As Luck Would Have it

After the concert, Henry talked a man working at the auditorium. “Daniel, this is Mr. Defoe, James’s father.”

“It’s good meet you,” Betsy saifferffering the older man her hand to shake.

“Daniel, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Defoe said shaking Betsy’s hand.

“All I have left is to clean the bathrooms. I’ll meet you at McQuein’s.”

Henry carried the rolled carpet to the bar and placed it under his stool. The was was full of working class men wearing the factory soiled clothes and threadbare jackets. Henry ordered himself a drink. Betsy removed her rings and put them in her pocket, sat very straight and ordered a beer. Henry turned toward Mr. Defoe as he sat on the bar stool beside him. “Get my buddy what’s on tap,” Henry shouted. “So have you seen him around?”

“I received a postcard from Europe. He says that he’ll be coming home.”

“The money will run out eventually and he ain’t that handsome,” Henry said.

“You supported him for five years. Someone else will,” James’s father said.

“He still had his looks, then,” Henry said.

“So Danny, do you work for Mr. Newcastle?” Mr. Defoe said, slapping her back.

“I did. I’m considering working for someone else. It is dangerous to mix business and pleasure,” Betsy said. “My co-workers claim I slipped the boss a love potion.”

“Did you?” Mr. Defoe asked.

“No, I was a bookkeeper,” Betsy said. “I have a two-year degree but that doesn’t impress anyone. Henry thinks I should attend the university.”

“Danny and I have been together over a year.” Henryheld up Betsy’s hand.

“You still have an eye for the young men.”

“James left me,” Henry said. “I don’t remember what we fought about. If he could manage a checkbook, he wouldn’t have to work a day in his life. The man emptied our accounts when he left.”

“Good for him,” Mr. Defoe said. “I hope he enjoys the money.”

“I only wish him the best,” Henry said. “Tell him that I asked about him.”

“I will.” Mr. Defoe walked to a small table with his beer. Betsy drank her beer ignoring Henry.

“Should I take you home?”

“It’s my carpet.” Betsy, after picked up the carpet rolled under Henry’s seat, walked to the alley behind and unrolled the carpet then sat on the carpet. Henry was breathing hard as he caught up to her. “Find your own way home.”

“Keene is a long ride in a taxi.” Henry stepped on the edge of the carpet.

While in the air, Betsy said, “Did you have to put on that kind of show?”

“I was being my charming self.”

“I could work for my parents in a heartbeat. I don’t need you and I don’t want you implying that I do.”

Henry put Betsy’s hand in his. “You have quite a temper. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in a room full of strangers.”

“You don’t own me.”

“You were very glad to live with me in my fine house a few minutes ago.”

“I thought we were equal partners. I’m not a trinket to put on your arm. I’m sorry that I lost my temper. I never had anybody treat me like that before.” Betsy snuggled against Henry. “When I’m in your arms, I don’t think about the rest of the world.”

“I only think about pleasing you.”

“You do. What are your sisters going to think? We have dinner on Sunday with your family.”

“We can act like nothing happened.”

“I look so different. Only Annabel will know I’m the same person.”

“Do you have any idea how good you look? A few of the women in the bar glanced in your direction.”

“You made me look like a poof.”

“I’m a poof. Danny, I didn’t tell you to wear men’s clothes.”

“I like howook ook in them. I thought you liked how I looked in them.”

“I do.” Henry asked, “Why do your parents put up with your brother?”

“He’s going to die next year. Mom and Pop don’t have the heart to tell him.”

“How old is he?”

“He’ll be thirty-two the year he dies.”

“It must be strange having a mother that is a seer.”

“Do you know you how you are going to die?”

“Yes, I die by your hand.”

\"You shouldn’t have told me.”

“It may not be you. She said my lover’s hands.”

“You mean physically kill you with my hands.”

“Seers are quite literal. It won’t happen for a while. I’m not due to have another baby until my forties. After meeting you, Mom admitted that they were a large man’s hands.”

“Do you see this baby you have late in life grow up?”

“She never told me.”

“You aren’t going to see that baby grow up.”

“Then I’ll have to appreciate you and Cynthia all the more. Henry, I can’t change the future. The fates have already thrown their dice. We have to appreciate the moment.”

“How am I suppose to appreciate the moment knowing I’m going to kill you someday with my bare hands?” Henry looks at his hands.

Betsy put her hands in Henry’s hand. “Since the moment that I met you, I knew you were possibly the one. It changes nothing. I think you have beautiful hands.” Betsy kissed Henry’s hand then Betsy put her hands on both of Henry’s hands. “I’m not afraid of your hands.”

“I can’t get my mind off my hands. Do you know how I die?”

“Yes, and I’m not going to tell you. Don’t try to get it out of me during sex.”

“I probably kill myself after I realize that I have killed you.”

“You can guess all you want; I’m not telling you. Darling, we’ll have a long happy life together. Stop worrying about how it will end.”

After they spent the rest of the weekend with Betsy’s parents, they collected the baby and went home. Betsy parked the carpet in their small yard. She rolled up the carpet as Henry held the baby. “Does she want a bottle?”

“It’s her nappy. I’ll change her in the house.”

“Mother told me after the neighborhood girls were teasing me. She also told me I would do great things with my life.”

While Betsy was cleaning Cynthia, Henry said, “Please, if you feel the urge to tell me the future, again, reconsider. Freewill might be an illusion but I want to hold on to it.”

“My mother told me that same day,” said Betsy. “That my life is worth living because we grow from our experiences. She could tell me the important events in my life (the birth of my daughters, my great accomplishments, my death) but that wouldn’t be the same as living it.”

“What are your great accomplishments?”

Betsy placed Cynthia on the floor with her nesting cups and a stuffed poodle. “Mother hasn’t told me. She says that it would ruin the joy of discovering them.”

“Then why did she tell you of your daughters and your death?”

“Nothing can tamper with the joy of having a child and everyone dies. She never told me I would meet a tall, handsome man and he would change my world. There has to be some mystery in life.”

Monday morning, Betsy knocked on Annabel’s door. The dogs howling woke Cynthia. “You look like you need a shoulder to cry on,” Annabel said.

“I lost my husband,” Betsy whined.

“Henry adores you,” Annabel said. “Come in. Have some tea and crumpets.”

“Thanks.” Betsy put the baby on her shoulder to sooth her. “Did you milk come back?”

“Yes, that evening. I made a tea that helps,” Annabel said. “Would you like me to nurse her?”

“She’s taking well to formula.” Betsy burped the baby. “She has a bit of colic.”

“It could be from the formula,” Annabel said. “Healers say the one should nurse if at all possible.”

“It isn’t possible in my case.” Betsy sat at the table. “I’m still taking the potion the healer made for me.”

“I understand that. Why does Henry hate you?”

“He adores me. I told him that he would kill me one day. He hasn’t made love to me since.”

“I’m not surprised,” Annabel said.

“He asked me how I will die and I told him. I couldn’t tell him how he dies.”

“How does he die?”

“I rather keep it to myself.” Betsy drank her tea.

“You can tell me,” Annabel said.

“He’ll be killed in cold blood,” Betsy said barely over her breath.

“By who?”

“I can’t tell you. I can see that you’re making a list. Don’t bother guessing. I’m not going to give you an answer.”

“Henry doesn’t have that many enemies.”

“He has three factories and is trying to purchase a fourth. He has stepped on a few toes on his way up. A man in his position doesn’t make only a few enemies.”

“Do I know him?”

“No hints.”

“Is he a business or social acquaintance?”

“No hints.”

“You take what your mother says too seriously.”

“My mother never said that I would spend the rest of my life with Henry. I feel this inside me. Annabel, you know what I mean. You meet someone and you know. Once I accepted God into my life, I knew.”

“I knew the same about Will,” Annabel said. “Henry will come to terms with what you told him.”

“Would you come to terms with knowing one day that you would kill your husband?”

“Will I?”

“I’m not a seer. It was a hypothetically question.”

“I suppose I would. Your mother told me a bit about my life. It doesn’t affect my day-to-day living.”

Will entered the kitchen. “You can let the help cook. Why is it here?”

“She has a name.”

“It can dress like a woman.”

“Betsy, ignore my husband; I do most of the time,” Annabel said. “I think you look rather handsome.”

“Thank you.” Betsy poured the coffee and looked at the cabinet the dishes were in and directed the dishes to the table mentally. \"I would like you to call me Danny.\"

“I don’t want you visiting my wife,” Will said.

“I found that I stopped having episodes when I used my telekinesis regularly during my pregnancy,” Betsy said. “You have nothing to worry about.” Betsy returned home with Cynthia and the formula that Annabel no longer needed. She checked the time. It was only noon and Henry didn’t come home until close to eight most nights. She put Cynthia on the floor to play and cleaned the house.

Betsy prayed that Henry could stop fearing the future. Glancing in the full-length mirror in their bathroom, she liked the slender, chestnut brown haired woman looking back at her. Combing her very shhairhair, she thought that she should go out and make friends. There was no point staying in a lonely house. Betsy pushed the pram to the magic store. “Are you interested in someone to work part-time?”

“You don’t need the income,” Paul said.

“Annabel wouldn’t mind watching her niece a couple hours a day. It would give me the opportunity to be around people.” Betsy picked up the baby from the pram so she could push the pram outside and it wouldn’t clutter the small shop.

“Would you like to join me for lunch?”

“Sure.” Betsy pushed the pram while carrying Cynthia. “I think I could help you make potions. My father makes potions. I could get copies of his books.”

“I’m sure you have talent.”

“When Annabel drank my potion, my nerves got in the way and I couldn’t think.”

“I understand. How is she?”

“Fine. We should order sandwiches. \"

Paul walked up to the front of the deli line. “My treat.”

“My husband has money.”

“You paid last time. You have a good attitude. I’ll think about hiring you.”

“Thank you.”

“I have one question for you. Are you going to dress as a man or a woman at work?”

“Does it matter?”

“I rather hire a woman.”

“I’ll dress as a woman. I’ll still be butch.”

“Butch is sexy.”

As Betsy undressed for bed, she touched Henry’s face. “Darling, Mom recognized your hands from her vision at the wedding. She explained to me later that it made no difference. If I didn’t marry you, you would have found me. Please, come to bed.”

Henry held his hands up in front of his face. “How can you want these hands to touch you?”

Betsy held Henry’s hands in hers. “How can I live with them not touching me?”

“You should have never told me.”

“I thought you would be able to handle it. I thought you were stronger than Frank.”

“Did your mother tell Frank something and that is why he won’t leave the house?”

“She won’t tell him so he assumed the worst. He’s his own worst enemy.”

“Maybe, if he knew he had less than a year left he would do something with his life.”

“He also might kill himself. I couldn’t be responsible for that. Darling, I need you.”

“You were born cursed by a gypsy. Your mother is a seer. Your parents sell potions. Magic is normal to you. It’s part of your life. I still have to come to terms with it.”

“You better come to terms with it. Cynthia, our daughter, also has magic. Our grandchildren will probably have magic.” Betsy straddled Henry then kissed him squarely on the lips. While still kissing Henry, Betsy placed one of Henry’s hands on her thigh and the other on her pussy.

Henry looked at Betsy in the morning wearing only a long sleeve shirt. “You’re as bad as James.”

“I never met James. From everything I heard, we couldn’t be more different.” Betsy poured a cup of coffee.

“You show no emotion.”

“I was teased ruthlessly as a child. You cry; they tease you worse. You learn not to feel anything.”

“Could you stop the act for a second?”

“I’m not acting. We have been together for how long.” She moved her behind until she was sitting on his face. “Darling, miss a day of work. We can go for a walk together and enjoy the fall foliage. People take their carpets here from all over the world.”

“You have a mighty fine ass.” Henry started to lick Betsy’s posterior. Betsy lowered herself to the bed slowly. She put his hands on Henry’s chest to balance herself and give Henry better access. “How am I suppose to enjoy your gorgeous body if you\'re going to talk and distract me? If you open your mouth again, I’ll put something in it.”