Susto

The first day in Lima, Peru I went to an open market.  There I found a medicine woman who sold many herbs for all kinds of remedies.  They were suppose to cure digestive, psychological, endocrine and sexual problems.

The medicine woman charged 5 soles to read my fortune with coca leaves.  She opened a curtain that led to a room in the back of her booth. There she had a shrine with what looked like a Peruvian version of the Virgen Mary.  We sat down in front of the shrine and she took a bundle of coca leaves and told me to breathe into them.  She took these leaves and did a series of gestures and finally she rang a bell.  At this point she let the leaves drop one by one onto a mat infront of the shrine.  "Muy bien," she said "muy bien."  She said I was healthy, and then she took three leaves out of the pile and asked if I felt nervous a lot.  I answered yes and she said I probably had "susto" She recommended that I got a cleansing with an egg or a guinea pig.  Then, she said I could ask three questions.  First I asked if I was going to do good in my career.  "You will finish." she replied.  Next I asked if the person I am with is the one.  "Yes," she said, "you will get married."  Lastly I asked how many kids I will have. "Two." she said with certainty.