"The Veracious Horoscope."

“It’s June in Miami only cats are wearing fur”, muttered Natalie from behind her newspaper. Tessa took a deep breath, gripped her fingers round the steering wheel tightly, rolled her pitch black eyes and looked at her sister sideways. “This is the seventh time”, said Tessa vexed. Natalie uttered an absent “huh?” while rustling her newspaper in turning the page. “I was saying that you said “THAT” dialogue seven times!” said Tessa sounding amused with a tinge of irritability. Natalie, a bit embarrassed, giggled hysterically and said, “Oh I’m sorry, it’s just stuck in my head”! Brushing the whole thing off. Tessa smiled knowingly and asked her about what she was reading with such deep attention to which Natalie said with a smirk, “Just dirty politics, nothing else”.

Natalie was a newly graduated journalist, living in Seattle and was visiting her married, older sister in Miami for the summer vacation. And just right now they were driving down the street in Tessa’s small red car which she affectionately called “cherry”. They were off to a carnival happening in the city and both were looking forward to fun, sister time together. “Oh, do check today’s horoscope”! Exclaimed Tessa excitedly when she saw Natalie folding the newspaper. “What, since when did you begin reading horoscopes?” said Natalie surprised. “Why, I always believed in astrology”, said Tessa indignantly. “God, I hope you won’t become like one of those astrological snobs, besides horoscopes are completely fake!” exclaimed Natalie with an air of finality. “What proof do you have that they are “fake”? Asked Tessa in her satirical tone. “Proof? I have proof,” sneered Natalie instantly in her journalist element. “Okay, what?” asked Tessa condescendingly.

“Well, listen to this. One day I accidentally read my horoscope and it said that some “GREAT” happiness is going to come in my life, I felt positive and happy and went off to take a bath. When I came back and checked my phone there were three miss calls from mom, so I called her and she told me that Gran died in her sleep.” Said Natalie and glanced at Tessa with a “told you so” look. Tessa was quiet for a minute and then burs-ted into an unholy shriek of laughter whereas Natalie scowled with a slight hint of a smile. After a fit of ceaseless laughter Tessa calmed down and said, “I don’t know what to say but…….they are still fun to read even if they are not always…..true”. Natalie crossed her arms and looked out of the window in a despondent attitude at the swarming crowds at the beach they passed by and the June sunlight, thinking tender thoughts of her dear Gran.

Tessa looked at her sadly as they halted at the red signal and said, “Oh come on, cheer up! Let’s read the horoscopes and laugh at them.” She took up the paper from the dashboard and handed it to the Natalie as the signal turned green. Natalie sighed resignedly and opened the newspaper, turning the pages looking for the horoscope box. “So, what’s your sign? Libra?” asked Natalie. “WHAT, you don’t know my zodiac sign”! Said Tessa humorously horrified. “Why, is it Pisces”? Asked Natalie looking quizzically into Tessa’s face. “No!! It’s Capricorn, you’re unbelievable.” Said Tessa laughing. “OK, OK” said Natalie chuckling. Natalie quietly read Capricorn’s horoscope for twelfth June 2010, then clicking her tongue said, “It says that you’ll have a busy and exhausting day and you should not be too hard on yourself, now see! How untrue is that when we are going to have relaxed outing, busy and exhausting indeed”, and Natalie ended it with a snort. “Now, read Scorpio’s, look I remember your sign” replied Tessa contentedly. Natalie darted just a look at hers and said, “Mine says that my friendships will flourish, what bullshit!! I don’t even have “ONE” friend in Miami” cynically. “Oh you never know, universe has weird ways of working.” This was Tessa’s comeback and she said it with a mysterious smile while Natalie stared at her thoughtfully.

Just then Tessa’s phone rang and listening to her conversation, Natalie guessed that it was probably someone from her office but when Tessa said, “okay, no problem I will be there in five minutes.” And ended the call, Natalie looked at her questioningly. Tessa, a bit shamefaced, said “change of plans.” “What, why?” whined Natalie. “I am sorry it’s an emergency at work, I have to be there but it will not take long. Just ten to twenty minutes” said Tessa reassuringly. Natalie groaned.

Tessa parked the car in front of her office building and was telling Natalie about a park on walking distance and the coffee shops nearby, but still she gave Natalie car keys if she wanted to wait in the car and disappeared into the office building. Natalie standing on the pavement, looked about her in dismay and decided to go to that park. And she started walking down the street, with each energetic step her mood was improving, the weather was lovely and the sky was a gorgeous, bright blue, a sweet breeze was blowing which softly caressed her face and hair, and a delighted smile crept onto her face. Natalie was lost in a beautiful reverie.

But it didn’t last long as she was rudely awakened when a slender girl with strawberry blonde hair pushed into her and lugged her arms round Natalie’s neck. Natalie was in a dazed confusion and said “excuse me, who are you?”, trying to free herself from her hold but she was sticking to her resolutely and with such force but when she said in a small, frightened voice, “please act like you know because there is this man who is following me.” Natalie understood her immediately and proceeded to return her hug and spotted a short man at the corner wearing black hoodie, darkly glowering at them and then turning around to go. “Good, it’s clear, he’s gone”, said Natalie patting her back with a sigh of relief. The girl moved away and said breathlessly, “thank you so much, you just saved my life!” with a grateful smile. “Oh, it’s nothing but you did a very smart thing”, replied Natalie flushing. “Yes”, said the girl tucking a loose strand of her thick strawberry blonde hair behind her ear, “it seemed to me the only way”. “Such creeps are everywhere”, said Natalie with a frown looking back at the corner where nobody was. “Exactly, anyways, my name is Jennifer what’s yours?” said Jennifer with a merry smile and an outstretched hand. “I’m Natalie.” Answered Natalie taking her hand and giving it a brisk shake. Natalie’s phone began ringing and when she read “Tessa” on her phone screen she thought “done already”?

Apparently Tessa was calling her to inform that it would take her about an hour or more and it would be better if Natalie goes on her own and then Tessa would join her later and she was incredibly sorry for this misfortunate occurrence. Natalie was annoyed and she hated going anywhere alone, she usually preferred a companion when she went out and who went to carnivals alone anyway? She scrutinized that Jennifer sitting on the bench tying her bootlace, she seemed agreeable enough so she went up to ask her if she could go with her to the carnival. Turns out Jennifer was also going to that carnival but was thinking now not to go as she was nervous after that stalker episode but when Natalie proposed of going with her, she practically jumped on the opportunity and they walked to Tessa’s cherry car talking amiably all the way, Natalie found Jennifer extremely compatible and just as weird as her. Needless to say, she made a friend that she kept for life and even after ten years they laughed at how unusual was their first meeting and about that horoscope Natalie refused to believe in.