TELLING FUTURES ON MOLOKAI

Gramma shuffled the cards and Ben cut twice. She made three piles. She placed the pile that came from the bottom on top and gathered up the other two. She smacked down a pair of queens and surrounded those with eight more cards. She lit a Chesterfield and blew a puff of smoke that rolled over the table. Queen of Spades and Queen of Clubs, she said, you like two dahk wahines.Is that true, Ben? I asked.Maybe.Will Ben go steady? I asked Gramma.No. Ben frowned. Why not?Five spades surround the queens, Gramma said. Spades spell trouble.