Chapter 1

It was very late at night, she sat in the caravan on her bed, crying. She just couldn't stand his beatings any more. It was always this way every time he drank too much but he was her father and she loved him. But he could never control his anger and when he went on a binge, he would take it out on her.

He blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth. She had died giving birth to her. When she was younger growing up he never struck her but then he wasn't so lonely, he was too busy raising his little daughter and trying to make enough money to feed them but as the years grew on, he started drinking and took it out on her.

He saw how she had grown into a beautiful young woman. And although he was proud of this fact and loved it when she danced for the male members of the tribe, he also resented her. Maybe it was because she was the spitting image of his dead wife. Oh, how he missed that woman! His dream s were always haunted by her ghost. That's why he needed the demon drink. He hated himself for it and he hated the way he took it out on his poor daughter, Yolanda.

She lay there with her prayer beads in her hand with her brown mongrel dog, Riko lying on the bed next to her. She could hear her father now passed out in his own bed, snoring. She couldn't stand it any more. She wished he wouldn't drink like this. He was a kind caring father to her when she was a little girl growing up but he became very bitter with the passing years. She knew how unhappy he was. The only time he was happy is when they were on the move with the other gypsies to a new camp. It seemed to give him a new hope, a new beginning somehow or the nights when they'd be sitting around the campfire and he would ask her to dance for them. He was proud of her dancing and of her beauty. But then as the night lingered on, he would always drink too much and it usually ended badly.

'Would it always be this way?' she wondered. Well, tonight she had to get some sleep. Tomorrow she would be telling fortunes for passers-by at this camp. Money should be good, the weather was nice and people liked to come out in the soft early summer evenings. Maybe she could even steal a little money from them with her posoti bag. She was excited about setting up her little table and had recently gotten herself a crystal ball. They loved that. It really added to the mystique.

"Ok Riko. Time for us to get some sleep tonight," and she patted her beloved dog's head. He looked up at her with his sad eyes and then fell to sleep. She blew out the candle, said her evening prayers and asked her Mother for help in dealing with her father. Tomorrow would soon be here. She needed her sleep. She pulled the old gold and burgundy satin and velvet blankets up around her and then she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

It was a beautiful early summer day and things were busy at the campsite. The old ladies were cooking delicious things to eat and to sell. The men were busy with their daily chores and with the horses and gathering wood and chopping it and stacking it. Tonight they would light a nice fire. She hoped her father wouldn't get into the demon drink again. She'd hide the bottle from him.

She set up her mother's old little wooden table outside the vurdon, the gypsy wagon. She went into her mom's old chest and took out a beautiful old satin cloth. It was a deep amber color with red and gold brocaded threads thru out and it had long gold fringe and tassels. She carefully spread it out and placed her little square brass box, which held her tarot cards and also her new crystal ball on the table.

"Perfect," she smiled down at Riko, "Everything looks so beautiful."

"Hi Papa," she said when she saw her Dad come around the corner carrying a stack of wood. "It looks like God has smiled on us today."

"Yes Yolanda, it will be a wonderful night. Now go get me some stew. It smells so good. The women have been cooking all morning."

"Yes Papa." She said and she came back with two piping hot bowls of stew and a small loaf of crusty bread. They sat together outside on a small wooden bench her father had made years ago when she was a little girl and ate their meal. Nothing of last night was mentioned. She then got up and made some strong coffee for them. They sat together and drank it and ate some sweets her elderly aunt brought over for them. Yolanda shared hers' with Riko.

"You spoil that dog Yolanda." Her father said. He knew his daughter had a kind heart especially for animals. Things were tight for them and money and food was scarce but he forgave her this one bit of indulgence for her beloved dog. She was just like her mother, he thought. "So soft... one had to be tough to survive in this world."

"Well, time to go back to work. The people will be here soon."

"Okay Papa,"

He was really a good man she thought just unhappy with his life. She wished he would re-marry. There were 2 of her aunts, her mother's sisters in the camp and he got on well with them but wasn't interested in them romantically. There was also an older man who she, Yolanda was expected to betroth. He revolted her. He was ugly, boorish and also her father's good friend. The thought made her heart sink. She'd rather die than to marry him.