Chapter 12
1034 Words
"You told her?"
"Last night, while you were in the shower. She cried, then immediately started planning the menu." He grinned. "I hope you like traditional Chinese wedding banquets."
Shantali took a bite of pancake, considering. "I know nothing about Chinese wedding traditions."
"Don't worry, between my grandmother and your brother, we'll have the most meticulously planned wedding in history." His expression softened. "But all that matters is that we're together at the end of it."
After breakfast, they dressed for their meeting with the apartment sellers, Shantali in a simple blue dress that made her feel confident, David in the charcoal sweater she'd given him last Christmas. As they were heading out, her phone rang with a call from the museum.
She almost ignored it, then remembered her commitment to attend the meeting on Tuesday. "Hello?"
"Ms Cross? This is Dr Hassan." The voice was crisp, professional, with a slight accent. "I understand you've agreed to meet about the atmospheric anomalies."
"Yes, on Tuesday."
"I was hoping we might speak privately first. Perhaps this afternoon?"
Shantali felt David's questioning gaze and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm afraid I'm booked solid today. Apartment hunting and family commitments."
"I see." Dr Hassan paused. "May I ask, did you experience any visions during your encounter with the phenomenon?"
The directness of the question caught Shantali off guard. She glanced at David, who nodded encouragingly, trusting her judgment.
"Dr Hassan," Shantali said carefully, "I documented what I observed in my security notes. Beyond that, I prefer to keep my personal experiences private."
"Of course." The disappointment in the Egyptologist's voice was palpable. "It's just that... well, you're not the first to encounter the phenomenon. I've been tracking similar incidents for years. The cobra appears to those at significant crossroads in their lives."
Shantali's breath caught. "And what happens to those people?"
"That depends entirely on what they do with the visions." Dr Hassan's voice softened. "Some become obsessed, as I once did. Others integrate the experience and move forward. I'm simply trying to understand the pattern."
"I've made my choice," Shantali said firmly. "I appreciate your interest, but my focus now is on my future, not analysing the past."
After a brief silence, Dr. Hassan replied, "Then you've chosen wisely, Ms. Cross. Better than I did initially." She paused. "I'll see you Tuesday, then. Just for the official report."
"Tuesday," Shantali confirmed, and ended the call.
David raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," she said, surprised to find it was true. "Dr Hassan had her own encounter with the cobra. She wanted to compare notes."
"And you declined."
"Some experiences aren't meant to be catalogued." She slipped her phone into her purse with finality. "They're meant to be honoured by the choices we make afterwards."
The meeting with the apartment sellers went better than they could have hoped. The elderly couple had lived in the unit for forty years and wanted to pass it on to people who would love it as much as they had. When they learned that Shantali and David were newly engaged, the decision was made that the apartment would be theirs.
As they signed the preliminary paperwork, Shantali noticed a small statue on the couple's bookshelf, a cobra with its hood spread wide.
"That's beautiful," she said, unable to stop herself.
Mrs Abernathy smiled. "A souvenir from Egypt, many years ago. There's a funny story behind it, actually. We were at a crossroads in our marriage, considering separation, when we visited the Cairo Museum. George swears he saw smoke form into a serpent in one of the exhibits."
Shantali's hand froze mid-signature. "Really?"
"Thought I was hallucinating," Mr Abernathy chuckled. "But afterwards, everything became clear. We cancelled our divorce plans and recommitted to each other. Forty more wonderful years followed." He gazed fondly at his wife. "Sometimes you need a good shock to see what's right in front of you."
The parallel wasn't lost on Shantali. She completed her signature, a strange sense of completion washing over her. It appeared that the little smoke cobra-like creature helped people live lives full of love, hope, and light, as long as they were willing to take the chance. She looked at David; his eyes reflected the same understanding as she did. Some things were just meant to be.
"Would you like to take it with you?" Mrs Abernathy asked, following Shantali's gaze to the cobra statue. "It's brought us good fortune. Perhaps it could do the same for you, young people."
Shantali glanced at David, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. "That's incredibly generous, but are you sure? It seems meaningful to you."
"We're downsizing to a retirement community," Mr Abernathy said. "Can't take everything with us. Better it goes to someone who appreciates its... significance."
The way he emphasised the word made Shantali wonder if he knew more about his museum experience than he let on. Had the cobra appeared to others throughout history, guiding them at crucial moments?
"Then we'd be honoured," she said, accepting the small statue as Mrs Abernathy carefully wrapped it in tissue paper.
The cobra's carved eyes seemed to glint with knowing intelligence as it changed hands. Not supernatural this time, just polished stone reflecting light, but the symbolism wasn't lost on her.
Later, as they walked to the restaurant to meet Marcus and Sophia, David squeezed her hand. "Quite a coincidence about that statue."
"I'm starting to think there are no coincidences," Shantali replied. "Just patterns we're not always equipped to recognise."
The restaurant was busy with the lunch crowd, but she spotted her brother immediately, his tall frame and impeccable posture making him stand out even in the bustling space. Beside him sat Sophia, her blonde hair pulled back in an elegant twist, her smile warm as she waved them over.
"There's the happy couple," Marcus said, rising to embrace Shantali. His tone was light, but she caught the questioning look in his eyes, the doctor assessing his patient. "You look better than when I saw you last week."
"Amazing what saying yes to a proposal will do," she replied, keeping her tone equally light.
Sophia hugged her next. "Congratulations! Let me see the ring!"
- Writer
