Only a Fortune Cookie?

CHAPTER 1

What a great dinner, Jo! Lisa said, pushing her plate aside. Russ and I really appreciate you doing this. Think I see our waiter coming now . . . She smiled great big and added . . . with your bill . . . and OUR fortune cookies. You believe in fortune cookies, Jo?

You’ve got to be kidding! Jo tried not to show her feelings. All through dinner, she watched Lisa and her very soon to be husband, Russ. Yes! She was jealous! . . . but Lisa was her best friend. She had invited them both out for this last dinner together as a sort-of going away present.

Lisa! Jo said . . . as she looked at them both sitting there across the table with food in their mouths and smiles on their faces. As many times as we’ve eaten in here . . . All those silly slips of paper we’ve pulled out of those fortune cookies . . . Remember who always got ‘tall dark, handsome man in your future’ . . . ‘love and happiness just around the corner’ . . . How about this one? . . . I got the note, not you . . . day before you two met. ‘New romance is coming soon’ . . . I’m the one who got that message and YOU’RE the ones who have a new romance. NO! . . . Jo chuckled I read ’em, but I sure don’t believe in ’em. When are you two leaving town anyway?

Couple hours. Russ looked at Jo, put his arm aound Lisa and smiled. Really do appreciate this fine dinner. I don’t believe in fortune telling stuff either . . . specially silly paper predictions that’ve been put out by a computer somewhere. You WILL come visit us . . . Won’t you?

Sure! . . . Sure! Jo lied. She had no intention of ever going across country by herself to set and watch newly-weds smooch. Where was HER charming guy? . . . No! . . . She’d stay right here . . . on the beach . . . for the time being, at least.

What is taking our waiter so long? Lisa began to get impatient. We’ve never waited so long for our check before. Let’s just go . . . pay at the register. I don’t care about those silly fortune cookies anyway.

Just as she started to get up; the waiter walked up the the table. Instead of putting the tray with the fortune cookies and their bill on the table as was the usual custom; he held it out toward them . . . first to Lisa, then to Russ. Each took a fortune cookie and were in the process of opening them. When it came for Jo’s turn, a short, fat man wearing huge sun glasses that extended clear across his face and a very colorful, flowing jacket, or robe that reached almost to the floor bumped him. The tray flew out of the waiter’s hand and fell, clattering onto the floor.

The oddly dressed little man bowed very low, Ah . . . excuse me. How clumsy of me. He bowed again. Here . . . let me assist you. The little fat man picked up the tray and the bill . . . and the last fortune cookie. I’ll take care of this, Ma’am, he said. Bowing even lower, his hand clinched, he reached out and placed the last fortune cookie right into Jo’s hand . . . My lady . . . Your fortune!

Jo took the cookie from his enclosed hand as she looked up to thank him. The instant the little cookie touched her hand, the man vanished. She looked all around to see where he might have disappeared to. He was no where in sight. NO WHERE!

Then she really looked at her fortune cookie . . . and gasped. It wasn’t like any she’d ever seen before. It was wrapped in pale pink celophane paper . . . not clear like Lisa’s or Russ’s. After staring at the little cookie for a few seconds, Jo glanced toward the front of the restaurant.

There he was! There was the colorfully dressed little fat man . . . standing right in front of the register. He looked straight at Jo, stopped what he was doing for a second, smiled and took off his sun glasses.

That did it! Jo sucked in a deep, loud breath. The man had only ONE eye! ONE eye . . . right in the middle of his forehead. She couldn’t believe what she saw . . . but . . . there he was . . . with only ONE EYE! Jo thought she was seeing things . . . had to be. There must be some mistake. She was compelled to look closer, but, as she stood up; the man vanished again. Her head turned this way and that. She surveyed the entire room. No door had been opened. He was simply just not there.

DID YOU SEE THAT? Jo pointed toward the check-out counter.

Neither Lisa or Russ were paying any attention to her . . . not at all. There they sat . . . kissing and hugging . . . in the restaurant.

HEY! . . . YOU TWO! . . . DID YOU SEE THAT?

What . . . see what? Lisa mumbled . . . not bothering to look up.

HIS EYES . . . ER . . . HIS EYE . . . DID YOU SEE HIS EYE? . . . HEY! . . . GUYS! . . . PAY ATTENTION! . . . THAT MAN, THE ONE THAT GAVE ME THIS. . . . she held her little pink fortune cookie up so they could see . . . HE ONLY HAD ONE EYE No one has only ONE EYE!

You don’t have to yell. What’re you talking about, Jo? Now . . . she’d gotten Russ’s attention. No one has only ONE eye. You have something to drink we didn’t?

Jo held out her little pink-wrapped fortune cookie . . . O.K . . . EXPLAIN THIS . . . then!

I can’t, Russ answered, raising one eyebrow. What’s the difference anyway? . . . clear or pink . . . all the same to me. Let’s see what it says in there.

Jo held out her fortune cookie . . . still wondering why it was pink. Look . . . Look at THIS, then. You ever see one that looks like THIS?

While Lisa and Russ sat there shaking their heads, Jo opened the wrapper. The little slip of paper stuffed inside was different, too . . . very different . . . pink and shaped like a heart with script type writing on it.

DON’T DISMAY! THIS IS YOUR DAY!

YOU’LL MEET YOUR TRUE LOVE

. . . IN A MOST UNUSUAL WAY . . .

On the bottom were two little hearts . . . a blue one and a pink one . . . with an arrow running through them.

Both Lisa and Russ were speechless . . . sat there with their mouths open watching Jo clutch onto the little pink heart-shaped piece of paper. I’ve never seen anything like this, Lisa said. Let me see that! She held out her hand so Jo could give it to her.

I . . . I can’t! Lisa . . . I’m sorry . . . somehow . . . I . . . I just can’t make myself give it to you. I have the weirdest feeling about this . . . like I’ve just been through the twi-light zone or something.

Well! You are as pale as a GHOST, Jo, Lisa said, frowning. Maybe you’d better go ahead and read it out loud . . . so we all know what it says.

Good idea, Russ agreed. Let’s hear it. He reached out his hand and put it on Jo’s in an attempt to take it from her.

LET GO . . . Russ! Jo pulled her hand back, clutching her little heart-paper tighter than ever as she pressed it to her chest. I’ll read it to you . . . but . . . after I do, I don’t want any more to be said about it. I don’t want anything said about anything weird that’s happened in here tonight . . . promise?

Oh! Don’t be so silly, Jo, Lisa snapped. It’s only a fortune cookie . . .

Really? Jo looked at them both. She was still jealous of their new-found relationship. Get this, then . . . Why was my fortune cookie wrapped DIFFERENT from yours. When the waiter first brought our tray with the bill and 3 fortune cookies, she raised the little cookie in her hand and shook it in the air . . . all of them looked exactly alike. I SAW THEM!

Jo tossed her cookie onto the table and pointed to Lisa. You took one. YOU saw all three. Next she pointed to Russ. YOU took yours, too . . . and I’m sure you saw the three of them sitting on that tray, too. They ALL LOOKED EXACTLY ALIKE . . . I’m telling you. Just look at your wrappers . . . laying there on the table. Jo picked up her cookie wrapper and again waved it in their faces. Now . . . LOOK AT THIS!

Jo held out her pink wrapper for both of them to see. As soon as she did, it suddenly vanished. A cold chill seemed to hang in the air.

Let’s get out of here, Jo said in a frightened and shaky voice. She stuffed the little pink heart note into her purse. I don’t like this. Not at all. In fact . . . I don’t even like this PLACE anymore . . . like to know who put that fat guy up to playing this sick joke on me. Bet he really doesn’t have only one eye either . . . in the middle of his forehead . . . Come on now! This whole thing’s gotta be some kind of a sick joke.

Russ raised his eyebrow again and looked at Jo out of the corner of his eye. It’s obvious . . . Jo . . . You’re not completely dismissing the reality of this . . . THIS! He pointed to the two plain wrappers lying on the table . . . Otherwise, . . . you’d leave that little pink fortune here on the table . . . just like we did. He pointed to the table, then pounded on it to make his point. Sick joke alright, He said smiling. He shook his head back and forth, kept on shaking it and muttering to himself all the way to the door.

Russ is right . . . . Jo thought about it for a moment. Why DID she put that little heart-fortune into her hand bag? Just be more junk to clutter up her already full purse. Promptly, she pulled it out, walked back toward the table . . . crumpled it up . . . uncrumpled it and read it again . . . and again.

DON’T DISMAY! THIS IS YOUR DAY!

YOU’LL MEET YOUR TRUE LOVE

. . . IN A MOST UNUSUAL WAY . . .

No fortune cookie, Jo murmered, and I’ve opened up a lot of them . . . has a note in it that looks . . . or reads like this one. AND . . . NONE of them are signed with 2 hearts that have an arrow sticking through them. HEY! . . . YOU GUYS! . . . YOU HEAR ME? Jo shouted as the two of them were about to walk out of the door. Russ is right! . . . SICK JOKE! Jo pressed her lips together, wadded up the little heart, turned around and threw it, just as hard as she could towards the table . . . letting it fall where it may.

Lisa and Russ were already out the door and at their car when Jo caught up with them. WELL . . . Lisa asked. Did you bring it? . . . or did you leave it?

Jo opened her door and sat down. Don’t worry, Lisa. I left it . . . on the floor . . . near to the table all wadded up in a little ball.

Lisa smiled, Don’t YOU worry! You’ll find someone too . . . without that fortune cookie . . . or a one-eyed man . . . or someone’s sick joke to spoil an evening. Sooner or later, Jo . . . You’ll have to stop being so particular.

Jo thought about what she said for a minute. If it’s all right with you two, I think I’ll just have you drop me off at home now.

You not coming with us to the airport? Lisa turned around in her seat. Come on, Jo! Ocean’s smooth and the moon’s out there shining beautiful on it . . . Beautiful night! Who’s going to drive our car back?

Doesn’t matter to me about that moon . . . and the ocean . . . and the beautiful night. You two go on. I think I’ll just watch TV for a while and go to bed early. You guys have fun . . . enjoy your plane ride. I’ll get your car later. You don’t need me in the way anyway. Your car’ll be at my house when you want it.

Reluctantly, they dropped Jo off at her home. She made herself some hot tea, curled up in her over-stuffed chair, turned on the TV and stayed home. The thought crossed her mind several times . . . how stupid she was for even thinking