Five Fortunes - Barbara Venkataraman

Five Fortunes by Barbara Venkataraman

Book excerpt

Chapter 1: You Will Soon Come Into Money

Rihanna studied the darkening sky and prayed she had enough money for bus fare. She couldn't let her textbooks get wet because she definitely didn't have enough money for that.

After rushing to the bus stop she opened her wallet, relieved to see enough money to cover both fares. It was only Tuesday so she hadn’t spent her allowance yet, but it would be peanut butter sandwiches the rest of the week. Good thing she liked peanut butter. The bus arrived with a whoosh and Rihanna climbed in. As she pulled out her money she noticed a cheerful yellow slip of paper peeking out of her wallet--it was her fortune. When she and her friends saw the new fortune-telling machine at the arcade, Megan had convinced them to try it. Rihanna knew it was just for fun but was secretly pleased with her fortune. She smiled to think her life might get easier. You will soon come into money sounded good to her.

One stop later, Rihanna stepped off the bus in front of Happy Kids Daycare ready for Stacy to talk her ear off. Rihanna had done the same thing when her mom used to pick her up. That seemed like a lifetime ago. After sliding onto the torn bench seat, Stacy dropped her Dora the Explorer backpack on the floor with a thunk and scooted closer to her sister.

“Why are we taking the bus? Did you bring me a snack? I’m hungry.”

“What makes you think I have snacks?” Rihanna teased before pulling a packet of goldfish crackers from her purse and handing them over. “You don’t like this elegant bus? Would you rather get rained on?”

Stacy shrugged as she stuffed goldfish in her mouth, spraying the seat with orange crumbs. Once the bus had squealed to a stop they hopped off and raced toward a small quaint bookstore on the corner called The Book Barn. A few sprinkles of rain fell as they ran and Rihanna clutched her books to her chest to protect them. Some people were tree-huggers, she was a book-hugger. They pushed the door open and the doorbell jingled lightly, announcing their arrival. Stacy skipped over to her regular corner and dropped her backpack onto a child-sized round table before heading towards the back to grab a juice box from the fridge. Rihanna stashed her textbooks behind a bookcase and proceeded to straighten the stacks on the display tables. When she was done she walked into the storage area where a middle-aged Indian man was stooped over a large box of new books.

“Do you need help with that?” Rihanna asked.

“Oh, I didn’t hear you girls come in,” he said, turning around. “How was your biology test?”

Rihanna sighed. He was starting already and it was only the second week of school. “I’m fine, Papa, how are you?” she said. “I think I did well,” she grudgingly admitted.

“You don’t know if you did well?” he looked skeptical.

“Depends on the other kids,” she joked, giving him a peck on the cheek. “It's all about the curve, Papa. I’ll go put these away.” She grabbed some books and made her escape.

Arms full, Rihanna stepped over the purple juice stain on the worn rug and began arranging books to hide the scratches on the wooden shelf. She loved the store--she had grown up there--but it could barely support them with all the competition from Wal-Mart and Amazon. No wonder her dad was stressed out. He hadn’t always been like this—worrying about her grades and not letting her have a social life. All she ever did now was go to school, study, take care of Stacy, and help around the store. Things sure were different when her mom was alive. They used to play games and laugh all the time. It made Rihanna sad to think Stacy wouldn’t even remember their mom. Now, money was always on their minds because they had so little of it. What if her fortune came true, wouldn’t that be great? Money solved a lot of problems.

Rihanna hated lying to her dad but she desperately needed a break. She told him she was going to the library after dinner but she was really going to Underground Coffehaus with her friends. She couldn’t wait!

Chapter 2: Jealousy Is A Green-Eyed Monster

Lori’s mother loved to volunteer at Puppy Palace, which is why every day after school she dragged her three kids along to help her. Lori spent so much time at the shelter it felt like she lived there, except her actual home wasn't full of yapping dogs that constantly needed walking. Since her dad had veto power they had only one dog, a Yorkie named Princess who was treated like actual royalty. Luckily, Lori adored dogs as much as her mom did--which was the only thing they had in common these days. You'd think her mother had never been fourteen. Lori imagined her mother lying awake at night planning new ways to embarrass her, scouring the internet for inspiration, and bonding with other moms who enjoyed tormenting their daughters. If there were an Olympic event for most annoying mother, hers would take the gold. Case in point, her mom insisted on picking her up from school, deaf to the taunts of Lori, your mommy's here from Eric Snellenberger, a Neanderthal jock who thought he was hilarious. To make matters worse, her bratty little brothers got picked up first and were always horsing around.

As soon as Lori settled into the front seat her mom asked “Do you have any homework?”

Lori rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. ”Did it already.” She turned towards her brothers wrestling in the back seat. "Cut it out, you dweebs, or I'll make you hose out the dog cages." After landing one last punch they sprang apart. Lori smiled. It worked every time.

At the shelter, Lori loaded the cart with water and kibble while her brothers ran around riling up the dogs like the conductors of a barking symphony. She always started her rounds with the old-timers, like nine-year-old Boris, a Basset Hound with droopy ears and soulful eyes. He was her favorite.

"Ooh, I don't think you're a stubborn old coot like Miss Maria says." Lori said, scratching behind Boris's ears and getting a big sloppy kiss in return. She started singing: "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog" and he rolled over for a belly rub right on cue. Adorable! Lori took out her phone to snap his picture and saw the yellow slip of paper wedged in the case. That stupid fortune! She didn't know why it irritated her so much--or why she had picked a fight with Megan over it. Funny thing was she didn't believe in it either. She knew horoscopes were bogus, psychics were fakes, and nobody with a brain took advice from an arcade game. She just wanted to take a stand for a change. Fortune cookies were different, of course, they were awesome. First, they were delicious. Second, the fortunes were always positive and uplifting--not like the one in her hand. With its scolding tone it seemed like something her mother would come up with, apropos of nothing. Lori didn't have a boyfriend and didn't want one; she didn't have to worry about money like Rihanna; and she had decent grades, so why would she care if Jealousy is a green-eyed monster? You might as well tell her the sky was blue or that she had too many freckles---well, duh. Yes, she envied the freckle-less at times but she didn't care all that much. After she had finished taking pictures of Boris and posting them on Instagram she fed her other furry friends and then tracked down her mom in the office.

"Can we go soon?" Lori interrupted. "I have plans."

Her mother glanced up from the computer screen, glasses perched on her nose like an accountant. "Sorry, Lori, I need you home tonight."

"What! Why?"

"You have to watch the boys. Dad's working late and I have a meeting."

"What meeting? Wait a minute--you're going to book club!" Lori's eyes narrowed. "So I have to babysit while you drink wine with your buddies? You ruin everything!" Her mother sighed and returned to crunching numbers. Before storming off, Lori hurled one last insult at her mother. "You're so lame, you didn't even read the book!"