Word Count: 474
Catherine The Psychic told me that I had two ghosts living with me and one of them was my grandmother. She said the other one’s name was Ted and maybe he was just a former tenant. Then she handed me an eggplant and told me to focus on taking care of it. I was supposed to love and nurture it and that would lead me to my purpose in life.
“An eggplant?” I said.
“You must learn to care for something other than your own selfish needs,” said the psychic.
“But it’ll go rotten in a week,” I said.
“See that it doesn’t.” She was glaring. I think her upper lip even curled in a sneer of disdain. “You young people, your whole generation, you think everything should be about you. Like the world owes you a living. You all have this sense of, of…”
“Entitlement?” I offered. I’d heard this spiel before.
She grunted and turned her attention back to the cards on the table. It looked like Tarot Solitaire. I took that as a dismissal. My half-hour was up. I left a hundred and twenty-five dollars on the table and picked up my eggplant and went home.
I left it on the counter while I microwaved a meal for dinner. I passed it by several times during the evening and finally picked it up and brought it back with me when I settled into the couch to watch TV. It was smooth, glossy, a little warm from being held and yes, stroked. But that was more for my own comfort since it felt kind of nice.
That night I woke up to a strange noise. I put on the light, went out into the living room and looked around, worried that it was dear old Grandma come to haunt me. It sure didn’t sound like a guy named Ted. I followed the sound to the couch. It was coming from the eggplant. The eggplant was crying, I think; anyway, it was wet. But I felt bad either way and took it into the kitchen and washed it gently with warm water, dried it off, and carried it back to bed with me. In the morning it gurgled happily when I tickled its tummy.
Seventeen years later, here I am at its high school graduation. I’m so proud. It’s been accepted at MIT and we’re just thrilled! Oh yes, I’ve been married fifteen years to the most wonderful husband and father. He officially adopted E.P. and though we have two more children, he’s never loved E.P. any less.
I went back once, years ago, to Catherine the Psychic but she was no longer there. None of the neighbors remembered her. But I left a small thank you message on twitter and Facebook and hope she knows how she’s changed my life.
