“Mama Sees a Secret in the Tea-Leaves” ©2011

No, I wasn’t there…but I’ve heard about it many times.

Carol was one of my Aunt Esther’s grandchildren.

She was visiting her grandmother, who was my mother Rose’ older sister.

The 2 elderly sisters were always close and lived near each other, in Brooklyn. Now in their golden years, they lived in Miami beach, only a few blocks apart.

Carol is my mother’s great niece is from Maryland. She phones her to say, “Surprise Aunt Rose this is Carol… I’m in town I want to see you while I'm in Miami. Please come over to Grandma’s place this afternoon”.

“Sure, Honey I'm on my way…I'm so happy you’re here”.

My mother dropped whatever she was doing and rushed over.

When mama walked into her sister’s apartment on art deco Collins Avenue, the tea kettle was softly whistling, awaiting her cup of tea with them.

Carol’s tea bag is slightly torn open. She is anxious for her Great- aunt to read “her cup”. Our whole family believes she has the gift.

At first mama plays the familiar game denying she can.

“Carol dear I can’t really read tea leaves,” She coyly responds, pursing her lips, and waving her hand in a dismissing her skill.

“Please give it a try…for fun, Auntie Rose”, Her niece pleads so sweetly.

So, mama says her classic, “I’ll take peek, while pretending to ponder, which really means…yes of course but if fail…remember you forced me”.

This is our family hieroglyphics we all understand, clearly.

In the meantime, they chat, and polish off the delicious dish of homemade rugelach before them.

My mother instructs Carol to spin her emptied teacup, face down, 3 times to dissipate any liquid… so she won’t have any tears.

The thirty-year-old Carol does what mama instructs, reverently.

The cup with leaves now set in its unique pattern is tilted this way, then that way, read with controlled staged drama… before mama stuns her rapt audience of two.

“Who is “A”? she questions raising her black arched eyebrows…green eyes wide open.

“Well, he’s gonna be your husband, and …soon, Carol”.

This “Mr. A” is tall one with light hair”, mama adds now with conviction.

Carol was considered almost an “old maid " couldn’t believe what she was just told.

Aunt Rose could not possibly know that her great niece was serious with this guy, named Arthur. He was buying her engagement ring while she was in Miami. They had secretly planned for their wedding day, before she flew down to Florida.

She wanted to tell her grandma, in person…that she “Carol the Spinster”

(Of the family), was finally to become a “Sadie married lady”.

Arthur is a lanky, redhead from Dublin she met at a business conference.

Mama, the tea leave reader, had unintentionally stole her surprise.

This became added proof of family lore that Aunt Rose knew her tea leaves…all right.