The Cruise

I guess it’s time we talked about it.

The cruise.

That’s probably how you found me.

One balmy October evening on a ship in the Caribbean, Hell froze over.

How do I know Hell froze over? Because my mother, who doesn’t really get what all this is about, suggested I do a reading on how much she’d win at the casino that night. She’s never asked for a reading before. She tends to stay away from anything overtly “woo-woo,” but in the quiet of our cabin, she found me shuffling cards. Maybe she wanted to help calm my nerves or support me, maybe she wanted to feel like she was part of something, or maybe curiosity just got the better of her. My mother’s motivations are always an enigma, but she asked.

And no, I didn’t charge her.

I can’t remember all five cards I pulled, but I do remember the message: she would win, but not much, and a tricky man would be involved. The vibes were very dealer-slash-game-show-host adjacent, and I told her so.

Not even an hour later, Mom bought a ticket for Deal or No Deal. I stepped away to get a drink, and on my way back I heard over the PA system, “LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR OUR NEXT CONTESTANT…” and turned to see my mother, in her cute Halloween jacket, climbing the stairs to the stage to join the (male) game show host.

I had become a bit of a “thing” on Threads during my vacation for deciding to set some boundaries so I could have a good time too. So I posted my prediction and then live-posted a few short clips as she played. At least fifteen thousand people watched live as my mother turned down offer after offer from the Banker…

Only to walk away with…

Five Dollars.

They were not the results she wanted, but they certainly fit the prediction I gave her.

She did win. It wasn’t very much. And a tricky man was very much involved.

Anyway, now she’s not speaking to me, and one of my newer decks definitely has some opinions about our relationship, but that’s a blog entry for another day.

⭒☾⭒