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Last days
The old gypsey woman's eyes twinkled out of the recesses of folded brown skin as she examined the hand in front of her. She turned her head aside once and spat. Frank Schwartz shuffled uncomfortably in his seat as the ancient woman returned reluctantly to her task.. "I'm afraid I don't see a long life for you, son." "Er neither do the doctors," Frank said, with a sort of half smile that said. 'Tell me something I don't know.' The old woman let his hand go, brought out a pack of Marlboro and offered it across to him. "No, thanks, smoking is bad for your health." He laughed at his own macarbre joke. She lit a cigartette and let the smoke drift up to stars in the ceiling of the tent. "You're the fifteenth person I've had through here today with a chopped off life line." "Disconcerting for you, ma'am." She looked at him as though she was trying to work out how clever or stupid he was. "That doesn't strike you as odd?" She asked. "Maybe they all got their results the same time I did and they got the same idea." "And that was?" For the first time he looked almost embarrassed. "To try and fool the gypsey woman." "Ah shoot, son. No one can do that." She drew heavily on the cigarette. "These doctors tell you how long you've got." "Six months, nine maybe." "Oh I don't think you got that long, cher." If Frank was surprised, he hid it as he said, "Whenever." "I'd say, four months, tops." "And the others?" "Same. And shall I tell you something else?" "If you want." "Ten years ago, every body had at least ten years on their life lines." "And I'll bet some of them dropped dead or got hit by a truck the very next day." "Could be." Frank smiled. "Well, dead is dead and it really doesn't matter when or how." "What'll you do with your time? If you don't mind me asking." "I have no idea. I think maybe I'll go down to Nevada or maybe New Mexico. I always wanted to go to the desert." "What for?" "So I can watch the stars go out as I die." |