"Nuri, we are Gypsies, our ancestors came from the heart of India. We are not like other people. You see we have certain powers. We must not use these powers flippantly, only when absolutely necessary."
Nuri rolled her eyes, she had heard her mother tell her this over and over again. Nuri didn't even want to learn how to "curse" people. Nuri thought it was all a load of shit. Yet to tell her mother that would result in a verbal fight, so Nuri humored her and half listened to her speech about "curses," and "special powers."
"So Mom, we're like the X-Men?" Nuri said sarcastically.
"Nuri, don't be silly, this is real life, not some junk American pop culture!"
"Sorry, Mom."
"It's okay honey, it's better you don't believe you have powers, our group of Gypsies have been kicked out every land we've lived in, and this life in America, it is good!"
Nuri wasn't sure if her life really was any good. She lived her whole life in America and didn't quite know what it was like in the other countries her ancestors had lived in. Nuri was in her early twenties and had lived all across the country, never staying long enough to make any permanent friends. She and her mother had sold wares at flea markets for as long as she could remember. They barely scraped by. All Nuri had to her name was a smartphone and a bunch of thrift store clothing. Nuri wondered how her mother lived before coming to America? How could her mother consider this "the good life?"
***
The next day Nuri was all alone selling her wares at a flea market. Her mother was in the next town over doing the same thing. Nuri fiddled around with her phone, reading the latest celebrity gossip. Business had been slow, she sold one lamp for twenty-five bucks. "I guess it's ramen again tonight." Nuri thought to herself as she started to pack up her wares.
Then suddenly Nuri saw what looked to her to be two walking piles of cash. It was a young yuppie couple. Awkwardly approaching was a young beautiful blonde woman, whose high-heeled shoes were sticking into the mud as she walked. "Gross!" She exclaimed as she looked down at the muddy ground.
Her partner was a tall handsome man with khaki pants and a sweater wrapped around his waist.
"Honey! This looks promising, look a real gypsy!" The man said unaware that Nuri was in earshot.
Nuri smiled, she knew these kind of customers were great for business. They were always seeking "hidden treasures" hoping to find a naive seller to get the best of. Instead, they routinely bought goods for much higher than retail value. These two were Nuri's only hope in getting a decent meal tonight.
"May I help you? Nuri said.
"We're just browsing, thank you." The man said as he followed his wife through the various rows of Nuri's wares.
"Wow, this looks old!" The woman spoke as she handled a vase.
Nuri looked over the couple, they were strangely fascinating. Nuri envied the blonde woman's beauty and fashion. She was tall and she looked to be in great shape. Her legs were well defined and it looked like she had a large, but not fat ass. Nuri thought to herself, "I wonder if she's a model?" Nuri examined closer, the blonde seemed to be extremely haughty and bad tempered. Her beautiful face contorted into sneers and contempt whenever she spoke with her significant other. Nuri admired the man, "Handsome and a gentleman to boot, carrying his woman's purse!" she thought to herself as she noticed he was carrying the blonde's designer handbag while she browsed.
"How much is this?" The blonde woman spoke to Nuri, holding up the vase.
"One-hundred," Nuri exclaimed, knowing full well that it wasn't worth that much.
"One-hundred, sounds good, doesn't it honey?" The handsome man said immediately.
"Shutup, let me handle this." The blonde woman hit the handsome man in the shoulder. before composing herself and giving Nuri a counter offer.
"I'll give you no more than 40!"
"Oh no, I can't sell it for that low, the lowest I'll go is seventy. That is my final offer." Nuri replied.
"Fine sixty." The blonde woman replied.
"Sixty-five," Nuri replied trying to squeeze as much money as she could out of the young wealthy woman.
"Okay, I'll take it at sixty-five." The blonde sneered.
Nuri shook hands with the woman, "I can't believe I am selling it for sixty-five!" she thought to herself.
Nuri was excited, she looked forward to the Chinese take-out she was going to have for dinner that night. Nuri went to get her receipt book, she picked it up but fumbled it around in her hands dropping it on the ground. Nuri quickly bent over to get the receipt book. When she turned around the blonde woman was staring daggers at her handsome significant other. Then out of nowhere, she slapped the man other hard in the face.
"Stephanie!" The man said as he put his hand up to his slapped cheek.