Stream

Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway and Seventh was Jana's favorite place for a dreamily solitary lunch, grateful for time all to herself, a lunch just for one.

Pushing her tray along, she went for her comfort selections like roasted turkey half--sandwich on dense, seedy wheat. Ceasar salad, plus a small bowl of chilled watermelon chunks, scoop of tangy pineapple cottage cheese.

Luckily, her favorite table was free, in a darkened second-tier corner, near the tiny chapel with the enchanted ancient Seqouia forest display inside. It was always her own special delight as a child two decades earlier, when she would come to the  picturesque restaurant with her mom. Sadly, the chapel was locked up years ago.

Jana's stray thoughts seemed to disappear into the little stream that passed by her table, one of many throughout the misty, rain forest interior of the historic local eatery.

Walking back outside, squinting against the late afternoon sun, Jana noticed a small kiosk near the corner, not a news stand, she never saw it before. Walking over, passing thru a haze of folks on the teeming sidewalk, Jana read the single sign: Photo and Fortune - $5. Seated behind a low counter, a tiny woman in brown shawl smiling with the oldest friendly eyes, and holding a vintage Polaroid camera.

Before she was even aware of her movements, Jana was somehow already seated opposite the woman. No words exchanged, the camera flashed its bright bulb, the two waited. But the old woman held on to the drying print, Jana couldn't see a thing. Then, the old woman's eyes widened as she gazed at the image emerging.

After a few moments, she suddenly spoke out in a high-pitched but strangely soothing tone, "You have two younger siblings, twin boys. Mother gives Half-and-Half to your cat. Your dad lives in Spokane. And somewhere there's neon fish in a tank. Your personal fortune is: Kindness Wins."

Jana sat frozen stiff in her chair. The details about her were 100% correct. She was confused, this wasn't possible, she thought, what is happening here? All her emotions seemed to crowd to an unassigned exit. Jana then felt slightly ill, putting her head down on crossed arms, trying to sort out the irrational moment.

Jana searched her memory hard for some explanation. Did she know this old woman? Then, still speechless, fear just took over. This cannot happen, her weakening reason insisted. Nearly panicked, Jana looked up again, the woman was gone. She saw the photo was left face down on the counter. Jana flipped it over with nervous fingers- it was blank.

An unexplainable, dizzying swoon of utter perplexity came over her, then morphed to a worrisome carousel of rotating theories. Where did the woman go? Jana saw the camera's flash, the picture taken, where did that image go? Was it all a trick? Was there really a hidden camera, somewhere?

Just then, the familiar sound of water splashing shook her awareness, as Jana's cloudy vision and thought began to clear. Thoroughly startled, she was amazed to be still sitting at her table, beside the little stream running along its unconcerned path.