6 min read
The Quest for an Apprentice - Part 2
September 24th, 2019
The morning sun crept into the room earlier than normal, but the tarotist was already awake and readying himself for the day. Nerves overcame him, it would seem, for he was fidgeting the entire morning awaiting the fateful encounter with his potential apprentice. He stood out under the gazebo, taking in the morning dew and seeing how beautiful the summer morning was. He sipped his tea as he thought about what kind of woman this could be. How would she act? What would she look like? She seemed to speak of a lot of experience with the tarot and told her story of self-discovery and how she wished to learn about the different types of herbs and what could be used medicinally. Everything pointed in the right direction and Reuben was fascinated.
As he made his way back to his shop, he sat his tea cup near the register and went around, watering the fresh herbs and making sure everything was clean and ready to start before opening. He went to the front doors and unlocked them, walking over to the window and flipping the sign to OPEN before walking back and overlooking the shop, making sure everything looked ready.
Then, the door opened. His heart skipped a beat, was this her? Did she decide to come early? An elderly woman walked in right away and began to stroll down the isles. It didn’t take long for Reuben to realize that this woman was a simple patron, not the woman he was looking for.
Once she left, an hour passed with no sign of any customers whatsoever. It was unusual on a given day not to have any patrons enter the shop whatsoever. This only perpetuated the anxiety Reuben was feeling about his upcoming meeting. He began to pace back and forth across the shop, looking over every crystal, bottle, herb and potion. Fiddling with most anything he could find. He looked at his Apple Watch and then at the door. It was 2:57.
Finally, the door creaked open. There stood a beautiful young woman, tall in part due to her 5” heels, slender with caramel skin and radiant light honey eyes. She shared a bright pearly white smile with a small gap in her front teeth as she entered the room. She had a few dark freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her long wavy dark to light brown ombre hair flowed down her back and was topped a floppy golden straw sunhat and a beautiful cream colored boho sundress with cut off shoulders. She adorned a long pendant necklace that held a rather chunky rose quartz stone that draped down to the middle of her person and a couple of beautiful handcrafted rings, one on each hand, which contained clear quartz crystal and a jade crystal. She was quite modelesque and held herself with poise.
As he made his way back to his shop, he sat his tea cup near the register and went around, watering the fresh herbs and making sure everything was clean and ready to start before opening. He went to the front doors and unlocked them, walking over to the window and flipping the sign to OPEN before walking back and overlooking the shop, making sure everything looked ready.
Then, the door opened. His heart skipped a beat, was this her? Did she decide to come early? An elderly woman walked in right away and began to stroll down the isles. It didn’t take long for Reuben to realize that this woman was a simple patron, not the woman he was looking for.
Once she left, an hour passed with no sign of any customers whatsoever. It was unusual on a given day not to have any patrons enter the shop whatsoever. This only perpetuated the anxiety Reuben was feeling about his upcoming meeting. He began to pace back and forth across the shop, looking over every crystal, bottle, herb and potion. Fiddling with most anything he could find. He looked at his Apple Watch and then at the door. It was 2:57.
Finally, the door creaked open. There stood a beautiful young woman, tall in part due to her 5” heels, slender with caramel skin and radiant light honey eyes. She shared a bright pearly white smile with a small gap in her front teeth as she entered the room. She had a few dark freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her long wavy dark to light brown ombre hair flowed down her back and was topped a floppy golden straw sunhat and a beautiful cream colored boho sundress with cut off shoulders. She adorned a long pendant necklace that held a rather chunky rose quartz stone that draped down to the middle of her person and a couple of beautiful handcrafted rings, one on each hand, which contained clear quartz crystal and a jade crystal. She was quite modelesque and held herself with poise.
“Hello sir,” she said spritely as she waltzed into the room, holding her hand out for a shake. “My name is Giselle.”
Reuben’s eyes widened, this was her? She spoke with such experience in her letter, he hadn’t expected her to be so young. “H-hi!” his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before speaking again. “I’m Reuben,” he said firmly shaking the girl’s hand. “I’m glad you made it, it’s wonderful to meet you,” he concluded with a smile.
“Me too,” she said with that same smile never leaving her face. “I didn’t know if you’d recognize me or not, but I am a huge fan of this shop,” she stated with a small laugh.
“Oh~” Reuben replied with a chuckle. “Is that so?”
“Quite,” She said walking past a small aisle of herbs and towards the bulk stones Reuben had imported. “This metaphysical store has been a huge influence on my jewelry,” she said with a smile, holding out both hands to show off the beautiful stones that were embellished in her rings and necklace. “Though I guess I should be honest.”
Honest? What had she already kept secret? Reuben almost held his breath, thinking this girl too good to be true.
“My name isn’t really Giselle,” she giggled. “I just go by Giselle. My name is actually Gabriela Flores-Garcia,” she concluded. “Name ring a bell?”
Reuben burst out laughing. He had never met her, but it was true; her name definitely stood out. “You order from my website,” he laughed. “A lot.”
“Yep! That’s me,” she stated with a chuckle as she tapped her nose with her pointer finger, winking at him. “I live kind of far away, so it’s just easier for me to do all my shopping online. Now you know what all those stones go towards,” she laughed. “I saw your ad for an apprentice on your website and decided to apply, which I’m very glad you found. I’m sorry I dropped the letter off so late.”
Reuben laughed. “I’m glad I finally get to put a face to the name. Don’t worry about the time, that’s why I had that mail slot installed. I’m just glad you were able to drop it off,” he said with a warm smile.
“Well good,” She said with a smile, walking over to some of the fresh herbs and flowers Reuben had for sale. She picked up a couple fresh herbs and smelled them. “I am very excited for the opportunity of being able to work in such a calming environment. I hope that’s alright to say, I just really appreciate the aura this shop gives and would love to be apart of it.”
Reuben smiled. “I believe we can make something work,” he said walking towards her and lifting a bundle of herbs and fluffing them before putting them back into the container. “Can you start first thing Monday morning?”
Giselle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you,” she said, turning her attention back to her new mentor. “Yes, of course, thank you so much.” Reuben didn’t even realize how badly she needed this position.
The two continued to talk and get to know each other little by little. Reuben was impressed by her experiences at such a young age and was already growing fonder of her. He saw her like a little sister, one that had the potential for greatness if she continued to apply herself the way she had thus far in her life.
Reuben’s eyes widened, this was her? She spoke with such experience in her letter, he hadn’t expected her to be so young. “H-hi!” his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before speaking again. “I’m Reuben,” he said firmly shaking the girl’s hand. “I’m glad you made it, it’s wonderful to meet you,” he concluded with a smile.
“Me too,” she said with that same smile never leaving her face. “I didn’t know if you’d recognize me or not, but I am a huge fan of this shop,” she stated with a small laugh.
“Oh~” Reuben replied with a chuckle. “Is that so?”
“Quite,” She said walking past a small aisle of herbs and towards the bulk stones Reuben had imported. “This metaphysical store has been a huge influence on my jewelry,” she said with a smile, holding out both hands to show off the beautiful stones that were embellished in her rings and necklace. “Though I guess I should be honest.”
Honest? What had she already kept secret? Reuben almost held his breath, thinking this girl too good to be true.
“My name isn’t really Giselle,” she giggled. “I just go by Giselle. My name is actually Gabriela Flores-Garcia,” she concluded. “Name ring a bell?”
Reuben burst out laughing. He had never met her, but it was true; her name definitely stood out. “You order from my website,” he laughed. “A lot.”
“Yep! That’s me,” she stated with a chuckle as she tapped her nose with her pointer finger, winking at him. “I live kind of far away, so it’s just easier for me to do all my shopping online. Now you know what all those stones go towards,” she laughed. “I saw your ad for an apprentice on your website and decided to apply, which I’m very glad you found. I’m sorry I dropped the letter off so late.”
Reuben laughed. “I’m glad I finally get to put a face to the name. Don’t worry about the time, that’s why I had that mail slot installed. I’m just glad you were able to drop it off,” he said with a warm smile.
“Well good,” She said with a smile, walking over to some of the fresh herbs and flowers Reuben had for sale. She picked up a couple fresh herbs and smelled them. “I am very excited for the opportunity of being able to work in such a calming environment. I hope that’s alright to say, I just really appreciate the aura this shop gives and would love to be apart of it.”
Reuben smiled. “I believe we can make something work,” he said walking towards her and lifting a bundle of herbs and fluffing them before putting them back into the container. “Can you start first thing Monday morning?”
Giselle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you,” she said, turning her attention back to her new mentor. “Yes, of course, thank you so much.” Reuben didn’t even realize how badly she needed this position.
The two continued to talk and get to know each other little by little. Reuben was impressed by her experiences at such a young age and was already growing fonder of her. He saw her like a little sister, one that had the potential for greatness if she continued to apply herself the way she had thus far in her life.