For most of my adult life, I didn’t believe in psychics. On the contrary, I was convinced that most people claiming to be psychics were nothing more than con artists or mentally disturbed individuals. So it was laughable to me when my wife asked me to accompany her to visit a psychic that lived just across the state line.
Shortly before arriving, we were discussing my skepticism. My wife then asked me if I would like to have her reading instead. This seemed like an excellent opportunity to disprove my wife’s claims of this woman’s psychic abilities. After all, if the “psychic” didn’t know that she would be doing a reading for me..She was doomed to fail. I was certain that this woman did simple research to juice up her readings. She would be ill prepared to sit with me in place of my wife. I eagerly accepted my wife’s offer.
As we arrived at the psychic’s house, I was immediately unimpressed. I was expecting to see cobwebs, tombstones and maybe a few flying monkeys in the trees. Instead, we were approaching what looked like any other small mountain home. There was a car in the driveway. No brooms were parked outside. We knocked on the door and after a few knocks, a woman opened the front door. She was a very proper looking woman, with her hair pulled back in school librarian fashion. She was very cordial as she invited us in and introduced herself. Other than the black dress that she wore, she was far from anything I had expected. After my wife informed her that I would be receiving the reading, the woman asked my wife to leave. I thought that this was a little weird, but we agreed and my wife went shopping.
Soon after my wife was gone I found myself seated on a small couch. I nervously looked around the room. I saw black crows placed randomly throughout and more than one picture of Henry the eighth. I have never managed to figure out what that was all about.
She began by telling me that I was not allowed to say anything other than yes,no or maybe. That seemed like simple enough rules. She started by pressing record on a small cassette recorder that she had beside her. She began to speak and within 5 minutes had named almost everyone that I worked closely with. She mentioned an upcoming opportunity and without giving away personal information, I can tell you that she was dead on with nearly everything that she said. She was very specific. But that isn’t what compelled me to write this story.
Near the end of my reading a few strange things happened. She told me that there was someone standing behind me. She told me that this man (who wore a hat that covered his face) had always been watching me. She said that he was also very excited about a very big thing in the month of July. She told me that he would be there for the occasion. Then she asked if I knew someone named “Walt”.
Suddenly I realized what a sucker I had been, and proudly said “No”. She almost had me going. Then she asked again, as if she was confused and blurted out the name”Pete”. She asked if I knew A “Pete”. Again, my answer was a confident “No”. She told me that the man behind her was now saying “Pete” and then she began to describe him. She said “He’s short..No wait..He’s not short..He doesn’t have any legs.” She then said that she could see horses.
By now I was ready for my wife to pick me up. She had totally lost me. I almost believed. After what seemed like forever my wife had finally arrived.
I played the cassette for my wife on the way home and used it as proof that her so called psychic was nothing of the kind. After arriving back home, my mother came over. I decided to play the tape for her too.
My mother was listening closely and suddenly her face went pale and her eyes widened. I asked her what was wrong and stopped the tape. She said “Oh my gosh..You DO know a Walt. Walt was your grandfather’s brother. He always called your grandfather “Pete” for some reason. He lived just down the road from your Grandpa. He had all of those horses. Only, you never met him because he died before you were born. He was sick with something like diabetes, so he was in a wheelchair. His legs were amputated.”
Goosebumps ran over my entire body as I pressed play for my mother to hear the rest of the reading. She was so overcome that she had tears in her eyes as she heard the psychic begin to talk about “Pete” and the horses. Even creepier was the description of Walt as a legless man.
So that is my visit with a psychic. Take it as you will. But it changed my perception of psychic abilities forever. Whether it was good, evil or something else..That woman was unique in a most unexplainable way. And by the way, my first daughter was born the following year..In July. I guess Walt was there to see it just as he had promised.
