(3) Born with a gift 3

"How old is your daughter again?" said a fat black lady who looked like a fortune teller, sitting in a meditation position with dead animal skin used to decorate her tent, with a crystal ball in the middle of the table

"She is 5 ma'am, " Debbie said looking at the lady whose hand was on her forehead, John who was sited next to Debbie looked at the lady irritated

"Oh I see something," the lady said with her eyes tightly shut "she's no ordinary child, no no no, she's just in kindergarten right?" John put his hand on his face, with the sense of anyone could have assumed that "And you said she started talking the day she turned 5?"

 Debbie clears her throat and answers "Yes ma and she talked so fluent like she has talked a lot before, it was strange and-" The lady places her fingers on her lips "Enough talking, now look into the crystal ball both of you"

 Debbie leans forward, John mumbles I feel stupid before he leans in too "Now tell me what do you see". Debbie replies "I see nothing "

John then pauses for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened, then he speaks "I see... I see.. " the lady and Debbie become curious "I see... I wasted 10 whole dollars " The lady sighs and responds "Normally I charge double" he grunts and faces the other way

The lady focus on Debbie "Something tells me this man is not the father of the child''

"How did you know? "

The lady gasps "What?... You think I'm a fake?, well sweetheart I am real alright, and to tell you the truth, I feel an odd connection between that man and your child, and I have two options "

"And what are they? "

"She's either cursed or she's a witch "

"What!!" John jumps in "This is ridiculous, stop filling her mind with rubbish, I am sure there's a perfectly good explanation for all this"

Debbie shakes her head "Can't you see?, Precious isn't like the others she's... different, she's just different, everything about her, I need to know what's wrong with her, even if it comes to this "Debbie turns to the fortune teller she asks a bit emotional "so, what do you think, can you save my daughter? "

The fortune-teller sits up straight "Your daughter possesses a lot of things, and as she grows older more weird things would begin to happen, I don't know if she's a witch or a demon or a supernatural being, what I know is, the only way to stop her from seeing things or having to do things is if she wears a special charm"

"And how much will this special charm cost?" John asks rather blunt

"Oh it would cost you nothing" Debbie begins to thank her "But there is a catch though "

''And what's that?" Debbie asked concern

"The charm wouldn't last for long, I don't know when it would stop working, all I know is there's a time the charm wouldn't have any power" the fortune-teller stands up, she opens a cupboard and brings out what appears to be a wooden cross necklace

She gives it to Debbie "Here, take this and put it around her neck" Debbie carefully takes the necklace from the fortune teller

"Thank you ma'am " she rises to leave with John when the lady stops them"Wait, Debbie, I think there's another way for you to know what's wrong with your child "

"There is? "

"Yes, why not go back to your home, I think you might find your answers there"

"I can't, I am banished, if I ever set foot there, I am dead" the lady didn't say another word she just got back to her meditating.

______ They enter their car, Precious was fast asleep at the back seat, Debbie reaches to Precious, stretching herself to the back seat, and carefully putting the charm around her babies neck

"I hope this work"

 She looks at Precious's peaceful face, John smiles at her

"Me too"

She sighs "I know I say this a lot, but thank you"

"Stop saying that, it's okay"

"You've done more than what anyone could have possibly done, you took us in and made us your family"

John smiles "What can I say? maybe I'm your guardian angel sent from above"

"You indeed are, and I'll forever be grateful "

"Let's go home" He starts the car

Debbie surely hasn't forgotten about her home, her family, and her friends, she tries her best not to think of them much, because the worse feeling is knowing she won't ever see them again. but she's not alone, she has a family of her own now, sometimes she wonders how life would have been if daniel accepted her, if her baby was just born normal, She often wonders if her child is a blessing or a curse.

__________ Later in the evening, John and Debbie's eyes were both focused on the TV their favorite movie series was on, but then they hear precious calling out different names she walks up to her mum and dad and begins to cry, Debbie carries her on her lap and uses her hands to dry her tears"Baby what's wrong?"

Precious sobs" I... I can't find my friends "

"Well, did you check everywhere?"

"Yes... Yes I did, mummy my friends, they are all gone now"

Precious begins to pour, Debbie paths her back and rests her head on her chest, she lip-syncs to John 'the charm worked' John looks at her and smiled.

_________Precious eventually gave up on looking for her "friends" and soon forgot they ever existed.

It took time though, but I guess as she grew older those memories felt like dreams and those "friends" were just imaginary.

As time passed, Debbie soon forgot all her worries about her daughter, she seemed "normal" now. and it made her feel at ease, Everything was normal for the time being, but occasionally her mind still travels back.

She made a promise to herself that she would protect her daughter at all cost. Precious deserves a life like everyone else