PALMS FOR THE POOR
SERIES II -- PART I
by JULIE LEE

In the second Palm Reader interview of our series, intrepid reporter Julie Lee again goes undercover in New York to expose the pecularities of Palm Reading. All words are verbatim.

JULIE: are you available for a reading?

PALM READER: yeah. [pause] have a seat.

JULIE: should I just sit anywhere?

PALM READER: yeah. (she talks to her kids)

JULIE: how are you?

PALM READER: fine. just hot.

JULIE: its good you got the AC here!

PALM READER: yep

JULIE: I can do the one-palm special for five dollars?

PALM READER: yes you can

JULIE: great, thanks.

PALM READER: let’s see...

JULIE: do you choose a palm or I just give you any palm?

PALM READER: no, you just give me any palm.(looks at palm) what is your name?

JULIE: Julie

PALM READER: Julie, you have a long life to live

JULIE: I do? where can you tell though?

PALM READER: here. you have a long life to your late 80’s. but I see you can be very good-hearted and very kind-hearted when you want to be. But you can be so difficult, so stubborn and very hard to please at times.

JULIE: really?

PALM READER: you’re the type of person that can give or take a joke. you’re very honest in your opinions. you're very open to new decisions but you haven’t had much luck in relationships.

JULIE: no?

PALM READER: there’s always been confusion for you in relationships. since how long have you been in a relationship?

JULIE: how can you tell? like uh...

PALM READER: (sarcastically) your hand.

JULIE: is there a relationship hand -- uh, a line?

PALM READER: it tells me there’s no luck for a relationship.

JULIE: oh god! geez....are you asking me if I’m in a relationship now?

PALM READER: yeah

JULIE: can you tell from the palm or no?

PALM READER: I see you’re with him, but I see that there’s something parting youse.

JULIE: parting? like not going together?

PALM READER: like not letting youse be together

JULIE: really? what is it?

PALM READER: hmmm?

JULIE: what is it?

PALM READER: Julie, have you ever had a reading before?

JULIE: no (big pause) no, because, you know, I believe in the reading stuff because it’s an old ancient art, you know what I mean? my grandmother used to do it for me too. But she’s in Taiwan now and she couldn’t do it. Actually, you know what she told me and, oh, I want to ask you too, she said there’s like, you know how there’s a palm reading, a face reading, is there like a foot reading? (palm reader shakes her head) no? have you ever heard of it?

PALM READER: no

JULIE: ok, well, hmmm, I don’t know.