Unexpected Souvenir

Romania Mochi

Your reasons for coming to Romania are probably not what other people have in mind when they go on vacation. Most people choose a place to go because it's warm, or fun, or has some kind of special meaning. You decided to vacation in Romania because it was an unusual place to go. You've never been a "go with the flow" kind of girl, so anything strange and one of a kind catches your interest.

The last few days you've spent in the capital city of Bucharest has been an interesting adventure to say in the least. You can't understand a word anyone is saying, you can't read any of the signs, and you got lost at least three times trying to find a particular fortune teller you've been hearing about. You don't speak Romanian, but some Romanians speak a little English.

"Go home," one old man had said when you asked for directions on your first day.

"No English," said many others after that.

"Get fortune," a senile woman had said when she saw you asking around. "Find house. Very big, very purple. Find house, find fortune."

"But how do I get to my hotel?" you asked her.

"Don't know, but you must find house. Very big, very purple." After repeating her message, the woman had hobbled away without another word.

You managed to get to your hotel, but now your curiosity was peaked. That's why you decided to go looking for this big purple house today. Weird things interest you after all. Unfortunately, finding the house isn't as easy as getting lost is. You've been wandering around for the last two hours asking people about a purple house. Most of them shake their head and keep walking, and others just stare blankly at you before walking away. You're starting to get hungry and discouraged.

"What am I going to do now?" you mumble to yourself when you realize you're lost. Again. "Maybe I can call a cab or something."

You open your bag to pull out a little coin purse full of varying denominations of Romanian coins. The currency jingles as you dump out the contents of the purse into your hands. You're about to start counting when a large 50 bani coin falls out of your hand and rolls away.

"Hey! Get back here!"

You dump the other coins back into the coin purse before chasing your runaway money. The coin continues to roll down the street from you in a perfectly straight line. Somehow it manages to avoid being kicked by anyone and keeps rolling further and further away. You keep your eyes glued to the escaping coin and dodge oncoming foot traffic. The coin finally slows and falls face up in front of a large house. It seems to mock you as you bend over and pick it up.

"Where were you running off to, huh?" You look over at the house and gasp. It's the purple house. "That can't be a coincident."

The dark green door of the house seems to beckon to you with its shiny brass handle. You practically skip to the entrance and let yourself into the house. Small silver bells tinkle as the door swings open then closed. The inside of the house is dimly lit and furnished with dark colors. There really isn't much to see, and you wonder if you came to the wrong place.

"Buna ziua! Buna ziua! Vă rugăm, vin în! (Hello! Hello! Please, come in)"

The little old lady you ran into a few days back comes shuffling into the entryway. "It's you!" you exclaim.

"Ah, yes! You came, you came! Come! You must get fortune!" The woman takes your hand sweetly in her wrinkled one and leads you down a little hall. The hall splits in two, and she takes you to the right. "You wait here. He be out soon. You wait here." She shuffles out of the room she showed you to and shuts the door.

You take a seat in a cushioned chair covered in deep red velvet. Strange things decorate this room, many of which are either black or gray. A skull with red jewel eyes stares down at me from a bookshelf, and you begin to squirm uncomfortably. Suddenly, the black satin curtain in the middle of the room draws back to reveal a white, round object sitting on a black table wearing a red hat.

"Bună ziua și bun venit (hello and welcome)," it says. "Catalina tells me you are here to get your fortune told, yes?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," you answer. "I just kind of ended up here."

"But that is no coincidence!" The object's red eyes sparkle with mischief. "I, the great Romania Mochi, will look into the future to read your fortune, but first!" He looks at your closed hand. "I will take that as payment."

You open your hand to reveal the 50 beni coin. "How did you know about that?"

"Anything is possible with magic," Romania Mochi says. He winks so quickly that you almost missed it. "I know many things about you, (y/n). Some things you are not even aware of."

Your jaw drops. "You know my name! That's crazy!"

The mochi smiles in a feline sort of way, and a single, pointy tooth stands out from the rest. "Many become afraid of my powers. I am glad to see you are not."

"No! This is totally cool!" you practically squeal. "Tell me more!"

"Okay. I see that you are a lover of all things unordinary. You like spicy food, cats, and the smell of lilacs. Your best memory is of bringing your cat, Buttercup, home for the first time as a child, and your worst memory is of your grandfather's funeral."

"H-how? How did you know?" Your eyes widen and an amused laugh passes through your lips.

"Magic allows me to see things that others cannot," Romania Mochi replies. "Enough talk! I will now read your fortune." He blinks and the coin in your hand disappears. "Please clear your mind, lovely, and I will look into your future."

You close your eyes and focus on just breathing. A peaceful calm comes over you, and you feel your mind slip into a trancelike state. You wonder if this is part of the reading or if it's just you spacing out.

"I have seen what is to come!" Romano Mochi shouts suddenly. "You will find much happiness during your stay here, (y/n). There will be someone you meet that makes your day very bright. Your future is very promising, my dear. Enjoy what my lovely country has to offer you, and you will find what you are looking for."

"Wow, that's a lot to take in," you tell him. "At least it's all good!"

"Yes, your future is very bright, my lovely." The mochi blinks, and something appears in your closed hand.

"What in the-?" You open it up to see a little metal keychain. The charm is shaped like the Romanian flag. "Oh, thank you, Romania Mochi."

"You're very welcome," he says with with his feline grin. "Come back anytime, my dear."

"I think I will," you tell him. "I like you, and Catalina. I'll be back again tomorrow."

The mochi's red eyes brighten noticeably. "Will you really? I would like that very much."

"Okay then, it's a date," you say with a smile. "I'll be back tomorrow."