The Surprise

It was my birthday and my girlfriend had a surprise for me. My first guess was wrong, although it did coincidently involve a mysterious journey. By the time we arrived, the summer sun was sinking behind the block of flats. Constance confidently led me up a flight of stairs, and knocked on a dark green door. After a few deep breaths and self-conscious heart beats, I wondered if it could be her father’s place. Before my nerves could settle, a smiling distinguished looking gentleman answered the door, and ushered us in. He introduced himself as Leonard, and offered me a seat in the lounge. Then he and Constance went into another room, and left me alone to ponder.

The flat was dimly lit, neat and well furnished, with flourishes of cosy colour. As I melted into the comfortable couch, I stretched my legs. Under my sandals lay a beautifully patterned Persian rug. My eyes followed the geometry and glimpsed flashes of polished redwood. Classical music and the aroma of incense wafted over me, and I wondered about the whispers in the next room. A surrealist print pointed hypnotically to a bookcase, and tempted me to explore. I quietly crept over, and with purring curiosity, studied an intriguing collection.

The dominant themes seemed to be psychology, numerology, astrology, and the occult. This father of hers was possibly a scholar of sorts, an eccentric or someone else? My mind hummed into action, computing the various equations and probabilities. Before I could complete the necessary calculations, a gentle voice entered my dreamy thoughts, ushering me back to reality. It was Constance asking me a question, “So Einstein, have you figured out where you are?”

I paused for a second and said, “I think so” and looking at her companion asked, “Are you by any chance a clairvoyant?” The two of them turned to each other and laughed and she said, “Oh you’re good, how on earth did you work that out?” Leonard, the clairvoyant, then chimed in with “Fascinating! Perhaps he has the gift?” Feeling quite chuffed, I proceeded to explain “No, it was your books that gave it away, they do tell so much about people, now who’s going to read whose palm?”