“Mum, good and bad fortunes are a matter of fate, besides you know I don’t believe in such superstitious things!”

I exclaimed as we all sat down around grandmother.

“Honey, let’s just hear what grandma has to say about you and then you can leave,” said mum.

We used to see granny once in a blue moon as she lived in the rural part of the country, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and we are really caught up in our lives. People admired granny since she was a well-known fortune teller in the village. I, however, believe that life is an unpredictable journey and it unfolds each chapter with a new mystery to be revealed.

Granny told everybody what their future held for them, but when my turn came she asked me to follow. We went into a grotesque room with a colossal, bizarre mirror inside it. Despite not being interested in fortune telling, I was quite curious to know why she brought me there.

Suddenly I felt like I was getting pulled into that mirror and in the blink of an eye I was before a spirit who said, “Charlotte, you possess great mental power and in the twilight will be your chance to shine. You will go through an adventure, but be sure to comprehend it shrewdly or your life could be at risk”

I was spellbound until the spell broke and I heard granny repeating my name. I was out of that stillness. I felt bewildered and gave a thought to the spirit’s words, but soon brushed it off. Afterwards, granny and I got out of that room without breathing a word. Everybody was gazing at me, but I just sat there perplexed.

Jessica was a childhood friend who lived near granny. One day she came to me breathless and informed me, “Charlotte! Get out of here, there’s a wild bull on the loose and it’s heading towards here.”

I was stunned but just in the nick of time rushed out of the house where my whole family were standing. Fortunately the bull back tracked at the last moment.

Jessica whispered, “Why is that bull after the boy wearing a red tank top? I feel sorry for him.”

Just then a thought struck me “Of course, because it can’t see the red colour but is irritated by the boy’s movement.”

“Jessica, you are a genius. I want you to find a massive red piece of clothing,” I asked her.

She seemed to have understood my plan. I was a bit nervous as I recalled the spirit’s phrase about a threat to my life. Jessica got hold of a red cloth and held it in front of a wall. I diverted the bull’s attention towards me as the words ‘chance to shine’ whirled in my mind.

I made sure it followed me in the direction of the wall as courage flowed through my body. I was quite surprised at how easily I was handling the situation. As I reached the wall, I quickly jumped to the right and soon after I heard a loud ‘Boom’. The bull smashed into the brick wall!

After some time, people who could handle these kinds of bulls came forward and the bull was dragged into a cage. I kind of felt sorry for the bull, but there was nothing I could do about it.

The villagers gave me a great round of applause and everybody praised me. I was looking at my family and when my gaze fell on granny, I came to a halt and was delighted to see the grin on her face.

Afterwards, when we got inside, granny exclaimed, “You didn’t let me down, young lass.”

I smiled back and said, “I still don’t believe in fortune telling, granny.” And I heard her murmur, “You have so much to learn.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 6th, 2020