Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune(13)
I pulled the envelope toward me. It bore the perfume of peonies and inside was a note: Dear one, I have something for you that your mother entrusted to my care. Please come and see me at midnight. Use the alley beside the tea shop. I’ll be waiting. The note was signed by Miss Evelyn Yu.
The date given was today.
What had Ma-ma entrusted with her?
Chapter Six
My mother once told me midnight was a magical hour when the gateway to possibilities was opened. Never had I wanted to believe this more than tonight.
Miss Yu’s instructions were to bypass the tea shop for the alley. I peered in the window as I walked by. Her store was small but cozy. Pastel vases presented fresh pink peonies on the windowsills while Teresa Teng sang through the speakers. My lifelong love affair with tea had begun here at a very young age. I’d had my formal introduction to rooibos, matcha, chai, maté, and pu’erh, all seducing me with their floral, fruity, earthy scents.
Lovely Miss Yu curated teas like she was a librarian scouring the world for the best books. Her diligence had kept her local customer base happy and also created a loyal following outside of the state, which must still be sustaining her. Perhaps she sold things online to offset the decline in foot traffic.
As I started down the narrow passage, a strange light pulsed at the end of it. All my life I had strolled past this alley without sparing it a thought, for it was too narrow for comfort. My shoulders brushed against the rough brick of the walls. As I walked, I became aware of the strong odor of peonies and jasmine. I inhaled deeply to draw in the lovely bouquet. The scent was from the fresh flowers of a lush garden.
The path opened into a courtyard, a tangle of peonies and jasmine framing the entrance, blooming in spectacular fashion. Silky petals brushed against my skin. The tension building in my neck and shoulders melted away as I entered a fairyland.
The rustle of the night breeze joined the familiar voice of Teresa Teng echoing from invisible speakers. Beneath my feet, a path of moss-covered stones led to a circular platform surrounded by a large, shallow pond. The night garden was bursting with a palette of muted greens, starlit ivories, and sparkling golds: the verdant lichen and waxy lily pads in the pond, the snowy white peonies and jasmine flowers, and the metallic tones of the fireflies suspended in the air, the square-holed coins lining the floor of the pond, and the special golden three-legged creatures resting on the floating fronds.
I knew these creatures from my childhood. The feng shui symbol of prosperity, Jin Chan was transformed into a golden toad for stealing the peaches of immortality. Jin Chan’s three legs represented heaven, earth, and humanity. Statues of him graced every Chinese home I had ever been in, for fortune was a visitor always in demand. Ma-ma had placed one near the stairs leading to the front door.
The pond before me held eight fabled toads, each biting on a coin. If not for the subtle rise and fall of their vocal sacs, I would have thought them statues.
In the center of it all was Miss Yu. A vision in cream and soft gray cashmere, she sat at a round red lacquered table. Silver streaks like strands of starlight coursed through her dark hair. Though she was in her late forties, she could pass for late thirties or younger. The Yu family was fabled to own the elixir of youth in the form of a mythical tea blend gleaned from the Kitchen God himself. She had pinned a buttercream cashmere shawl across her shoulders with a crystal peony brooch. Underneath, she wore a dove gray tank dress with a subtle floral print. Pink jade bangles circled her wrists, tinkling when she moved.
Miss Yu smiled. “Welcome, dear one. Come, sit.” She gestured to the empty seat across from her.
“I didn’t know about all this.” I sat down, marveling at the enchanting atmosphere around me. “It’s so beautiful. What is this place?”
“It’s my ‘other’ shop. Miranda was here once. She was my first client after I took over the duties from my mother.”
Ma-ma must have visited when she was young and her agoraphobia wasn’t yet an issue. It was a version of my mother I didn’t know. What were her dreams then? How had she seen her future? The picture of Ma-ma communing with a younger Miss Yu made me smile.
“What did she want?” I asked.
Miss Yu held a finger to her lips. “Confidentiality is one of the cardinal rules here. You see, this is a place of divination. Clients ask a question about their future or for help in making important decisions.”
I patted my empty pockets for money and was about to curse when I heard Miss Yu’s giggle. She reached across the table to pat my hand.
“No, it’s a gift. I don’t charge for my services,” she said. “And besides, this isn’t why you’re here.”
“Yes.” I remembered. “You mentioned you had something of my mother’s?”
“A very important package, but we’ll get to that in a minute.” Miss Yu poured me a cup of tea. Judging by its fruity floral fragrance, it was tieguanyin, an apt choice. I took a sip.
Miss Yu looked at me intently. “If you could ask your grandmother any question, what would it be?”
Laolao. How could I choose a single question when I had been robbed of a lifetime with her? To distill a sea of wishes into a single drop was impossible. I wanted to know her, spend time with her, cook with her. I knew so little about her, and yet she was the bravest woman I’d never met. “If I could ask anything, it would be: How did you do it? Find the strength to leave your family, immigrate to a new country, and run a successful business out of nothing?”