the almost-psychic

"i'm psychic," she said, and she smiled her wide, big smile

full of teeth

against such pale, white skin

full of brown freckles

and light eyebrows

and red, red hair

and wide, brown eyes.

"i'm psychic," she says again, and i lean in closer and she winces her eyes and opens that mouth and smiles so big.

she's actually, super old, and she and her husband are both the "soft" kinds of folks

the kind of soft that you see folding over itself and rolling forward into themselves in life.

but they're in my section

and i'm waiting their table

and i don't care who they are or what they do

we're both here to enjoy our time

and that arrangement works. :)

she begins again.

"are you a voice major at CCM?"

i pause.

i don't want to hurt her pride.

"noooooo......BUT i WAS an acting major. i graduated march 2011."

"oh." she says.

she looks unperturbed.

she breathes out, focuses on me again, looks intently at me, pulsing into my soul.

she speaks.

"do you build things next door at the ensemble theatre?"

i pause.

i don't want to hurt her pride.

"noooooo......BUT my boyfriend builds things next door at ETC. He's the technical director."

she looks positively delighted.

"oh!" she exclaims, and claps her hands, rejoicing in the fact, perhaps, that she's gotten so close.

and i wonder

this "almost psychic,"

so delighted to be completely wrong. 

:)