CHAPTER THREE - The Money Tree
Eliza awoke before the dawn the next day. She finally had a renewed sense of purpose - finding Emmy Straight. Since there was only one phone listing for "Fortune Teller" in the Yellow Pages, Eliza figured that would be the place to start.
"Miss Emmy Straight...Fortune Teller to the Stars and Matchmaker extraordinaire at your service," came the answer.
"Um...yes. Miss Straight? I am Eliza DiPotere, and..."
"You've come! Oh, Isadora said you would come! I'll be right over." With an abrupt click, the line went dead and Eliza was left in a state of shock. She began cleaning ferociously as an antidote to the nerves that invaded her psyche, and, sure enough, within a half an hour a strange looking woman appeared on her sidewalk.
"Um, Miss Straight?" Eliza asked nervously. The woman suddenly grabbed Eliza into a powerful hug, the like of which Eliza had not felt since her mother was alive. Isadora, too, had hugged like that.
"Oh, my dear, there's so much to tell, so much for you to learn. Now, you must call me Emmy, and we'll be on with it." As Eliza listened, Emmy began to tell a tale with began centuries ago.
"This battle began long ago, you know. Throughout time, women have carried out the work of Good...and of Evil," Miss Emmy began.
"Women?" said Eliza, incredulously. "But women have been so powerless in history! Still are in so many ways."
"Oh, my dear girl, you are so young...so much to learn. Do you think, do you really think that the ability to design and enforce arbritrary sets of rules for random groups of people equals power? No, no, no...that's what they would like you to think, maybe. But there are those of us who know the truth."
Eliza stared blankly at Miss Emmy. "Um, what? Arbitrary sets of rules?"
Emmy laughed delicately. "Laws, Sins, Regulations, Policies -- Right and Wrong cannot be written on pieces of paper. The truth is bigger than you could ever dream, and more simple than you could imagine. The truth, my dear, is that woman have always possessed power -- tremendous power -- power of the heart, of the spirit, of the mind and of course the body. Most have one special gift, but some, some blessed women have the power of all four. You, Eliza, are one of those women."
Eliza jumped to her feet. "Now I really don't know what you mean," she screamed. "My sister's missing and I thought you could help. But you just come at me with a women's studies lesson and throw in some weird voodoo talk! I have no powers! I could barely pay my rent in Sim City, I can't find a man..."
"Aha. Men," said Miss Emmy. "We'll get to that in a bit. Open your mind, open your heart, and you will find the power I speak of. Isadora found it and cherished her gifts..."
"Right. And look where it got her."
Oh Eliza, there's a bigger picture at stake here. You will find women use their powers in the usual ways -- those who possess a power of the heart nurture their families or care for children, those with the power of spirit become counselors to heal wounded psyches, while those with the power of mind become professors or teachers passing on their wisdom to younger generations. And the power of the body, of course, is the ability to give life. But you...Oh Eliza, within you lies a power you cannot yet imagine. You only have to learn how to tap into it. That, before all else. I want you to think of something you need, and wish for it very strongly, and sincerely.
"That's easy, Emmy. I live on my lawn...what I need is money."
Okay, then, said Emmy, pointing toward a potted plant. I want you to tend to this plant. Water it, nuture it, care for it, but most of all, love it...and you will see the magic happen.
"You want me to love a plant?"
"Oh, yes. Love is the catalyst of good. Hatred, jealousy, greed...those are the forces of evil."
"But isn't it greedy to want money?"
"To want money, yes...to need money, no. That is the difference. You need a house dear, that's not greed, it's survival. Tend your tree, and watch what grows. I'll be back tomorrow."
Eliza did as instructed, and tried to shower the little plant with as much love as she could muster, all the while trying to imagine money coming into her life. She watered the plant, and gently cleaned it's leaves. Yet nothing happened. Eliza didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved. It was easier to keep believing Emmy Straight was some kind of high-functioning crazy person. She must have convinced Isadora that all her crazy talk was real. A Priestess, Isadora had called her in the letter, and she had said Emmy would mail the letter for her -- should she disappear. Maybe the search for Isadora was not going to be as difficult as Eliza thought. Maybe Miss Emmy Straight was hiding her all along.
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The Legacy
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