Stella Mia by Rosanna Chiofalo Page B

stuffy inside. There’s no way I can sleep in there. Taking one of the chairs out, I unfold it. I sit down, releasing a deep sigh. My bones have felt achy from sleeping on the floor of St. Augustine’s Church for a week now. Though the chair does not allow me to stretch out much, it still feels more comfortable than the cold floor of a church.
    Sinking lower into the chair so that my head rests on top of its back, I lay my hands on my belly and watch the moon, listening to the waves softly crash against the shore until I am lulled to sleep. My dreams are filled with the singing and dancing zingari, but soon they are replaced by images of flashing tarot cards as I struggle to decipher their meaning and see what the future holds for me.

8
    La Ruota della Fortuna
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    WHEEL OF FORTUNE
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    July 22, 1969
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    â€œL a Morte.” I am giving a tarot reading and am seated under a beach umbrella by the shoreline to feel the ocean’s breeze. Every time I draw the Death card, my clients’ faces become ashen, and they look like they might actually die.
    â€œDo not be afraid. It does not mean you or a loved one will die. This is a very good card in the tarot deck. It signifies great change—a time of renewal and transformation.”
    The young man sitting before me looks to be in his mid-twenties. A scar runs from the left side of his forehead down across his brow bone, giving him an angry expression. His jet-black curly hair and close-set eyes detract even more from his appearance. We are nearing the end of his reading. He didn’t notice when I laid out his cards that the Death card was among them. He was too busy ogling me. I’m even surprised he’s actually heard me mention the Death card.
    â€œDo not lie to me,” he says in a very hostile tone.
    â€œI am not lying to you. One cannot merely look at the illustration depicted on the tarot card and assume it has a literal interpretation. The cards and their meanings are quite complex. If you will just let me finish my reading, you’ll see you have nothing to fear.”
    â€œGo on.” He gestures with his head for me to continue.
    My words seem to comfort him. Now, instead of staring at my cleavage or trying in vain to get me to stare into his eyes as he’s been attempting since he sat down across from me, he is closely examining not only the Death card but the other cards in the spread. Worry lines slash through his forehead. What could a man so young have to worry about? Then again, I am younger than him, and I have had my share of worries.
    â€œYou will come to a crossroads in your life, one that will force you to embrace the inevitable change that will occur. Think carefully before you make your choice.”
    â€œI thought you said this was a good card? Change in my life has almost always been bad. It also sounds like you are warning me. That can only mean you see some misfortune ahead.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest as he leans back in his folding chair, rocking it forward and back. He seems to be oblivious that he is sinking the chair deeper into the sand. I want to laugh, but dare not.
    â€œThe card is positive in the sense that it is alerting you to be ready for whatever change is coming your way. Even if it is a wonderful stroke of good luck, the card is still asking you to be cautious. Also, you cannot just look at this one card. You must take every card into account and see the overall message they are giving you. At the beginning of the reading, la Ruota della Fortuna, the Wheel of Fortune, card appeared. Again, this card indicates change in your life. We cannot control what God and fate have in store for us. We can only control how we will react to the change and learn from the lesson that is being imparted.”
    â€œYou are being vague. What will happen to me? What is this great change you keep referring to? Am I destined to repeat my father’s miserable existence