IÂ’ve talked about it before, that I went to see a psychic in 1998.

Nine years ago I was in a desperate state. I was working for a stock broking company in Las Colinas, an area between Dallas and Arlington. It was a job I hated beyond hate, but felt I had no where to turn to get out of it. Kim and I had split for the final time. My Rottweiler Alexi had just died. I was paying back massive student loans and making sweet fuck at my horrible soul-sucking job and each month 5 bucks literally meant whether IÂ’d be eating or not. On top of that, I had a drinking problem in which IÂ’d take my favorite magenta plastic cup, fill it with two-thirds vodka and one-third orange sorbet and then proceed to drink myself to the point of spinning oblivion, collapsing on the bed at some point and succumbing to Kafka dreams to the nightly whir of my Texas air conditioning.

This happened nightly.

There wasnÂ’t anything in my life to stay sober for.

Someone I worked with told me about a psychic she saw regularly. I took a yellow post-it with the name and number and made an appointment. After work one day, still dressed in my business suit, I drove to her apartment at our agreed time. I still remember the apartment complex – a mock Tudor sprawl somewhere in Arlington - but I couldn’t for the life of me tell you where the apartments were, and I used to know everything about Arlington.

I remember it cost $25 for a one hour session. This was money I barely had to spend on legitimate things like little pieces of plastic that came with a 16.9% APR, let alone on a woman purporting to be a psychic. When I paid her it was in a $20 bill and $5 in quarters, which was my laundromat money for the week. I guess the price of clean clothes was worth the cost of hope.

Besides the money for a few bottles of vodka I had nothing to lose.

IÂ’m a cynic, and since she couldnÂ’t see my face anyway I figured she wasnÂ’t spending her time reading my reactions. I still remember the blind woman and her blind miniature Collie.

She had a short blond bob and was kindly chubby in a “sweet Great-Aunt” kind of way. She had a few candles lit in her very modest apartment. Periodically during the session her little blind dog would get up, walk around, and smack into furniture. The house smelled like herbs and spices and talcum powder.

I wondered what I was doing there.

I remember a lot of what she said still. I donÂ’t know if we make what the psychics say come true because we believe thatÂ’s some kind of path for us, or if thereÂ’s something to what they tell us. What I remember at the time is what came out of her mouth was so far-fetched I could never, ever have believed it could happen. It was a whole world away from me and where I was. She couldnÂ’t possibly have known about the drinking, the loss, the absolute unquestionable need for faith (in something, in anything) that I had. I was slowly killing myself through drinking, despair, and my bulimic purges.

So maybe it was enough that someone came in and told me a story that gave me hope to get out of my situation. Someone told me about something that she said would be happening, and maybe that was what I needed to give me a kick in the ass to do something about my life. And the damn strange thing of it all is that everything she said has – so far – come true.

She told me about lights in the ceiling in a cold building that would lead me to a man with blue eyes. The man with blue eyes would lead to a country on the other side of the water, a country that started with “Sw”. The “Sw” country would lead to a lot of things, some good, some bad. It would lead to me spending the rest of my life with someone, and we would someday live by the water.

There I was, wilting away in Texas, and it was all so surreal it was a dream to me.

But the strange thing is, she was bang on in some parts. I got a job with a consulting agency which paid me 10k more than I was making. I bought a new car and some confidence. I worked hard and worked my way up. The consulting company sent me to a telecom company in Dallas, and then to another one, one which I had never heard of but which the headquarters were based in Sweden.

Sw.

She was right.

Then I went to a hockey game (lights in the ceiling and cold building) which lead to a flirtation with a guy who had blue eyes.

She was right again.

I took a position in the Swedish company. I moved to Sweden.

Even if youÂ’re a cynic, you have to admit that itÂ’s a bit uncanny.

Sweden led to another man but, above all, it led to Angus.

He has the bluest eyes of anyone IÂ’ve ever known.

She told me more – that I had a hard time and some times in my future would get harder. She told me that I was meant to be a writer, that what I had to offer the world would come from words (I’m trying on that one, honest.) She told me someday I would live by the water (still working on that one, too.) She did also tell me I had five guardian angels and that I’d had seriously miserable and uneventful past lives and that this life I am living now would be my last one, but then you can’t win them all.

But here’s the thing that I don’t think I’ve really talked about – she told me that I would have two children. She said that one of them would be very talented in the performing arts and would go far. So imagine my surprise when I found out the local secondary school near our little white house is a performing arts school. She told me that one of the children would cause great worry as a baby, that something was wrong with its heart or something like that, but at birth all would be ok. And we did have worries with one baby, to the point where we had tests, but the baby has a completely normal genetic karyotyping and the anatomy scan yesterday showed no abnormalities at all.

Stop reading now if you don’t want to know, but the rest is beyond the jump – I didn’t blog about it yesterday as I wanted to tell my dad and stepmother about the results before my mother and sister read about it on the blog and decided to tell him for me, as they have very crudely done with other things. We're going ahead with the results as it's not like I can keep it a secret for 15 more weeks, it's much too big for that.
The psychic told me that IÂ’d have a son and a daughter.

And she was right about that, too.

-H.

Posted by: Everydaystranger at 04:08 PM | Comments (42) | Add Comment
Post contains 1242 words, total size 7 kb.

1 Yipppeeeee!!! I am so so excited for you-I have one of each-of course three years apart, and it is so much fun! Of course, I am really geeked that I get to knit one girl item, and one boy item. Sweet.

Posted by: Teresa at June 21, 2007 04:17 PM (WTHYb)

2 I had a feeling that you were pg with one of each. I'm so happy for you. I wish you a very healthy and happy pregnancy. You are in my thoughts.

Posted by: Tif at June 21, 2007 04:22 PM (jCFyL)

3 Awesome! I had a hunch that was it, that's why I commented what I did yesterday. Yay for you!

Posted by: Amanda at June 21, 2007 04:27 PM (ay+rD)

4 There's a prediction that you can't help but smile at. Especially when it's true. Congratulations H. That's wonderful news! (And a good story too... I'm curious about what else she said

Posted by: Opal at June 21, 2007 05:08 PM (Us7dd)

5 wowzers. that's awesome! :-) and congrats to you on your perfect pair! wait, that sounds like i'm talking about your boobs...i meant your perfect babies! xoxox

Posted by: leah at June 21, 2007 05:12 PM (Msku8)

6 I'm all tingly now! and weepy, but that isn't all too unusual.

Posted by: cursingmama at June 21, 2007 05:36 PM (PoQfr)

7 Boy...you get me everytime. I'm sitting here, once again, crying. I'm so happy for you, wow, a boy and a girl. Congratulations!! And yes you are a writer. I very taleted one. I hang on your every word.

Posted by: nukeum at June 21, 2007 06:30 PM (JKeGB)

8 I'll tell you what's spooky, I read that darn "Spooky" entry 2 or 3 days ago and got the goose bumps, and I'll be damned if you're not writing about it today. Teaches me to go through archives.

Posted by: Heidi at June 21, 2007 06:52 PM (uzISJ)

9 I forgot....THAT'S AB. FAB. NEWS! Congrats mommy!

Posted by: Heidi at June 21, 2007 06:54 PM (uzISJ)

10 I had a secret suspicion it was one of each too. Very excited for you! So spooky and yet so very cool about the psychic. Glad things are (apparently) working out according to some awesome plan.

Posted by: Lisa at June 21, 2007 07:01 PM (e8V7B)

11 Wonderful news. Congratulations!

Posted by: alice at June 21, 2007 07:07 PM (TrOtc)

12 Congrats! I'm so happy for you and Angus (and Melissa and Jeff). If you wouldn't mind a knitted gift from a stranger (not a psycho), I'd love to knit something for your twins.

Posted by: Katy at June 21, 2007 07:33 PM (eYqL5)

13 OH my gawd I am soo happy for you, one of each how absoutely perfect! OHH WOWWWWW jumping up and down!!!

Posted by: Cheryl at June 21, 2007 07:37 PM (WWLXT)

14 I couldn't be happier for you... I'm speechless with happiness.

Posted by: sue at June 21, 2007 07:46 PM (WbfZD)

15 My grandmother knew you were going to have boy/girl twins too. Heh, kidding Start preparing your sarcastic answers for a lifetime of, "Are they identical?" But seriously, congrats! I am so happy for you! Having a twin brother is great. Growing up, I always had someone to play with and to share new experiences with. Your kids are going to be awesome

Posted by: geeky at June 21, 2007 08:02 PM (ziVl9)

16 That is so wonderful! Raising those two is going to be a blast!

Posted by: Steff at June 21, 2007 08:11 PM (gEvCB)

17 Yea a boy and a girl! I think that is Baby Feng Shui or something.

Posted by: donna at June 21, 2007 08:14 PM (Kco5r)

18 Damn. What a scarily accurate prediction. I tend to be careful with such things, because I honestly believe that if I'm allowed to see too far into the future, I might decide to end it all now. I'd be too afraid that I would not be up to the task of dealing with the inevitable challenges of the future (and there ALWAYS be challenges). Like in your case, things in Sweden eventually got better (once you moved to th UK), but you went through hell in the meantime. I'd be too afraid of the bad times (OK, call me a wuss). And it looks like my prediction was accurate too. A boy and a girl. Congratulation, you can't do better than that!

Posted by: diamond dave at June 21, 2007 09:34 PM (/0/gH)

19 Congratulations! One of each...you can't get better than that!

Posted by: kali at June 21, 2007 11:36 PM (rrNYS)

20 I am so thrilled you told us, I thought you might be holding out... I wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret either! Thanks for sharing! Its just so exciting, I wonder, do you feel differently about the lemonheads now that you know? I always wondered if I would relate more to the baby knowing if it was male or female?

Posted by: Sarah at June 21, 2007 11:53 PM (y1pJp)

21 Wow. That's pretty awesome. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Posted by: ~Easy at June 22, 2007 02:41 AM (X+de8)

22 Wow. I mean... WOWZA Wow.

Posted by: Elizabeth at June 22, 2007 03:57 AM (Pcq9x)

23 I knew it! I knew that you were having a boy and a girl. Why? Because it's perfect. It's just exactly how things are meant to be. Bless you, sweetheart. Bless you, Angus, your kids and your babies, too.

Posted by: Margi at June 22, 2007 06:14 AM (X+XmR)

24 OMG!!!! I've always dreamt of having a boy/gal twin...You lucky one! Congrats, you have all my blessings! and... *points up* Mumin's smiling and grinning too, somewhere up there

Posted by: sue at June 22, 2007 08:07 AM (sjR3j)

25 Yea!!!! Don't think there is much more to say

Posted by: LarryConley at June 22, 2007 08:18 AM (vGN1n)

26 Congratulations!!

Posted by: Solomon at June 22, 2007 12:22 PM (al5Ou)

27 Yay! How awesome is that? Congrats!

Posted by: Lee at June 22, 2007 12:59 PM (lN4Rc)

28 Huge congratulations! That's great news!

Posted by: Anna at June 22, 2007 01:53 PM (qJirJ)

29 Hooray!! Congratulations! Now everyone can start asking you what the names will be...and pass judgment. It will be awesome!

Posted by: Amanda at June 22, 2007 02:06 PM (B5c+c)

30 yay, one of each! congrats.

Posted by: becky at June 22, 2007 02:45 PM (jv5jW)

31 ARgh! I left a comment yesterday expressing my delight in your boy AND girl but it's NOT HERE! So here it is again: *****DELIGHTED FOR YOU ALL*******

Posted by: The other Amber at June 22, 2007 03:09 PM (zQE5D)

32 Call me crazy, but I think you're going to be receiving a lot of hand knitted items for your babies.

Posted by: amy t. at June 22, 2007 05:13 PM (y4iz1)

33 How perfectly perfect. A matched set. And they'll have a big sister and a big brother to teach them the ropes. That's fantastic. Well, I hope all the health concerns are for naught. I had a psychic once tell me to be very careful of my daughter's "sixth year" - and I was worried something would happen all that year. Nothing did. THANKFULLY. She's 13 now. And with that I will give you my sagest bit of unsolicited parenting advice: Just do what you always wished your parents would, but never did.

Posted by: Tracy at June 22, 2007 06:06 PM (zv3bS)

34 WONDERFUL! One for each step-child to fawn completely over!!! fabulous! Congratulations again.

Posted by: oddybobo at June 22, 2007 06:17 PM (mZfwW)

35 I'm not one of your psychic readers who knew you were going to have one of each, looking at the ultrasound photos I had no freaking idea what I was looking at! I am beyond happy for you and all yours.

Posted by: Donna at June 22, 2007 06:53 PM (lQSbL)

36 Pay me 25 bucks, I could have told you that. P Oh wait, you owe me money anyway. Dude. I'm so happy for you. Having a boy is one of the best things ever. I mean, I'm sure having a girl is totally awesome too, I'm just speaking from experience.

Posted by: statia at June 22, 2007 07:50 PM (lHsKN)

37 Oh my... I'm all teary. Congratulations!!

Posted by: Richmond at June 23, 2007 08:23 PM (e8QFP)

38 Aw, perfect! Congrats!

Posted by: amber at June 24, 2007 12:02 AM (19dHq)

39 I am THRILLED for you and Angus. Many many congratulations! {{{hugs}}}

Posted by: Kate at June 24, 2007 03:51 AM (XargM)

40 *grin* Too cool. I am thrilled for you.

Posted by: Mia at June 24, 2007 10:44 PM (+2lQc)

41 Collected the whole set in one try, did you? Cool. And congratulations again. I'm very happy for you.

Posted by: physics geek at June 25, 2007 04:55 PM (MT22W)

42 oh oh oh! that's so exciting! yay!

Posted by: girl at June 27, 2007 12:10 AM (ze/Cn)

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