Lady Rosella's Story

By Brandy Woldstad

Rosella May's life fell apart when she the day she ignored her numerology prediction.

Now she needs a plan to pull her life back together.

When a carnival appears in town, an opportunity lands in Rosella's lap that shifts her life in an unexpected direction.

Enjoy a sweet, romantic short story about the surprises that appear in unexpected places.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brandy Woldstad
• Release date: May 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201822392

Book preview

Lady Rosella

Rosella May should have taken her 1992 numerology August prediction with more seriousness. If she had, she might still have a job with Wilson’s Innovative Marketing Pieces. Her boyfriend, Barry, whom she dated for the last eight months (and the reason she moved to Hartfield, Wisconsin in the first place) would not want to take a break in their relationship, and she would not have purchased the old farmhouse at the end of Elm Street. She would have followed the advice in the monthly prediction to take it slow and think things through.

Rosella sat on a green painted wood bench at the edge of Weinhart Park, feeling sorry for herself about the mess her life had become.

A convoy of trucks carrying various parts of carnival rides, food trucks, and travel trailers rumbled by her on Main Street. She watched with interest as the trucks came to a stop on the other side of the park.

People flowed out of the different vehicles and assembled into work crews. Within minutes all the side streets around the park were blocked off.

The noise of the hydraulic lifts, generators, power tools, and shouted conversations from the carnival soon drowned out the songs of the sparrows and robins.

Rosella watched the carnival crew set up like a complicated and well-rehearsed dance.

Maybe she could land a job traveling with the carnival now that she was free to come and go as she pleased. That was one perk of having lost her job an hour ago.

A life where she could live off of funnel cakes and other fried foods while giving teenagers extra spins on the tilt-a-whirl to watch their faces turn green could add more interest to her work, instead of listening to clients insist they wanted something innovative only to request items like the ones other people used.

Seriously, did her clients really think pens with company logos on them would help promote their business in an innovative way?

Yes. Every client, no matter how much time Rosella spent designing new marketing materials over the last four months, looked at her designs with interest, voiced pleasure at her creativity, then requested customized pens and pads of paper. The two items that lost their innovation long before she was born.

The diesel fumes of the trucks drifted to her side of the park. Rosella made a face and took the unpleasant smell as her cue to leave. She stood and smoothed out the front of her long, turquoise, and green patterned skirt. A man called out to her.

Hey! Are you interested in a job?

Rosella’s fingers brushed her soft, blue cotton shirt as she pointed to herself. Could this be some sort of divine intervention? If it was, it deviated slightly from her month’s prediction because it advised her to move slowly in a possible career change. Not that getting fired was evidence of moving slowly, but changing industries required a bit more thought.

A man from the carnival crew hurried over to her. Black grease smudges covered his bright yellow t-shirt and faded blue jeans. His long, brown beard touched his chest as he nodded at her.

Every year, the city selects someone to be the fortune-teller for the Night of Fortunes, the man said.

Rosella tilted her head and gave him a doubtful look.

Okay, she said.

The man gestured with his right hand.

You look like a gypsy, he said.

Rosella looked down at her outfit. She dressed in business casual, not really intending to look at all like