Feng Shui Movers Feng Shui Movers Lily’s Decision Feng Shui Movers started out as a harmless pastime for me but for Lily it meant more. She actually believes in aromatherapy, crystals and Feng Shui, a Chinese art that bases everything on the way that energy flows around the home. When the energy flows smoothly life is good. If the energy flow is irregular life is disturbing. Lily used a compass and divided up her apartment into eight sections that corresponded with the eight areas of life, money, love, health and so on. Then she arranged her furnishings accordingly. But too much energy came from the west. A white tiger that brought unpredictability and anger represented the west. Lily felt out of sorts because of this white tiger. I just smile and agree with Lily about this Feng Shui stuff, but I don’t really get it. I worked with Lily for seven or more years at Jubilee Enterprises, a factory that makes greeting cards and party supplies for several stores in the area. We work on the assembly line sorting, counting and pricing the greeting cards. I knew Lily and her sister Tory since they were born. I grew up with their parents Lorna and Jake. Jake died in a car accident when the girls were young and Lorna had to raise Lily and Tory by herself. I helped Lorna with her daughters and became their Aunt Bonnie. Neither one of my husbands understood the bond I had with those girls. My friendship with Lorna spanned decades lasting longer than my marriages, which ultimately ended in divorces. Both Lorna and I are still a bit overprotective of her daughters they are adults. Both Lily and Tory are doing well now. Lily is a lanky woman with dark features. In spite of her quirks, Lily’s quite practical. She’s still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and always attempts some new plan that will get her out of working for Jubilee. Lily lives with her boyfriend Collin, a sensible lawyer and laid back guy. They compliment each other very well, and have a better relationship than most married couples. Maybe there’s something to all that new age aromatherapy, Feng Shui, and crystal nonsense. Tory is also doing quite well. She’s a nurse at County Hospital. She married Phillip Belin last year. He comes from money. Phillip was always the charmer. In high school he was the class president and captain of the football team. After Phillip returned from Harvard business school, he became the manager of Federal Trust bank. One night Phillip ran into Tory at Murphy’s Pub. They closed the place that night and he fell hard for Tory. It was a whirl wind courtship. Phillip completely adored her. He always surprised Tory exorbitant gifts like designer clothes and precious, jewels. They dated for six months and got engaged. A year later they had one of the biggest weddings this town has ever seen. It was beautiful but twelve or more bridesmaids, five different theme bridal showers, a full piece orchestra, and flaming deserts were a bit excessive. Lily and I had to work some overtime lately. After work Collin planned a cookout for us. . Collin grilled real hamburgers for us and tofu hotdogs for Lily. The phone rang. “I’ll get it. That’s my mom.” Lily shouted running into the kitchen and grabbing the phone. “How do you know? You’re not clairvoyant now, Lily.” I teased. “No Lorna’s just predictable.” “Hi, is everything ok Mom?” Lily fiddled with the spices in the cupboard as she listened. “Tory is a grown woman now. Stop meddling in her life.” Lily sighed and tried a new tactic. “So, Mom, why don’t you trust Philip anymore? I can’t believe you think that he’s cheating on her.” I listened in while making a salad. “What’s your proof? They cancelled one Sunday dinner and he has a guy’s night out at East Street Bar that’s all. Collin and I don’t come every Sunday and he works late a lot of nights. Is that suspect in your book too? Please don’t start the marriage thing now. We like just living together. It’s comfortable. Besides, I thought that you were worried about Tory and Philip. Maybe they’re having a rough time but I can’t believe that you think he’s cheating on her. Really mother, you need a hobby or something. Watching movies on Lifetime doesn’t count. I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later.” Lilly hung up. “Bonnie can you believe that Lorna is prying into Tory’s marriage like that. Sometimes she’s impossible.” Even though Lily thought that her mom was being a busy body, I started driving by Federal Trust bank on my lunch hours just to check up on Phillip. At first I didn’t tell Lily because I didn’t want to upset her. Then one day I saw him with Suzie Quinn the owner of Suzie Q's Boutique. She was impossible to miss in her get ups. Suzie dressed in hot pink stretch pants white pumps and ugly floral print shirts usually topped with a paisley scarf and big hoop earrings. Her boutique is a mishmash of gaudy clothing and accessories, which is located in the same plaza as the bank. She even sells perfumes and a sundry of other beauty supplies. I saw Philip with Suzie quite a few times on my drives. They usually had lunch together at Smith’s Diner downtown. I started hanging out at Suzie Q’s and even bought some tacky jewelry and face creams. I became a regular at the shop. Suzie and I commiserated about men. Suzie openly revealed that she was seeing Phillip. Well I couldn’t keep this from Lily any longer so I admitted that I was spying on Philip. I thought that she would be mad at me for interfering but instead she wanted my advice. After a few more trips to Suzie Q’s and more cucumber and peach soaps, I got every detail of her relationship with Phillip. Even down to when and where they met. That was all the info Lily and I needed. We drove by various bars Suzie’s apartment, all night diners out on the high way and other out of the way places. One Saturday night Tory and Phillip met with Lily and Collin at Murphy’s Pub. Tory and Lily sat at the bar while Phillip and Collin played pool. “So Collin how’s it going with Lily?” “Fine.” “That’s it just fine Phillip pursued. “ Yeah. You know Lily she’s just going through this stress at work. She wants to get a new job, but doesn’t know what to do. That’s the usual for her. Lily is the opposite of her sister. Tory’s always at the hospital working extra shifts or on call. It’s like she’s never there for me anymore and when Tory is home, she’s too tired to cook, clean, or do laundry.” Phillip bitched. “But I thought that she was working all the time to pay off your mortgage and help out Lorna with some of the bills.” Collin said. “That’s another thing Tory and Lily both are way too attached to darling Lorna.” Phillip complained. “I’ll admit Lorna can be a bit trying at times, but she’s a great person and besides she’s family Collin asserted. “That’s bullshit. Tory needs to meet my needs.” Collin just looked at Phillip as he racked up the balls for the next pool game. Phillip carried on. “My irritating wife Tory should get her priorities straight or else, he paused. “Or else what, Phillip? Asked Collin. “Nevermind.” Phillip muttered as he walked to the bar. I went back to Suzie Q’s. And for the price of a seaweed mud cream, a pair of gold earrings in the shape of cowboys and a neon green plaid scarf with decorative frogs, I found out that Suzie usually met Phillip at the MayFlower Motel a few times a week. This news put our next phase into action. We drove be the Mayflower a few times. We missed Suzie and Phillip, but became very familiar with the lay out of the place. There’s a house near by the Mayflower motel. One more shopping spree at Suzie Q’s and a gaudy beaded bumblebee pin later, I found out that Suzie was meeting Phillip at the MayFlower Motel on Thursday at 1 p.m. That gave us three days to come up with a plan. Lily convinced the owner a sweet lady by the name of Margie Walsh that we could improve her life and her home with Feng Shui. We became Feng Shui movers. She designed business card and decal, which we printed up on the night shift at Jubilee. We rented a white van, put a decal with our Feng Shui Movers logo. We made an appointment to meet Margie Walsh on the same day that Philip and Suzie went to The Mayflower. My job was to spy on them and take pictures while Lily distracted Margie with the Feng Shui bullshit. We showed up at Margie’s house around quarter to one with our van filled with round leaf plants. Lily and I knocked on her door. Margie made us coffee while Lily took stock of the house using her compass. She drew up a house plan for Margie based on the eight areas of life. Margie sorted through her possessions and I hauled out the clutter. On my third trip to the trash I saw Philip and Suzie. I took my camera out of the van and got pictures of Suzie & Philip and their cars with the licensee plates. After getting rid of Margie’s junk, Lily created clear lines and paths for energy to travel through her house. Then I came back with a few plants, wind chimes. stones, and candles to remedy certain areas of Margie’s home and her life. Two hours later I had the evidence on film and Margie had a home filled with positive energy. After removing the decals and returning the van I drove to Wal-Mart to develop the film. Lily and I walked around not saying much. I got some Windex and envelopes. Lily picked up some marigolds for her garden and bags of peanut M&Ms for Collin We got in my car and looked at the pictures. “Should I tell her, Bonnie?” Lily said. I just stared at her. For weeks we’ve been tailing Philip. Now that we have evidence Lily has doubts about telling Tory. When she came to work this next day, Lily looked pale and drawn. On our break she said that she had told Tory the whole story, but Tory didn’t believe her. She accused Lily of lying and refused to talk with her. A few days later, Lily and I drank the sludge from the nasty coffeepot in the fluorescent orange and brownish titled break room at Jubilees. We had about ten minutes to get back to work. “Lily look at this. It’s a card from Margie Walsh She said that after we did Feng Shui on her house everything in her life got better.” Lily glanced at the card. “It doesn’t matter now Bonnie. Tory still isn’t talking to me or Lorna for meddling in her marriage.” “But you were just trying to help your little sister.” Come on, we better get back to work, Bonnie.” I kept thinking about Margie Walsh’s card. There is a need for Feng Shui. Maybe Lily and I could create our own business actually become Feng Shui Movers. It has to be better than working for Jubilee Enterprises. Now I just have to convince Lily. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2001 Kelly Moran |