Short Story: The Seer
In college, they called him the Seer, but his real name was Isaac B. Greenfield. Very few knew his real name, only his close acquaintances and friends. Isaac was tall and slender, wore black-framed glasses, and looked just like a creative taking a break from a renowned advertising agency.
His family belonged to the middle class. They weren’t rich, but since Isaac appreciated quality, his attire was always elegant and impeccable. He didn't shop often—in fact, he expressly detested shopping—but when he did, he bought quality pieces and took great care of his favorite items of clothing. He was viewed as a social butterfly, present at every party, never in conflict with anyone. He behaved neither conspicuously nor aggressively, even after many drinks, and would occasionally share entertaining stories. He was the perfect filler for parties. The host knew Isaac would be no trouble, he safely increased the headcount, and he even entertained a few people from time to time.
Despite not seeming lonely, Isaac was. From a very young age, he had this strange ability to predict things, but he kept silent about it. No one knew about this in his childhood, and later on, those close to him often attributed it to luck when his prophecies came true. By college, Isaac had come to understand that his predictions, which seemed so mysterious to others, were nothing more than keen observations combined with excellent analytical sense, leading to insights based on probability.
The problem was that no one else saw things the way he did. No one noticed the small gesture the director's assistant made when adjusting her boss’s jacket, which gave away that their relationship was more than professional. Nor did anyone see that the football team’s star player was hopelessly in love with a reclusive girl branded as a math genius, who never set foot in the stadium, yet the boy kept looking for her in the stands at every game. Isaac couldn’t fathom why others didn’t foresee the imminent decline and eventual breakup of the football star and his current girlfriend. It was so obvious.
Just as it was obvious that his mother drank. He knew when he was just four years old. Regardless of how his mother tried to mask the smell of alcohol with mouthwash or perfume, her movements, her gaze, always gave her away. His father took years to notice. When Isaac was ten, the truth came out, and amidst the huge scandal, and of course, influenced by an attractive colleague, his father eventually left them. Thereafter, his mother spiraled, and Isaac had to use every sense and predictive ability to foresee what would happen next. More than once, he anticipated signs of her attempts at suicide.
The first time, it was pure luck that he came home early from a missed geology club meeting. For subsequent instances, he prepared. As soon as he saw signs — his mother not getting out of bed, staring blankly at the kitchen table or the TV— he took precautions. He called her doctor and the pharmacist to ensure she had enough medication and not to provide more. He hid sleeping pills and painkillers in a hole he dug near the big tree in the garden, leaving only a non-lethal amount in the bottles. After school, he'd rush home, and if possible, spend days there, citing illness as an excuse. His mother would write a sick note for him, though she wasn’t pleased that her son was home, not understanding why he clung to her so much during these times.
Over time, Isaac realized his mother didn't truly want to die. The attention and time spent with her son always improved her condition slightly. The idea of Isaac going to high school in another city never arose, despite his father's invitations to move in with him and enroll in the reputable local high school. Somehow, they survived the high school years with his mother. When it came time for college, Isaac faced a difficult decision. He wanted to study geology, and at the highest level. This meant moving to another city, even another state. He sat on the application form for weeks, unsure of what to do. He felt it would be dangerous to leave his mother alone. Although things had improved in recent years and he no longer feared she might attempt suicide, he was scared that if he left, she would relapse. Then, two months before the application deadline, a miracle happened. His mother met an incredibly kind man named John. The man was in his fifties, well-off and respectable. To Isaac, he seemed a bit old-fashioned and rigid, but since his mother seemed happy, he decided to take the risk. He applied and was accepted into the geology program. He moved at the end of August. Since then, for two years now, he spoke to his mother every day and recently started seeing his father every two months. Things finally seemed to be falling into place, and Isaac, cautiously and in his own deliberate way, immersed himself in college life.
‘Hey, Seer! What do you predict for the Emily Smith-James O’Donell relationship? How long will it last?’ Isaac's best friend, Steve, plopped down next to him on the garden bench.
‘What's up, you ran out of your allowance again?’ Isaac laughed.
‘No, I want a new mobile.’ Steve replied. ‘So? Two months? Half a year? One year? More?’
Isaac shook his head with a smile.
‘I don't understand who bets on such nonsense.’
‘Just because you never buy anything for yourself and aren’t interested in women, it doesn't mean others don’t have expenses,’ Steve responded. ‘Come on, help out! I bet it's definitely more than half a year. They're all over each other.’
Isaac pondered for a while. The events he knew of ran through his head:
Emily had broken up with her old boyfriend a month ago. He left her for a freshman. James had been pining for the girl for a year, but had no chance until now.
He had seen Emily recently, watching her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend with a sad expression. Clearly, that old relationship wasn't quite over.
It was also certain that Emily would need to keep up the appearance of having found her true love for a while, patching together the fragments of her shattered self-esteem.
‘Maybe it will really be more than half a year?’ he thought to himself.
Then he remembered the scene from the library yesterday. Emily and James were sitting not far from him, and James gently touched Emily's back. Emily stiffened. So, she didn't like her boyfriend's touch. They surely wouldn't last half a year then. Let’s see what’s most likely. Emily needs some more time to pull herself together. That's in contrast with her aversion to James' touch.
‘Two months, then they'll break up citing exams and a lack of time. Emily will end it,’ Isaac declared.
Steve jumped up from the bench, calling out as he ran off.
‘You're brilliant! Two months and I'll have a new phone!’
Isaac watched his friend with a smile. He felt he'd never fully understand him.
He spent the afternoon again in the library. He had adopted the habit of preparing for exams well in advance, as he never knew when he'd need to rush home in case of a crisis. Thankfully, the last two years had been relatively calm; his mother and John seemed to be doing well together. As he sat making notes in the library, his geology professor approached.
‘Good day, Isaac!’ the forty-something man greeted.
‘Good day, professor Moore! How are you?’
‘Very well, thank you. And you?’
‘I’m good too.’
Isaac looked at him with anticipation; it was rare for a professor to just approach a student like that.
‘I'd like you to participate in a geology student conference. You would represent our school and give a presentation. Of course, I'll provide all the help you need in preparation. What do you think?’ he asked.
Isaac was speechless. It was a great honor to represent the school. When he finally gathered himself, he could only manage to say:
‘I would love to.’
' Alright. I'll send you the details by tomorrow. Think about what you'd like to discuss, write an outline of the lecture, then contact me so we can review it!’
'Yes, sir. Thank you!’
Mr. Moore nodded and began to walk out of the room. Isaac watched him leave, still in shock. It took him at least ten minutes to process what had just happened and to refocus on his notes.
Just after seven in the evening, he put his books back on the shelf and headed to the dining hall for dinner. Along the way, Steve, Roger, and Anne joined him. They were all studying geology, except for Steve, who was a mathematics student. Isaac often teased him, saying that someone who was so good at probability should predict their own future, but he soon realized that while Steve understood numbers, he didn't understand people at all.
'Hello, Seer!' Anne greeted him with a big smile.
He had become so accustomed to that nickname that he no longer argued with it. It took him half a year to make peace with everyone calling him that.
'Hello!' he smiled back at her and the others.
'So, what's for dinner?' Roger asked.
Shaking his head, Isaac replied,
'I think it's gyros.’
'Maybe it's skewered meat. Want to bet?' Steve asked mischievously.
However, Roger shook his head.
'If he says it's gyros, then it surely will be. How do you know, anyway?’
'I saw the delivery truck this afternoon, the one that usually comes before gyros dinners.' Isaac answered.
'When? You were in the library all afternoon.' Steve protested, unable to comprehend where his friend got his information.
'When we sat outside on the bench in the garden, talking about Emily and James.’
'I didn't see any truck.’
'You didn't, but he did!' Anne playfully jabbed Steve. 'So, what's your bet? Everyone's betting on this. Half a year?' she asked.
Isaac remained silent, but Steve answered for him,
'He said it's a great love, surely at least half a year!’
'I didn't say that.’
'Come on, don't ruin it! Everyone watches what I bet on, because they know you're my friend. If he also bets on two months, then I'll win less money!' Steve grumbled.
Anne elbowed him.
'You are such a pig! Would you really deceive others just to get your silly phone?’
Steve shrugged.
'It's a really cool phone.’
Slightly offended, Anne turned to Isaac,
'So, Seer, what's your guess?’
'Two months' Isaac replied.
Anne sighed with relief, which didn't escape Isaac's notice. He looked a bit grim, but fortunately, Steve's endless chatter distracted everyone. Roger couldn't even get a word in.
In the dining hall, a few more classmates joined them. Together, they sat at the long table and enjoyed their gyros.
'Hey, Seer! Who do you think will win the school athletic tournament this weekend?' one of them asked.
Isaac just smiled, thinking he should be getting a commission for his predictions.
'I think, Luke Richardson.’
'Luke Richardson? But he only came in third in the competition two months ago. Isn't it likely one of the two main contenders will win?’
'I believe Luke will be the winner' Isaac replied calmly.
'But why?' Anne inquired. She never placed bets, but she was genuinely curious about Isaac's logic.
'Because Perry, the previous winner, showed off a new girlfriend three weeks ago. They're inseparable, and Perry's academic performance has been slipping in recent weeks; he's even been late for classes. Clearly, the new relationship consumes a lot of his energy. I don't think he's training at his best. And as for Smith, I saw him have a fallout with the coach. Last week, they were arguing in the hallway because he wasn't getting a larger locker and better treatment than the other athletes. I felt more pettiness in him than determination. I believe he'll underperform for his coach. He's just in it for the glory, not truly for the sport and the performance. The fact that he didn't get what he wanted, in my opinion, demotivated him. So, Luke is the frontrunner. He wants to prove himself and he's humble.’
'Wow!' Anne said with admiration, which greatly pleased Isaac.
'If it's Luke, then it's Luke! I'm betting on him!' said the group mate. 'I don't even know how you predicted the winner of the last baseball game, but you were right. I lost a hundred dollars then; now I'm listening to you. Thanks for the tip!'
During dinner, Isaac talked about the conference, but his friends were more interested in who would become the new college director. Everyone feared that the constantly grumbling deputy director, who imposed a myriad of rules, would take over. It had been revealed two days ago that the married director with three children was having an affair with his assistant, who had herself been a student at the college. The man subsequently resigned.
Isaac wasn't surprised by the news, but everyone else was.
However, he found it unlikely that the deputy director would replace the man for two reasons. Firstly, because she was a woman, and male dominance still stubbornly persisted in academic and university life. Secondly, the director's chair in their school required economic knowledge, which, based on her resume, she didn't have.
'She's definitely going to be the new director!' Anne lamented. 'She'll drown us in twenty-thousand contradictory rules!'
This topic was even more interesting to Roger than relationships or sports.
'Do you think she will be the one?' Roger asked Isaac.
'No. I don't think so. She doesn't have an economic degree, which is a great reason to put a man in charge,' Isaac replied.
'Then who?' Anne asked with some relief in her voice.
'I don't know. We'll see when the candidates are presented.'
'Why don't you know? You're the Seer!' Roger exclaimed.
'I've told you, I just analyze and calculate. I don't have a crystal ball' Isaac clarified for the umpteenth time.
He spent the evening in his room. Since it was Thursday, the weekend parties hadn't started yet. Some had already started drinking, but he wasn't among them. On the weekend, just as he predicted, Luke Richardson won the athletic gold. His buddies made a neat sum betting with illegal bookies. On Saturday evening, before heading to Anne's party, he called his mother. She didn't pick up, and a knot formed in Isaac's stomach. He tried calling John too but couldn't reach him either. He hoped they were at the theatre or a movie, hence not picking up. Upon arriving at Anne's, he saw they were celebrating Luke's gold medal. At least sixty people were in the house. Anne still lived with her parents, but they were away for the weekend, so she threw a party. As soon as she saw Isaac, she handed him a drink and pulled him into the crowd.
'He knew in advance that Luke would win!' she exclaimed loudly. Isaac couldn't have felt more embarrassed.
Luke approached him and shook his hand.
'Thanks for the trust!' he said with a smile.
'It was just likely,' Isaac replied.
'What do you think are the odds that Anne falls for me?' Luke asked confidently, then patted Isaac on the shoulder and followed Anne with his drink in hand.
Isaac's mood darkened, but he quickly composed himself as he saw Steve approaching.
'Hey, buddy!' the boy greeted.
'Hey Steve! How are you?'
'Great! I won sixty dollars! I love you, and this Luke guy too! Let's drink something.'
Isaac looked at his phone, but the screen showed no trace of missed calls or text messages. He was deeply worried, but there wasn't much he could do being three hundred kilometers away from his mother. All he could do was wait.
Steve handed him a glass filled with something he called a cocktail, which tasted horribly strong. He sipped it slowly, observing the people around him. In one corner, Emily was flirting with James. She seemed slightly reluctant at first, but the moment her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend arrived, she began to flirt passionately with James. Isaac also noticed Anne's sad glances when she saw them together. He had no idea about the history between Anne and James, but he suspected something had happened. It wasn't a look of longing or annoyance that James was taken; it was a look of being hurt. Anne's whole demeanor was focused on James, regardless of Luke trying to charm her or whatever Lucy, her best friend, was explaining.
If he had to answer Luke's question right then, he would have said to watch the relationship between Emily and James because the closer they seemed, the higher the chances for him to get what he desired. But Luke was too engrossed with Anne to even notice the lovers in the other corner.
Finally, his phone rang. It was his mother, assuring him she was okay. Her voice sounded strange, but he had heard it that way before. He knew he had to wait until the next day. If he still felt something was amiss, he would have to figure out what was wrong. He spent the rest of the evening observing the intricate web of human interactions: heartbroken Emily reflecting her ex-boyfriend’s behavior' sometimes flirting intensely, sometimes cuddling up to her partner; and James, glad they had finally moved past their stagnation, as Emily gave countless signs of her affection. He observed Anne, whose body language screamed her disinterest in Luke and her wish to be with James instead, and oblivious Luke who noticed none of this. He also spotted a few minor episodes – boys arguing over a chair due to alcohol-induced territorial disputes, hard-working students pining away, and girls with 3D eyelashes hovering around the alphas. He never understood the hype around 3D eyelashes. Can eyelashes be 2D anyway? Well, whatever. He’d ask Anne some other time, even though she didn’t seem too knowledgeable about such matters. Luckily for her, she had naturally long, beautiful eyelashes. And they were 3D.
He started to feel tired. He hadn’t seen Steve or Roger for over an hour, and he didn't feel like conversing with anyone else. Just then, a slightly drunk girl he recognized but couldn’t name or place in any class approached him.
'Hi! Are you the Seer?' she asked.
'Hi,' he sighed and nodded.
'Do you think I'll win the school bikini beauty contest?' she slurred, flaunting herself in front of Isaac.
Isaac knew he could take her to bed in the next ten minutes if he wanted, but he wasn't interested. He never liked alcohol-fueled encounters.
'Definitely' he replied, leaving her behind. As he was heading out, Anne blocked his path.
'Hey! Where are you going? It's only midnight!' she asked with feigned indignation.
'I'm tired. Going to sleep.'
'Did I upset you by not paying attention to you?' she asked, concerned.
'No, not at all. I saw you were busy.'
'Don't remind me! Luke is so exhausting.'
'He wouldn’t be if you weren’t splitting your focus,' Isaac said with a smile.
'What do you mean?' Anne asked.
'If you weren't watching James from the corner of your eye, conversing with Luke would have taken less energy.'
Anne sighed.
'Is it that obvious?'
'Don’t worry! I think I was the only one who noticed.' Isaac felt a knot in his stomach. He wanted to escape the situation.
'It's been over a month since we dated for two weeks. Then he left. I have no idea what happened. He didn’t explain. I didn't say anything because we wanted to keep it a secret. I didn't want bets to be placed on us, like on them.' Isaac felt that Anne wasn't being entirely truthful.
'He wanted to keep it a secret, right?'
Anne nodded.
'I think he was planning to get together with Emily even then' Anne sighed.
'So, you were Plan B. I understand.'
'Come on, have a vodka with me. I promise I won't even glance at James and Emily!'
Isaac nodded and followed Anne. She kept her promise, and Isaac didn't get home until four in the morning.
The next day, Isaac spoke to his mother again. Her voice and reactions seemed normal, so he was reassured. She promised that she and John would visit one weekend. Isaac continued to prepare for his exams, made predictions, and spent a lot of time with Mr. Moore as they prepared for their presentation. The visit from his mother and John didn't happen, but everything still seemed fine with them.
Four months went by, and the big day arrived. By then, Steven had his new mobile, as Emily and James broke up almost exactly two months after they got together at a party. Fortunately, it seemed that Anne no longer cared. As Isaac had predicted, the vice-principal didn't get the principal's position, and their school, though it had a good chance, didn't win the state school baseball championship. Steve, based on the Seer's prediction, shamelessly bet against the home team and won again. And not a small amount.
On the morning of the lecture, Isaac was already seated on the bus at eight o'clock, heading to the conference venue located two towns away. He arrived at noon. Fortunately, lunch was provided at the conference. After eating, he had a few hours before his presentation. He sat in the audience and listened to the two presenters before him. He took many notes because he and Mr. Moore had agreed that he'd write an article for their faculty’s online platform based on what he heard. At four o'clock, it was his turn. He was very nervous as he went up to the podium. At least two hundred people from universities all over the country were sitting in front of him. As he was introduced, he noticed some movement to his right. Three figures were approaching the stage. It took him a while to recognize them. He was very surprised. His mother, John, and Anne sat down in the third row, finding three empty seats. Tears welled up in Isaac's eyes, and he struggled to hold them back.
Seeing his mother for the first time since he was four, coherent and acting like a normal parent in the audience, filled him with incredible happiness. He saw her holding John's hand and signaling to him. Isaac smiled and nodded subtly, showing he noticed them. He also looked at Anne and smiled. But then the host suddenly stopped speaking and handed him the microphone. Isaac stepped up to it, adjusted it to the right height, and began his speech. The presentation went very well, especially the projected macro photos he got from his teacher for the occasion. When he came off the stage, he immediately went to his mother and hugged her.
'I'm so proud of you!' she said.
'Thank you, Mom!' Isaac turned to John and shook his hand.
'Congratulations! It was a very enjoyable presentation!' the man, as always, was stiff, but it was evident that he had grown fond of his partner's child.
'Thank you' Isaac replied.
'I always knew you'd be the new star of geology!' Anne said with a laugh, hugging him.
'From now on, they'll have to call you the Seer!' Isaac responded. 'You're sweet, but it was just a presentation, not a rock concert. By the way, did you arrange for my mom and John to come?'
'I'll explode if it turns out you predicted this too!'
Isaac grinned knowingly, and Anne playfully slapped him in the chest.
'No. I just felt that you were up to something today because you came up with a really lame excuse for not coming with me. After all, you're my best friend, and I needed the support. But I had no clue about mum and John.'
'Yes, the best friend,' Anne murmured to herself.
'Come on, Isaac, we'll take you back to college, and then maybe we can have dinner!' John was already ushering them out of the room. Isaac remembered he should be taking notes for the last lecture too, but he was so happy to see his mother so put together that he decided he'd rather get the lecture materials and work from them later.
The drive home was quicker by car than by bus. John and his mother continuously held each other's hands, like teenagers. They had become incredibly close over the past three years. Isaac realized that his mother needed John's firmness, reliability, and structure to pull herself together. He was grateful to the man.
As they sat in the back seat, he glanced at Anne and got lost in thought. Deep down, he had known for a good year now, but he hadn't admitted even to himself that he had fallen in love with her. In recent months, they had grown closer, but he felt that with his complicated family background, his constant overthinking, and other quirks, he wasn't truly appealing to her. If anyone would have asked, the Seer's opinion was, based on the signs, fate hadn't intended him for Anne. The girl was waiting for someone better. He redirected his attention to the conversation. Anne was explaining to his mother how the major system works at the college. His mother knew almost nothing about it because their conversations over the past nearly two decades never really revolved around Isaac's affairs. Now, she eagerly absorbed the information. She was finally attentive. Isaac watched in astonishment. After about half an hour, Anne grew tired and leaned back in her seat. She looked at Isaac and smiled. He smiled back and simply said:
’Thank you for this day!'
Anne took his hand and squeezed it. Isaac enjoyed the touch, but he was already expecting when the girl would pull her hand away after the friendly gesture. However, Anne did not let go; instead, she gently stroked his hand. Isaac looked at her, and instead of exhaustion, his face reflected surprise.
Anne smiled, pulled him close, and quickly kissed him on the lips, then laughing, she asked, 'Well, Seer? Didn't see that coming, did you?'
– Eszter
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