top of that, our resident fortuneteller had a habit of giving ominous readings, which scared the first-time customers from returning. I may have been a sophomore business major at Tulane, but nothing I was learning at school was helping build business, and Auntie Athena wouldn’t hear any discussion of adding more mainstream books.

It was depressing. But at least I had the regulars to look forward to—maybe one in particular.

I stared at the old cuckoo clock on the wall wondering if I’d get to see him today. 4:30 PM. He’s probably busy, I thought, as I resigned myself to starting the end of day clean-up.

Paper-thin pages of an old leather book fluttered to the floor in protest, as I hopelessly tried to organize the counter. I don’t know why I bothered. Auntie’s old bookshop could never really look tidy, and I suppose that old and dusty aesthetic was just what her target customers expected. 

As I stooped to pick up the fallen sheets of paper, I heard the bell over the entrance chime, as a man walked in. I jumped up, trying to see who it was.

Simon, my best friend since freshman year, called back to me, “Did he come in yet?”

“Who?” I responded, plopping back down on my seat behind the counter.

“Don’t be that way, Sasha. You know exactly who I’m talking about. I want an update from that boy almost as bad as you do.” Simon said, winking at me.

I tried to play off his comment with a disinterested laugh, “Oh you mean, Nathan? No. I haven’t seen him.”

“Good,” Simon said, moving over to the antique armchair in the corner, by bookshelves, “I’ll wait.” 

When the door chime went off again, I thought it was just Simon giving up, so I stayed in my seat reading “Jane Eyre” for the gazillionth time.

“Swooning over Mr. Rochester again?” Nathan’s low voice rumbled, as he placed his backpack on the counter.

I jumped, “Oh hey, Nathan! Yeah, I guess I’m just a romantic.”

I placed the book down on the counter. Nathan was my favorite customer. He was a first-year law student at Tulane. And yeah, he was a bit nerdy— tall and thin with black rimmed glasses that drooped down his nose—but I liked nerdy. He was just so smart; he was the kind of smart that makes you just shut up and want to listen to him talk forever. And he always wore the funniest graphic tees. He was so much cooler than all the college boys I’d met since starting undergrad. 

“How did it go this week?” I beamed, as Nathan peered around the shop, trying to zero in on his next purchase.

Behind him, I could see Simon lower his People Magazine and stare at us.  "Go away," I mouthed at him.

“I struck out again. I couldn’t get that spell you gave me to work.”

“Oh wow. Sorry. I could have sworn that one would work out for you.” I said, trying hard to scrunch my face in disbelief.

“No. Don’t be. I think what you said last week was right. I think Amanda just wasn’t the girl for me. I mean, if she was, the spell would have worked, right?”

“Totally,” I said, leaning on the counter, trying not to stare too deeply into his hazel eyes.

“And besides, I met someone else. Her name is Bianca, and she…”

He talked about the new one, and I patiently listened, like I’ve done every week since taking over the shop. Bianca was the same as all the others. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he had to make her fall in love with him.

“What is this one into?” I asked.

“I don’t know yet. I’m too nervous to even approach her. I need to give myself better odds before I do something that crazy,” he said, taking out his wallet. “What do you have for me this week?”

I paused, wondering if I had the nerve to tell him who he should really focus on. 

No. Not today. I thought. It’s only a matter of time before he sees me too.

“I actually just ordered something last week. Let me go check on it in the back.” I said.

Simon shook his head in disappointment, as I walked into the back office.

“Thanks so much, Sasha. What would I do without you?” he yelled to the back of the store as I loudly opened and closed the drawers in Auntie Athena’s desk. In the bottom drawer, I found the bag of old rose quartz that she used to give out to new customers, always saying “May you attract all the love and joy possible out of this world.” I smiled, remembering how much she loved this type of crystal and giving people hope.

 “I think I have something that will work for you.” I yelled back to Nathan.

As I walked back to the counter, I handed him the stone. He eagerly accepted it, turning it around in his hand. “How do I use it?”

“Umm,” I said, “well, Auntie Athena always kept one in her purse, and she was married to the love of her life for 38 years. She gave me one a few months ago, and I think it’s working for me. The love of my life keeps coming around.” I blushed inadvertently, thinking of how silly I sounded.

“Oh hey, that’s so great. I’m glad you’re not as unlucky as I am. I’m definitely going to try this. What do I owe you?” 

“On the house.”

“Really? I don’t know why this shop isn’t more crowded. You all are the best. How’s Athena, by the way? Doing any better? You’re a lot like her, you know? Always looking out for me.” 

“She’s fighting. And yeah, still looking out for me too.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Anyway, wish me luck!”

“Yeah, good luck, Nathan. See you next—I mean, I hope everything works out with Bethany.”

“Bianca” he corrected, as he waved back at me.

“Oh right.” I sat back down in my chair.

The chime on the door rang out as the door closed behind him.

“You knew damn well that girl’s name was Bianca,” Simon called over, chuckling.

I laughed back at him.

“When are you going to tell him that you don’t believe in all that magic stuff.” 

I leaned against the counter, still smelling Nathan’s cologne in the air as I clutched one of Auntie’s rose quartz stones, “On our wedding day, I guess.”