Truly, Madly, Like Me - Jo Watson Page 0,38

to practice them.”

She wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and looked at me for the longest time.

“I think that everything that’s happening at this moment is happening for a reason. I think that you finding this dog, bringing him here, him swallowing your keys and keeping you here, it’s all part of the universe’s plan.”

“The universe?”

“Or God, or karma or whatever you want to call it.”

“God’s plan?” I chuckled, thinking about the name I’d given Cujo in the first place and how opposite that was from anything godly. I looked down at him. Surely, if this was all part of some divine, magical plan, God could have brought me a better-looking dog. Not one that looked like this!

“Here.” Samirah pulled out a piece of paper and started scribbling on it. It seemed to take her ages, but finally, she passed it to me.

“This is the address of the meditation. You should come. Seriously. It can’t harm you.”

“I don’t have a car, so I can’t get there,” I said.

“It’s in walking distance. And the walk will do him good—it might even speed up the process.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Bring him, and I promise that if he decides to go while he’s there, I will personally sift through it for you.”

At that I perked up and looked down at the paper.

“Or I could fetch you if you want?” she asked. I looked up at her. Was she really this nice?

I shook my head quickly. “It’s okay. If I come, I’ll walk. Like you said, it may speed him up.”

I started reading the directions. “Go down Church Street, turn left into Berg Street, at the second house take a left, at the big jacaranda take another left. Pass the blue sign, and it’s the second rusted gate on your left.” I looked up at Samirah. “Huh? These are the directions?”

She nodded.

“There is this amazing thing called Google Maps, trust me, you guys would love it,” I said sarcastically.

“This seems to work for us,” she said with a smile. “We never get lost, and if we do, it’s for a reason.”

I put my hand on my hip. “What’s up with you anyway?”

Samirah laughed. “What’s up with me?”

“Yes, you’re very friendly and you like to give strange advice and say things about the universe and snakes and how Cujo belongs to me and things happen for reasons.”

“I thought his name was Satan?” she asked.

“It got changed.”

“That’s still a terrible name,” she said.

“Well, it is better than Sat—”

“Yes!” She cut me off. “But only marginally.”

We both looked at each other for a while. She had a kind, round moon-shaped face. It was so open. Welcoming.

“Do you really believe in that stuff you were talking about? The universe and plans?” I asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Can I tell you something weird then?” I asked.

She smiled at me, open and welcoming, and she didn’t need to say a word, because I could see I could talk to her.

“I think I might have almost died a few days ago.” The words flew out of my mouth. They had sort of been on the tip of my tongue the entire time. Not that I’d been consciously thinking about it, but on some level, it hadn’t really left me.

“That’s awful, what happened?”

“I was in an elevator with two other women and suddenly the thing plummeted. I thought I was going to die, but then it just stopped.”

“Was anyone injured?” she asked.

“Yes, actually! One of the women was hit on the head, she passed out. They took her away on a stretcher.”

“Is she okay?” she asked, looking genuinely concerned for this stranger.

I shrugged. “I have no idea.” And then a thought hit me. “Oh God, she could be dead, couldn’t she?”

Samirah looked very solemn for a moment. “I hope not,” she said softly.

“Me too.” I thought about the way her eyes had glazed over just before she’d fallen and a shiver ran up my spine.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of that thought. “Anyway, it’s weird, because after the elevator, everything changed. And I mean everything. And in a matter of seconds.”

She observed me for a while before speaking again. “And now you are here.” It was a statement, not a question.

“I guess so.”

“Are you okay?” she asked.

I was taken aback by the question. “What do you mean?”

“Well, having an accident like that can leave you very shaken up. It can change your perspective on a lot of things, it can . . .” Her voice got soft and suddenly she looked