LJ Maas - Rebecca’s Cove

“My father and I had a very...strained relationship.” BJ had no idea why she said it. The words seemed to pop out of her mouth as if her voice had a will of its own.

“How unfortunate. Fathers and daughters...those can be such complex bonds. Your father has passed on, hasn’t he?”

“Yes,” BJ said with a tightening of her jaw.

“Let’s move on. The next card is the Tower. Usually, this represents a shattering of the structure in your life. Perhaps something traumatic, something life altering. This seems to indicate that the event centered on your father.” She slid the card next to the first.

BJ’s silence told Rebecca all she needed to know. She moved on to the next card. “Strength. It means exactly what its name implies. Given the first two cards, it’s no wonder that you had to develop strength to help face the situations in which you were placed.”

“Since I’m still alive, I guess the Death card is wrong, huh?” Baylor asked.

“Death can mean an ending or a change. It is not so much about the physical death as metaphorical. Oddly enough, this is one of the three most misunderstood cards in the Major Arcana of the tarot. Many times, Death can be a good thing, meaning that something you no longer need is gone from your life. It can be a way of life, a habit, maybe a relationship, sometimes innocence. The one thing to remember about death as it relates to change is that when you fight, it can be painful. If you accept it, however, you can move upward and onward in enlightenment.”

“Yeah, well, so much for the past,” BJ said uneasily. Rebecca’s reading was doing exactly what she had predicted. It was making BJ think. She had once believed that she had put all those old terrors to rest, but clearly that wasn’t the case. “How about the present?”

Rebecca turned over four cards from the second pile. “The Magician, the Chariot, the High Priestess, and Temperance. The Magician represents a teacher who tries to help you see your potential. You have all the tools and abilities to face life, Baylor. You haven’t accepted that fact yet. Your teacher will help you see the power that lies within yourself.”

BJ sat listening intently. She didn’t notice that Rebecca had begun to personalize the information. “I don’t suppose you see a name there, do you?” She leaned over to examine the card.

“I’m sorry, dear, but it doesn’t work that way. It could be a friend, a lover, or a relative. The usual pattern is that it’s a person who has earned your trust, someone who believes in you. Suddenly, this person will appear to you in a different light.”

“A little vague, but I guess I can live with it.” BJ smiled. “Okay. Next?”

“The Chariot represent conflicts, decisions, possibly travel. The conflicts will be within you, Baylor. The tarot is not as concerned with the battles you fight outside of yourself as the ones inside.

“Next we see the High Priestess. She is your spiritual mother, mystery you will never be able to explain. It is she who calls to you in those moments of intuition when you follow your instincts but don’t know why.”

BJ stared off into space. Rebecca’s words had ensnared her.

She could see herself, not actually see, but she could feel. She was throwing caution to the wind and acting on instinct. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t worrying about the consequences.

Rebecca’s voice cut through BJ’s vision. “Finally, there is Temperance. It is indicative of the balance between our inner decisions. The mortal lesson that causes us to know that there is more to justice than right and wrong, guilty and innocent.”

“Well, that was pretty painless,” BJ said.

“You see. It can be great fun, even worthy of some honest introspection when we don’t take it too seriously.”

“How about my future? Anything I should look out for? Any long trips I should put off?” Besides the one that got me here in the first place?

“Let’s take a look.” Rebecca drew four cards from the final pile. “The Sun, the Devil, the Hermit, and the Lovers. How very interesting...all entities. What an exciting place your life will be.”

“Really?” Rebecca’s enthusiasm for the cards had infected BJ. “So what do these mean?”

“The Sun is a most favorable card. It shines upon those who have suffered during their journey. The Sun’s brightness indicates finding ultimate joy or prosperity. It shows that happiness will find you.”

“Don’t you mean I’ll find it?”

“No, not this time. Happiness is like the butterfly that constantly eludes your grasp. When you finally sit back, relax, and open your hand, it settles comfortably in your palm.”

“Huh.”

“Next, the Devil.”

“Now that sounds more like me.” BJ grinned at Rebecca. “The Devil isn’t so much a person we can blame, but rather

the hell and suffering we create in our life. There is an old saying, ‘we make our own devils.’ Most people don’t want to take responsibility for their life by saying they are where they are because of themselves. It’s easier to say ‘the devil made me do it.’ That way, they release themselves of any responsibility.

“Some of these cards depict the devil in ropes or chains. You have drawn a card with an image that is free of such bindings. This expresses an ability to escape your hell, to break away from the negativity. We make our own demons. We can destroy them, too.”

BJ found herself asking a question to which she feared the answer. “Do you believe they can be destroyed, Mrs. Ashby? Can it be that simple?”

“Don’t confuse simplicity with ease. Yes, I believe it’s that simple, and no, it is never easy.”

BJ and Rebecca stared at each other. BJ felt there were more questions to ask, but she couldn’t think of them.

“Let’s see what’s next. The Hermit. How appropriate for a loner such as you,” Rebecca said.

BJ didn’t think to ask how Rebecca knew that. She had tried to tell herself that she lived that life because she was having too much fun to commit, but besides some great sex and fun times, she never had much fun. “So why is this guy so fitting for me?”

“The Hermit represents two factors: solitude and a search for the truth. You see, Baylor, you must travel alone when searching for the truth. It’s one of those tasks only you can do. You can certainly surround yourself with those you love as support, but ultimately, it’s up to you to find the key to unlock that door.”

BJ looked up sharply. This was the third time since her arrival on Ana Lia that she had heard or read about the key to happiness. She looked down at the last card in her future. “The Lovers. I kind of like the sound of that.”

“As with most of these cards, the Lovers are not literally a string of lovers that will make their way to your bed. Instead, they represent lessons you will learn through love—and that includes loving yourself, which is the most important lesson we can learn. If we can do that, how can others not love us, as well?”

BJ became silent, thinking of all Rebecca had told her. She looked up at the mantel clock above the fireplace. “I had no idea it was so late. I’ve been here for hours. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to monopolize your time.”

“Not at all. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and I do hope you don’t mind the small diversion.” Rebecca indicated the cards.

“Not at all. I don’t go in much for that sort of thing, but this was interesting.”

“I do hope you’ll come back and see me again. I don’t get out much. I have a hip that troubles me some in this humidity. I hear that you’ve become friends with our Hobie Lynn. Perhaps you’ll bring her to tea some afternoon.”

“I’d love to talk with you again.” BJ smiled. “Hobie and I do seem to keep running into each other.” She wasn’t sure how much to explain. “But to say we’re friends might be pushing it a tad.”

“Well, you two appear to get on so well. I’m sure the longer you stay in Ana Lia, the more you’ll get to know each other.”

“Yes, well...I’m not sure I anticipate staying on the island too much longer. Tanti’s doctor said she was almost ready to come home. Since I’m not able to care for her with my leg the way it is, I thought I’d just hire someone to take care of the place and Tanti.”

“Let me say that you will be sorely missed here, by more people than you know.”

Once BJ was safely on her way, Rebecca sat at her kitchen table and picked up the cordless telephone. She still looked at the object as though it were something foreign, but she had to admit that some changes in life were good—not all, but some. She dialed and waited.

“Hello, Sarah Jane, how is your mother? Yes, I’m so glad you still recognize this old voice. Is Evie awake this afternoon? I wonder if you wouldn’t mind checking for me, dear.” Rebecca waited on the line for a few moments.

“She is? Marvelous...would you mind? Thank you, and be sure to tell your mother I said hello.” She listened to the canned music and began to hum “The Girl from Ipanema” as Evelyn Warren picked up the line.

“Evie! How are you, gal? You’ll never believe who I just spent the afternoon with...Oh, well, you think you’re so smart.” Rebecca chuckled at her friend’s laughter on the other end of the line. “Yes, my dear, it’s precisely as you said. We have more important things to worry about right now, though.” Rebecca repeated BJ’s parting words.

“Yes, I know. Everything will be ruined if she leaves now. Evie, we must come up with a way to keep Baylor on this island for a little longer.”

Fatigue caught up with BJ, and as luck would have it, she was close to the bakery. She remembered Mack’s offer of a ride and glanced at her watch. Another twenty minutes and he would drive by. The tantalizing odors from the bakery drew BJ inside and she purchased a couple of pieces of fudge. Once outside, she spied the bench and made her way across the street.