Telegrams of the Soul

The Automaton

“Sir—,” said the young black man, Mensah, “here in the garden there is a wondrous thing (a mystery). You throw in two Kàple (Kreuzer) and you find out your future.”

“Indeed,” said Peter A.

“Sir, it’s a very crazy thing: In the upper village there is a young Negress whom I love. And she has a husband.”

“Does she love him?”

“No.”

“How do you know that?!”

“His eyes are too sad.”

“Come—.”

The gentleman went with the black man to the fortune-telling automaton, which was painted in red lacquer and had a panel with a dial. There where the dial stopped, that was your destiny.

The black man tossed two Kàple in.

The dial turned.

It stopped on the words: “You will take a trip and earn much money unexpectedly.”

“Well—?!” said the black man.

“You are loved,” said Peter A.

“Sir,” said the black man to Peter A. the next day, “can it be known?! There is another such wondrous thing in the garden. If this one says the same thing—!?”

“First show me Méja, your beloved girlfriend.”

He took the gentleman to see her.

Méja sat on the dance floor. Her husband came over to her, took off his gray-green woolen pagne and lay it on her delicate shoulders, because the evening wind was just lifting in the garden.

She remained motionless.

“Come—,” said the gentleman to the black man.

The blue lacquered automaton worked precisely.

The dial stopped turning.

“Well—?” said Mensah.

“A great misfortune awaits you. But there is still time to turn back. Think it over!” said the gentleman, while the automaton pointed to good luck and love.

Mensah dropped into deep thought—.

“Thank you, Sir.”

Pause.

Then said Mensah: “And yet she had such sad eyes—.”

But the gentleman thought: “Gently he lay a shawl on her shoulders when the evening wind was lifting—!”