Page 44 of Only One Bed: Anthology Vol. 1
“You hush and help me up. It’s not my fault you are unaware of the fine art of canoe ballet!”
“It would be an honor my lady. Perhaps you will teach this art you speak of.”
Both women laughed until their stomachs hurt and eventually made it into the canoe and on their way.
* * *
A few minutesof shared silence floated with them as they both took in the scene around them. The water was clear, moving with purpose and determination. Birds chirped and sang to one another like call-and-response in church. The sun’s rays felt like liquid honey, and Emme luxuriated in the sensation. Grasses and flowers fragranced the air, and it reminded her of a delicate perfume she had smelled before but couldn’t quite place.
Kendall’s paddling appeared ritualistic and meditative. There was a rhythm to it that reminded Emme of drumming’s power to take a person to another place, another world. She seemed to come back from her communion of sorts with the river.
“I know we are doing this because you need to take photos for a new project, but you’ve yet to actually tell me what the project is. Though I completely understand,” she added, at the look on Emme’s face, “if it’s top secret and you can’t divulge it without having to kill me!”
Emme bit her lip nervously, “Uh, well I haven’t told a ton of people…”
Kendall starred at Emme for perhaps a bit too long, “I’m just teasing a bit, and you don’t have to share if it’s private.”
Emme felt bad. She did want to share, but she was nervous. She had been outlining, then scrappin’ and re-outlining this project for at least a year, and it felt somehow private or, maybe, more the beginning of something special. How could she explain the way tarot helped her discover the power of intuition? How it was a tool for self-reflection as well as divination?
Her biggest fear was that Kendall would think her ridiculous. Would her friend be able to fathom a world where all are connected, and where all have travelled through life together many times before? A world where ancestors, angels animal spirits and other guides can and do watch over them.
Could Emme articulate the sense of coming home she’d felt when she walked into her first metaphysical shop? That sense of belonging so totally to something bigger than herself, but which made space for her, despite its vastness.
Well maybe she’d just start with the basics.
Hi Kendall. How are things? I am a Witch. Anyhow…
“No, I do want to tell you.” With a cleansing breath Emme continued, her words running on until her sentences blurred into an outpouring, “I practice tarot and have for a while, it’s a big part of my spiritual life and I’ve created my own deck of nature-based tarot cards, and the idea is that hopefully the photos from this trip will complete the project.”
A large breath, and then she waited. She waited for Kendall to roll her eyes, snicker, or say something about New Age mumbo-jumbo and incense smoke. What she got instead was one of Kendall’s most beautiful smiles. The kind that made her chestnut brown eyes seem backlit by amber flames. A wave of something akin to warm cashmere and cream washed over her.
“That’s incredible! You are so creative and I think tarot is fascinating. I’ve always wanted to understand it more.”
Emme’s stomach flipped in surprise. Kendall was interested, fascinated even. She hadn’t realized how scared she was of judgement until there wasn’t any. What else could she share with Kendall? Maybe she wasn’t giving her enough credit. A voice inside of her whispered, “It’s going to be okay.” Emme took another deep cleansing breath.
“Really? I had no idea you were interested in this…”
Emme’s mind jumped to the tarot card she drew that morning, The Queen of Cups.
Trust my intuition, pay attention, lead with my heart.
Kendall gave a slow lazy grin, “Em, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”
And that quickly, Emme’s mind went from the Queen of Cups to a dull heat gathering behind her belly button.
“Like what? Give me an example.”
Kendall paused to consider, “I sometimes eat dinner for breakfast.”
“You mean breakfast for dinner.”
“Nope, I mean pot roast and mashed potatoes at 8 am.”
Emme giggled, “That’s healthier than most cereals. Give me another one.”
“Sometimes, when I can’t sleep or wind down, I watch…” she paused and then said, “…videos.”
Emme’s face began to heat up, “What kind of...videos?”
