It was a cloudy morning when I woke up too early and found
out I'm not really sure what am I doing with that man who
slept in my bed for over five years. Daniel was still asleep
and didn't seem to notice my gazes. He was snoring quietly,
never too loud, I noticed his forelock was still full of
hair, his body was still in shape, his blue eyes were now
closed and a little smile was always on his face, even when
he slept. "God, he is so bloody cheerful even in his sleep"
I said to myself in disgust.
I got up quietly, and went to the kitchen to make coffee,
the remains of the romantic dinner he made for me yesterday
were still on the table and the ring he gave me was still on
my finger. My head was aching and I couldn't think clearly,
I wanted to get out of the apartment as soon as possible,
before he would wake up and make me breakfast as usual.  "He
is too good for you, this is your problem" my friend Lisa
was always saying, "This is the reason why I am alone, I'm
too good and all the good guys are caught by witches like
you". Lisa was alone for about five seconds after she
herself dumped the last guy she went out with, but she just
loved to picture herself as a victim.
"Did he propose to you, you lucky witch?" Lisa screamed in
excitement. "Shh... don't shout I don't want everyone to
know" I looked around me, the office was still empty, it was
too early. "Why not? Don't tell me you didn't agree, I will
kill you with my own hands if you didn't" Lisa looked quite
threatening "Oh, shut up" I sat behind my desk " I didn't
give him an answer yet, I need to think" I lit a cigarette
"What is there to think?" Lisa was always the romanticist
among us two. She sat on my table, smashing my papers,
"Ella, I'm really worried, I don't know why are you acting
so foolishly but I won't let you do this, poor Daniel he is
probably devastated. " I gave Lisa my boring face and she
got really mad " I can tell you only this darling, go to a
therapist or even better go to a fortune teller, if you
don't appreciate what you have maybe they would bring some
sense to your brain." She stood up, loosened her beautiful
blonde hair, and wrote something on a note, pushed it in my
hand, and went out.
I took the note, Lisa wrote there in big letters
FORTUNETELLER and also the address: Jaffa street number 14.
For a long hour I just sat there doing nothing, smoking one
cigarette after another. It was raining now and Daniel has
already called four times this morning to tell me how he
loves and misses me. "Of course you would say yes," I said
to myself "You do love him, and he loves you". In that
moment my pen fell down on the floor and when I bend to
picked it up the new ring fell off my hand, I picked it up
and examined it carefully, "I don't need a fortune teller to
tell me what to do!" I laughed at myself and put the ring in
my pocket and through the note to the garbage.
Later on the afternoon I walked slowly back home from work,
watching the show windows, delaying beside the beauty parlor
and looking at the perfect wedding dress I ever imagined.
Suddenly I saw the sign that leads to Jaffa Street, and
found myself going in that narrow lane straight to Jaffa 14.
The street was neglected and Jaffa 14 was a gray and gloomy
place. I stood in front of the house, and immediately
regretted, the minute I decided to leave, I heard a voice:"
Come in, I waited for you", I turned around and saw an old
woman standing at the balcony of Jaffa 14 smiling at me with
a toothless mouth. I don't know what made me go inside what
demon possessed me in that ill minute but I went into Jaffa
14 to hear my future and to ruin my life.
The old woman, Marja was her name, took my hand and led me
to her kitchen, it was a tiny house which its walls were
peeling. At the house stood a strong smell of cat's urine
and when I looked around I saw two dozens of cats sleeping
peacefully on the shabby sofas. I sat beside the little
green table while Marja put a pot of black coffee on the
fire. "Loosened up, don't be so nervous, relax" she smiled
at me and gave me a look that only made me more nervous. One
of her black cats jumped up on the table and looked at me
with its evil green eyes. "kisht... kisht....", Marja
brought me the coffee and took the dreadful creature in her
hands "they are used to do what they want" she apologized. I
drank the black coffee, it was sweet and tasty to my
surprise and I saw her carefully examines me while I was
drinking the black fluid.
Suddenly she announced "That's enough", and took a large
plate, overturned my empty cup and examined the traces the
fluid made in the grainy stuff. "Interesting! I see here you
are in trouble, you need to decide and you don't know what
to decide am I right?" she looked at me and I nodded in
approval.  "You are in a big distress, and all this is
because your father left your mother and you when you were
very little, and you don't think you deserve the love your
lover wants to give you". I was in shock, how did she know
all those details? " Now I will tell you the truth, even if
it hurts, are you ready?" I looked at her terrified. "Your
boyfriend, he is a very good guy, but he is not your
destiny, sorry, this is what I see, he doesn't understand
you, he bores you, and the three guys before him, they
weren't for you either". She smiled "But don't worry honey,
I do see you getting married with the perfect man soon, let
this guy go and you will find your happiness". I was
relieved, I knew it all along that Daniel wasn't the right
guy and also Sam and Harry and Dave, they loved me too much,
and I couldn't stand them. I stood up, "how much I need to
pay?" she looked at me "don't worry about it, I don't need
money, go in peace". It was a minute before I went out that
she held my hand and said, "I want to tell you one more
thing, pay attention, don't trust anyone, the world is full
of evil" and then she blessed me and I think I saw a tear
dropping from her eye. I didn't stop to think, in the very
same day, all my things were out of the apartment and I was
free again.
It was only three days after I left Daniel when I saw him
standing beside the beauty parlor where I saw my dreamy
wedding dress before. Daniel just stood there doing nothing
"Daniel, how are you?" I came near him "Good, very good,
thanks" he smiled a bitter smile "are you waiting for
someone?" he didn't answer, but when I looked at the show
window I saw the unbelievable sight. Lisa was standing
there, talking with an old woman that looked exactly like my
fortuneteller. Lisa, gave the old woman a heavy parcel of
cash and the old woman took it and hid it in her apron. I
couldn't believe my eyes, Lisa went out of the beauty
parlor, she saw me but didn't seem to care "Come on Daniel,
we are going" they didn't even looked at me when they passed
me by. "Daniel, Lisa!" I shouted but they didn't hear my
eyes were full of tears now. I turned my face and there she
stood my fortuneteller, in the threshold of the beauty
parlor looking very grave "I guess that for the only true
advice I gave you, you never really listened". My
fortuneteller turned away and closed the door behind her.