Jocko the Gypsy – Free Write Friday

In response to today’s Free Write Friday prompt:  Late summer. You’re wandering, lost in the woods. You come across a gypsy wagon, and you call out…”hello?”

 

Rachelle wasn’t sure what time it was, as she felt like she had been wandering for hours. She knew that wasn’t true though, just by looking at the sun and its placement in the sky. Growing up in these woods, she thought she knew them like the back of her hand, but obviously she was wrong. Luckily, the temperatures were nice today with a gentle breeze – almost cool. It was almost September, so it would be cooling down soon.

Spotting a trail she hadn’t noticed before, off to the left she headed. The trail led her around a little bend, up a hill and then down into a little hollow, not too far from the creek. As Rachelle approached the clearing, she noticed something – what is that? As she got closer, she noticed the bright colors and smelled food, an exotic, but aromatic smell that made her think of goulash. The brightly colored wagon looked old, maybe 1920s or 1930s or thereabouts. Looking around, she hollered, “Hellooo . . . anybody here? HELLOOOOO!!!”

Walking closer to the wagon, she was startled when a man walked around from the other side. She wasn’t really sure where he came from. He looked taller than her, lean build, tanned, longish dark brown wavy hair. He was wearing faded blue jeans, and a black silky looking shirt, with ruffly sleeves, half buttoned. He was barefoot. As the distance between them shortened, he replied, “May I help you, darlin’?’

Though she was nervous, finding a strange man with what was apparently his home stashed in the back acreage of her grandparent’s sizable piece of land, she didn’t feel threatened at all. As she got closer she saw the most beautiful and soulful pair of hazel green eyes she had ever seen. Those eyes made her feel considerably more at ease than she normally would have been with a strange man out in the woods. “I think the question is, may I help you,” she stated, sounding friendlier than she had intended with this trespasser. “This is my family’s land. Are they aware that you are camping here?”

“Well, I must admit darlin’, I doubt that they are, as I wasn’t aware that I was camped on someone’s land. I thought I was back off in the National Park.”

“Well,” she said, “the National Park is back about 5 miles east of here.”

“Damn, excuse my French darlin’, I must be off course a bit.”

“You here alone,” she asked.

“Yes, I am. Just passin’  through. Is that ok?  I wasn’t planning to stay too long, just a few days then I will be on my way. I’m cooking some lunch. You want to join me?” he offered.

“What’s your name?” She felt like she had a right to know who was sleeping on her property.

“Jocko,” he said as he reached out his hand to her. She reached out to shake his hand and he took her hand to his lips and kissed it. Damn – she was always a sucker for a guy who knew how to make a woman feel special by kissing her hand. His lips were soft.

“Not really hungry, but thanks anyway,” she said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do for a living – how do you get by?”

“I do a lot of things, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Sometimes I read fortunes.”

This intrigued Rachelle, “Really?”

“Yes – you want I read yours? “

Common sense told her this was a bad idea and she needed to put some distance between her and this stranger. But those eyes kept drawing her in, and no warning bells were going off inside of her.

“Sure – why not.” It was a beautiful day after all and she was really in no hurry.

“Come on over and sit down, so I can do my seeing.” He led her to a little wooden table set up behind the wagon. I’ll be right back – let me get my stuff.”

She sat down, wondering if this is where he comes back and mutilates her, hiding her in the woods, or hell possibly eating her for dinner.

He returned with his bag of tricks and asked, “What’s your pleasure? You prefer tarot cards, the crystal ball, palm reading, what?”

“Well, since you are camping here for free, why not give me the works.”

He laughed, “Sure, my lady. You didn’t tell me your name.”

“Rachelle,” she replied.

Jocko took her hand and held it palm up. He stroked all the lines on her palm, the whole time staring into her blue eyes. “Rachelle, this is your life line and from what I can see, you have a very long life ahead.” This she already knew – she had her palm read before and had read it herself once or twice using a book with all the diagrams. “This is your love line. From what I can see, you have had a few dalliances. Aaah and a past love that you thought would be forever, but it was not to be.” Okay this was true and not something she expected him to say. “It ended badly and broke your heart. I get the impression the end was quite final.” He stopped for a moment. “Did your lover die?”

This caught Rachelle off guard and she pulled her hand away quickly, almost like it was on fire. Though this was a small town and everyone talked, her fiancée had died when she lived in Australia with him and very few people around here knew that fact. “I’m sorry – are you okay,” he asked.

“Yes, I am fine. Please continue, though I am not sure how much stock I put into this,” she stated, though her voice cracked just a little when she extended her hand back to him.

“You will find love again. In a place and time that you least expect it and it will be the love of your life – the one you will grow old with. Don’t discount what I say, as this love is not what you would anticipate nor expect.” Now her hand was growing warm in his and she was feeling uncomfortable in several different ways.

“And the rest of my future,” she asked a bit impatiently.

“You are already successful in your career – that will continue,” he added. She pulled her hand away and started to get up.

“Whatever . . .,” she laughed.

“Wait, let me read your cards, or better yet, let’s peer into the crystal ball together,” he offered.

“Nope, it’s getting late. I need to be on my way,” she said. She felt flushed and her heart was beating quickly. “Thanks for the read. It’s probably best you don’t stick around too long. And I’d be careful going into town – they aren’t real keen on strangers around here – especially those that look like you.”

“Maybe you could visit again before I leave and let me do a crystal ball reading for you? I am good at what I do, just as you are. Maybe tomorrow?”

“We’ll see, Jocko, we’ll see.”

He took her hand again to his lips, kissing it tenderly. “I enjoyed the company, Rachelle. I appreciate the campsite, too. I hope to visit with you again.”

As she started to walk off, she turned around  and said, “Thanks for the reading – might’ve been a little too real for me, but thanks just the same. Don’t forget what I said about going to town.” Walking back down the trail, she knew exactly where she was and was annoyed that she had thought herself lost earlier. What the hell is going on? Where the hell did this handsome gypsy come from? Could he really read her story, her feelings, her future?

That night she was restless and sleep did not come easily. Finally around 2:00 a.m. she decided, yes she would visit Jocko again tomorrow and let him read her future in the crystal ball. She had had her palm and her tarot cards read on many occasions (for fun), but had never peered into the crystal. She was excited, intrigued and exhausted. Sleep finally came, but so did some strange dreams – dreams she would never consider entertaining.

The next morning, she slept in a little later than normal, as she had been awake most of the night thinking and dreaming about this gypsy and what he had said. Once she was up and had taken care of a couple of household chores, she decided it was time to head back out to the woods.

All during her walk to where Jocko’s wagon was parked, she thought of what he had said, what she had felt, fantasies she had dreamed the night before. The closer she got to the trail cut-off the more excited she was. She was ready to see what Jocko the gypsy saw in her future through the crystal ball. She was ready to see Jocko the gypsy again. He was handsome, calm, seemed self-assured and she couldn’t mistake how comfortable she was with him. This level of comfort had only happened once before, but she tried not to put too much stock in that.

As she started to head downhill into the hollow, she noticed it smelled different now. Reaching the hollow, she saw he and his crazy from another time wagon was gone. She looked around and he had left no trace that he had ever been there. Had he been here, or had she dreamed all of this?