The lady answered pointing at the much younger man,"We're from California. We've been on the other train from LosAngles to Memphis for two days. It seems like forever."
Wanda, "That's a long way. Where are you going?"
Lady, "We're going to Cincinnati."
Wanda, "Well. It shouldn't be too much longernow."
The lady turned to the lady sitting by the window andsaid, "We've seen people going to a lot of places for the last twodays. Where are you going?"
She replied, 'To Orlando. I need to change trains atWashington."
The lady by the aisle asked wondering, "Why are yougoing there?"
The lady by the window replied, "To sit by thepool."
At the next table Kim watched a very young lookingmale, maybe 15, and a younger looking female, maybe 14 or even 13.Kim though, from their clothes, that they were both Amish. Therewas a very young child, perhaps a few weeks old, in a carrier onthe table. The attention they were giving to the child caused Kimto feel they were the parents of the child.
Once they felt relaxed Wanda and, Matt and Kim, leftthe café car. Wanda and, Matt and Kim, entered the lounge car. Amywas sitting in the observation car and asked a conductor if lightsin the hallway of the sleeping cars after 10 pm. The conductoranswered that they would be, but there are lights at the edge ofthe floor so the hallway can be easily seen for walking.
After the conductor left, Wanda, not knowing shewould get an answer, "I have been wondering about the prices forthe sleeping cars. Are they very expensive?"
Wanda was a little surprised that Amy was happy toanswer and said, "They usually are. They can cost two to three,maybe even four times the coach price for a ticket. It all dependson the time of the year you are traveling and where you aregoing."
Wanda was surprised by the answer and said, "I neverknew they were that much."
Amy, "Most people don't. I've been riding trains formost of my life. The sleeping car prices have increased over time.My parents introduced me to riding on trains. A lot of people nolonger use trains. but I just continue to ride them. Our parentsintroduce them to us. Everybody in the family would rather take atrain then a plane. It just got started and continued."
Wanda listening asked, "Mind if I sit down?"
Amy, "That's fine go ahead."
Wanda sat in the chair beside Amy. Matt and Kim satin the two chairs beside Wanda.
Amy continued talking, "Of course it has gotten moreexpensive as the years go by. But if I have the time I always usethe train. I never been bother by the expense or time. I was borninto money. It was passed down through the family. When your lifeis like mine you do things different than others. Today someoneneeds to take a plane just because of their working time limits andthe time that have for the vacation is limited. When you don't workyou can go at any time you want and stay any amount of time youwant.'
Matt, not sure of what answer he would get, but justhad to ask, "How did your family ever get money like that."
Amy, "It started with my great-grandfather, HenryMajors. He started the business in Memphis. In the shipping area.Back then the Mississippi had a lot of cargo going up and down itand he was there and got into it at just the right time. Today youwould not be able to do that. So now the company is in the foodproduction industry as the main source of income. Also, the companyconcentrates on investing in other companies And the investmentsmade can really take off and get the large money everyone's runningafter. Most of them will get in after it's popular which is toolate to make the real money. It's better to invest time to predictthe future trends in companies before making investments."
Wanda, heard to predict the future trends and enteredthe conversation, "People can see the future and make money fromit. But I don't see people making any money predicting the futurebusiness trends and getting money that way. I have had a psychicbusiness for seven years now and just because of the interestpeople have in the psychic area, I've managed to make a living.That's why I'm on the train. I have moved to Mapleville and had anincrease in business."
"You live in Mapleville now?" Amy replied, "I've beenliving there for forty two years now. That's where my daughter wasborn. She lives in Mapleville also. The psychic businesses onlystarted about three years ago. At first many people were againstit. But I figure new people in town with their own business wouldhelp the town. It really has helped. There are more stores andshops there now which helps everybody. And leads to staying theweekends. Which starts the tourist type of businesses, which wedidn't have before. So I'm glad to see the new people."
Wanda, "I'm not actually a new person. But from thetowns point of view I can see how I am. What I'm concerned about isthe group that, to me, rip of people and have no real interest inthe psychic connection itself. For me there is a real connection. Iguess that's why it bothers me to see these con-artists. Which isreally what they are."
Amy, "I can agree with that. I've seen a fewcon-artists myself over the years. Inside the family there arerumors of psychic abilities. I try to keep a history of the family.I have several times run into ancestors that supposedly had thesepsychic abilities. The same as I see people either have or thinkthey have in Mapleville. I have found no proof that anyone in thefamily has had any real psychic abilities."
Wanda, "Everybody has the abilities in them. Theyjust don't come out for whatever reason."
Amy, "I don't what to argue with you, But I don'tthink that's true. It seems to me somehow, now and then, someonecould have the so called psychic ability, but that is just someonethat randomly has them and there is no known reason why."
Wanda, "You know I've had heard that may times frommany people. But for me I still think it's a thing everyonehas."
Then Amy got a message. She pulls a computer out ofher bag and replied to the message. Chatted a very short time, thensaid goodbye.
Amy continued the conversation, "That's funny, I justgot a message from my daughter, Connie, she's in Mapleville rightnow. Said she had a séance from one of the psychics there. But itdidn't work out."
Wanda was interested in this and though maybe it wasa family thing and it was not her business, but she just had toask, "Why, did she have a séance?"
To her surprise Amy answered without hesitation,"She's concerned about her cousin Delores. Delores is one of thosein the family that we wonder about. We both think that Deloresthinks she has psychic powers. Delores is one of the black sheep inthe family. In our history there are several. But Connie andDelores are of the same generation. Connie is sensible about beingborn into money. Delores is not. Connie think that Delores cansomehow use her so called psychic powers to get more then her shareof the family money. One of the psychic in Mapleville convincedConnie that she could have a séance and contact mygreat-grandfather and he would help her figure out what Delores isup to, Of course it never worked. She just had to tell me aboutit."
Wanda, "Hum. Interesting. This is one of the thingsthat has kept me interested in the psychic. I keep hearing storiesjust like this one. I really don't know what to think about them.But they keep my interest. Maybe it’s the reason I have been in thebusiness for years and making my living from the business. It couldbe my own way of thinking so I could make a living. I just don'tknow.'
Amy," I just don't know myself about all this stuff.If you'll excuse me I think I'll go to my room and rest awhile."