The Winnings

[edsiejka]

The Winnings
By Edmund Siejka

" Isn’t it always about money?"


Morning started cold and grey. Turning over from a dead sleep Tommy stifled a yawn. It was 6:30. Outside there was no sun or hint of sun, just a melancholy sky with a broad splash of red across the horizon.
Dressed and ready for work, the car wouldn’t start. The Taurus was a bomb and getting worse every day. Catching a bus he just made it. Avoiding the main floor he busied himself with the mail. No one said anything. Peering at the clock on the far end of the mailroom his shoulders relaxed when it was five o’clock. Out of habit he reached for a cigarette. The empty pocket reminded him that he stopped smoking.
A heavy downpour hit the city. Grabbing an old raincoat from behind somewhere he was back at the same bus stop. It wasn’t long before a Caddy CTS slid into view, its tinted passenger side window mechanically rolling down. There was no mistaking the driver’s profile. It was his brother.
From deep inside a husky voice yelled out, “What the hell are you doing in the rain?
Lowering his head to keep the rain from rolling down his neck Tommy yelled back, “Trying to get home from work. My car’s in the shop.”
“What’s work?” Shaking his head Bobby laughed, “Get in and I’ll give you a ride.”
Like a wet cat waiting to be rescued Tommy jumped in. The Caddy was all custom upholstery, wood trim with that new car smell.
Shorter and tougher Bobby was five years older. Over the years his cars got bigger and fancier and he was never afraid to pull out a wad of cash.
Loud and boisterous, their mother did her best to keep the two boys together, inviting them over for birthdays and holidays. But over the years they drifted apart, past the point of it ever being the same. Soon the brothers traveled a different road.
The Caddy edged its way down Ninth Avenue, past the Post Office depot, the dive bars and the drab housing projects along 28th Street. The steady rain suddenly increased in intensity coming down in grayish sheets. The wipers made a rub dub dub sound working overtime trying to keep the windshield clear.
Leaning over Bobby asked, “Tommy, how much is it going to cost to get your car back?”
Shaking his head Tommy mumbled, “About 600 dollars.”
Shrugging, Bobby’s wide shoulders moved up in a slow glide. “On what you make that’s some hit.”
The Caddy slowed down in front of Tommy‘s place. Bobby’s eyes narrowed as he reached down into his glove compartment just as Tommy started to answer. Ignoring his younger brother Bobby pushed aside something hard and metallic. Tommy exhaled slowly. He saw what it was but kept quiet. In one motion Bobby’s hand went in and pulled out an envelope, dropping it in his lap.
“Here take what’s her name out for a real nice weekend.”
Jamming the envelope in his inside pocket Tommy said, “Her name is Natalie. She’s O.K.”
Natalie? Yeah, now I remember. She still on 10th Street?’
“Yeah nothing really changed since I saw you last.”
Slamming the car door Tommy watched his brother drive off, the car taking the corner on First Avenue. Soon the only thing left was a tiny wisp of blue exhaust. Then he and it were gone. Strangely a feeling of emptiness came over him and he wondered, when would he see his brother again?
Climbing the narrow stairs to his apartment felt like climbing a mountain. A chill ran up his back and settled on his shoulders. He tried to chalk it up to being a long day, but he knew he had to lose some weight. Throwing a shirt off the couch he loosened his tie. Catching his breath he pressed his elbows to his ribs to keep his hands from shaking. Tearing open the envelope, bits of paper scattered down to the floor. It was something good. Two comp tickets to Fabulous for that night.
Everyone in New York knew about the weekday specials at the casino deep in the Connecticut woods. He couldn’t believe it. A smile crossed his face. Finally some good news. Impulsively he dialed Natalie’s number. She wasn’t in. Sharp and metallic her voice came on the answering machine. Abruptly the hollow greeting ended.
Anxious to start playing, Tommy drove the fifty miles to the casino by himself. Located in the middle of nowhere, Fabulous towered over the tallest of trees. Pulling into the parking lot he followed the crowds into the casino. The place was huge, living up to its name. All marble, chrome and glass with soft padded chairs. Bigger and better than Tommy could ever dream of.
Using a strategy he carefully studied from the TV pros he held back 500 dollars. All he had to do now was relax and let the flow of the game carry him through. The game was five card poker. The other players sat around the table concentrating. Some wore sunglasses, others stared straight ahead. No one spoke when the dealer dealt out the cards. Nervously watching the action for the first time Tommy lost two hands. Down 200 he decided to stay when the Jack of Spades showed up. There was something in that plastic pudgy face that gave him a lift. Soon there was a nice pile of chips in front of him. Not as tall as the Empire State Building but it was up there. Suspicious of a bump near his right elbow he quickly turning around. The pale blonde was hustling drinks for tips. Skimpy outfit, flat chest with a lot of makeup. Ignoring her Tommy studied the cards in front of him.
When there was a nice pile of chips laid out on the green felt table he called it quits. Calling the waitress over he squeezed a ten spot in her blouse. Unimpressed she strolled over to the next player.
At the cashier’s booth he went through the usual ritual. First his driver’s license and then some tax forms. Satisfied the cashier pushed out a check for thirty thousand dollars. Nervous that he might be followed he hustled through a side exit. Nerves almost shot, he stayed up most of the night examining the check over and over again. Standing on the balcony he stared into the wide open darkness. With this money he could make some changes in his life. Start a band, buy some equipment. This time he would do something for himself.
Driving back to New York the summer night air rushed in just as the Manhattan skyline came into view. The city was tall, beautiful and lit up like a kid’s birthday cake. Flying high with the wind he made it back to his place. Exhausted, he barely opened the door.
Friday he didn’t make it to work and slept most of the day. Spooked by something he called Natalie in the late afternoon and told her about the casino. She didn’t say much. Early Saturday morning she called back. For some unexplained reason her call back weighed on him pressing into his chest. He couldn’t get up. Staring at the four walls his mind went blank until he realized it was 8:00. His hands shook as he made his way to the kitchen. Mr. Coffee was on. Not the best brew but always ready. Pouring coffee in a wide cup, Tommy watched it spill over the sides. Soon there were drops the size of quarters on the floor. Not caring he turned on the TV.
A reality show was on. A heavily made up woman with eight children pleaded for help. The camera panned the TV audience waiting to criticize her. Shaking his head he knew it was all phony junk, the more you watched the more you wanted. Leaning against the stove he took a sip of lukewarm coffee and thought again of what happened last night. What was it that was bothering him? Closing his eyes he tried to remember but all he saw was a picture of his mother screaming, her mouth wide open making her the center of attention. Twisted in the blankets he woke up in the middle of the night dripping sweat and gasping for air. It wasn’t like the other dreams he had. Sure he bad dreams before but this one was so different. So real that he could reach out and touch it.
When Natalie called he was half asleep. Grabbing the receiver he heard her say “Pick me up.” There was something in the tone of her voice he didn’t like Wasn’t it his money? Wasn’t he the one who went up there by himself and came back with the check? Confused, he was sorry he told her.

Parked in front of her place he waited. It was so quiet you could hear breathing. A typical summer morning. No one gave it a second thought that for the last twenty minutes a man wearing dark wraparound sunglasses sat in an old beat Ford Taurus, windows opened, engine idling. People had seen the familiar Taurus before and to some it had become part of the neighborhood landscape.

Restless, he pulled out Friday’s crumpled newspaper that was wedged between the car seats. He couldn’t think straight and wondered how everything seemed to happen all at once like a strange coincidence. First his car, then his brother, then the trip to the casino and now this.

Hearing footsteps he quickly slouched down, his head barely above the dashboard. With the shades on he thought he looked like a movie actor. The cheap lenses were smudged and everything looked gray and fuzzy.

After twenty minutes she came down. Gunning the engine they crossed over Second Avenue before deciding to get breakfast. After that they would drive to the bank and deposit most of the money. The rest they would spend for a long weekend. Driving slowly, he turned the radio up.

“Lower the radio” she said. Annoyed by the crowds weaving in and out of 14th Street traffic her puffy face was pressed against the window

Absent mindedly he thought of their weekend getaway. Someplace quiet. Good food. Some drinks. Suddenly he blurted out, “We’re not going to spend any more than 1,000 bucks, right?” His question hung in midair.

She didn’t answer until he lowered the volume. Vaguely she answered, “Yeah, that’s good for a weekend. The rest we’ll keep in the bank.”
He was tired and didn’t want to argue.
Traffic was busy on 14th Street with cars zigzagging in and out. The crowd was the usual Saturday morning shoppers, some of them spilling into the streets. Stopping at a light Tommy thought it over, “Hey, we’re going to have a good time. It’ll be good for us to get away.”
The Doors were playing when he turned the radio back on. Morrison’s slow chant, “Girl, we couldn't get much higher, come on baby, light my fire, come on baby, light my fire…” With the radio on they joined the music on 14th street. Loud. In stereo. Hip Hop. Latin. Classic Rock. Everyone with a sound of their own.
Yawning she answered,” Yeah, we’ll have a good time Tommy. Don’t worry about it.” Reaching out, her warm hand made him feel better.
Returning her glance he knew it was going to be a good day after all. Traffic was beginning to pick up when he heard a strange clanking sound, followed by a louder bang. Clouds of smoke billowed from under the hood. The car was stalling. Frantically he tried starting it up again. It was no use. Looking up he saw a blur in the rear view mirror followed by a dull thud. Hit from behind the Ford was knocked into oncoming traffic.
From then on, things moved in a shadowy haze. There was another loud crash on his side and it felt like the whole world was spinning round and round. Natalie screamed but he couldn’t answer. Dazed, he was in shock when the air bag exploded outwards hitting hit him in the face. Trying desperately to turn the wheel his head hurt and his hands were getting cold. Then his fingers let go. It was suddenly getting quiet. In the confusion, the driver of the other car got out and muffled voices asked if he was alright. But that was it. Tommy was drifting off to another place.
Loud and unbelievably huge, a fire truck pulled up, sirens blasting. Emergency vans showed up and the police blocked traffic on both sides of 14th Street. The morning was filled with red lights everywhere. It was no use. In the glare Natalie stared unbelieving. Tommy was dead. Frightened, she left his motionless body at the wheel. Grabbing on to the side of the car she barely managed to get out. Then she remembered that the check was still in his pocket. Frantically she jumped back into the car. He was slumped over, sunglasses tilted to one side, not moving. Only a few minutes ago he was alive and talking. Reaching over she pushed aside his wallet and keys searching for the envelope. There it was. Long and white. Fancy lettering with the words Fabulous Casinos. Right now this was more important to her than anything else. Dropping a handkerchief she scooped it up and threw it in her purse. Standing nearby a young cop envied her long legs.
Tommy was dead. That was it. Clutching her purse she watched a tow truck pull up, the crowd grudgingly making way. Trembling, she walked back to the sidewalk. Funny she thought, wasn’t it years ago that someone told her what money did to people…but she couldn’t remember who it was.
****************************
Number one on her list of things to do was to deposit the check. Nervously she waited until the bank was busy on a Friday night. Impatient crowds. Long lines. Payday for a lot of working people. Ready for questions she caught a glimpse of the teller. Speaking through the thick bullet proof glass the bank teller paused only to ask if she needed anything else. It was that easy.
Her apartment was empty. Natalie’s phone hardly rang anymore, her life falling into a drab routine with no last minute calls. It was only weeks ago that it happened but she had to snap out of it. Keep busy and focus on her future. Sure she missed Tommy but she learned the hard way that no matter what happened, life goes on. He didn’t leave much in her apartment and one bag was more than enough for his T- shirts, some shaving gear and a small bottle of inexpensive cologne she got him for Christmas. Opening the bottle she dabbed her wrist. The fragrance was warm and musty. Just like she remembered.
Tommy wasn’t in the ground more than a month when her phone rang. Startled at the harsh sound her heart jumped when she picked up the receiver. Holding it close to her ear she heard a hard demanding voice.
“I want Tommy’s money!”
She recognized it alright. It was Tommy’s brother, the one who couldn’t talk to her at the funeral because he was choked up with emotion.
She wondered how he knew before she answered, “I don’t have much left.’
“Wake up. I want what’s his. In cash.”
“I spent some of it.”
“OK. You were Tommy’s girl. Tell you what, you had 30,000. Now I want 25,000. And don’t bullshit me that you spent it all. And furthermore this is what you’re going to do.”
She listened carefully.
Tears would come later but right now she needed to clear her head. It was too hot in the living room. Turning on the air conditioner she sat in the bedroom thinking. She had to get a hold of herself. One thing for sure was that Bobby knew how much money Tommy won. Tommy went on his comp so Bobby knew everything, from how much the room was, the drinks, the winnings, everything down to the last dime.
From the bedroom window she looked down at the empty courtyard. Kids made it a noisy playground but in August it was too hot to do anything. All her life she had to deal with assholes. First the lies, the hurt and the disappointments. Then the bruises and the broken promises. And now it was all about the money. With Tommy she got a little break. Sure, he had some crazy ideas like starting his own band but she put up with that. Leaning over to the coffee table she turned on the radio. The music was soft and jazzy. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead. Grabbing an old brown leather purse from the closet she opened it and tossed out whatever was in it. Holding it opened she made sure it was big enough for everything she needed. It was just the right size to hold her keys, wallet, makeup, a package of chewing gum and some paper tissues. Then she dropped in the gun.
The plan was for her to meet Bobby that night at 11:30 near the old Con Edison plant at I5th Street, a place of narrow streets and dead ends.
It was deserted when she parked. The night echoed with the overhead rumbling sounds from the highway. Putting the purse on her lap she checked to make sure everything was there. She brought the envelope like he told her. She waited in the car like he told her. When Bobby flashed his lights she walked over to his car and tapped on the window. He took his time before reaching over and letting her in. When she heard the automatic lock click behind her she felt trapped. Turning sideways he faced her. Without saying a word she handed over the envelope. Opening he asked, “Is it all here?”
“I could only get my hands on $15,000.’
“What?”
“That’s all I could get.”
His arm reached back in a wide arc, his hand catching her on the right side of the face. Surprised, she grabbed her cheek fighting back tears. She wasn’t going to give in. Not now. Not never. She would be cool. Wasn’t it her money? Didn’t it belong to her? She knew what to do. Opening her purse she searched for a tissue. From the corner of her eye she saw him smiling. But she had a little something extra for him. The purse made a clicking sound which he must have heard but didn’t bother to look up from counting the money. This would be the last sound he would ever hear. She was going to make sure of that. The NAA Guardian .25 felt good in her hand. It was small and light. Good for close kills.
Aiming at Bobby’s chest she pulled the trigger. The shot knocked him back in his seat. But what she didn’t figure on was that the sound of the shot in a closed car sounded like a canon going off. The force of it pushed her head back towards the passenger side window. Deafened by the sound, she barely managed to look up. Bobby was more surprised than hurt. His face twisted in an ugly look. Balling up his fist he caught her again sending her spiraling. Fighting back she clawed at his face. Fending her off with one arm he reached into the glove compartment.
They fought inside the narrow space of the car. The soft lights of the instrument panel highlighting their contorted faces. Still struggling, she propped herself on one elbow. Bobby was leaning over her, holding a gun. Speaking in a hushed voice, his eyes stared straight into hers. Then she pulled the trigger for the second time sending his world exploding.
A plant worker walking to work at 5:30 in the morning found her. She lay there in the empty weeds. Her empty pocketbook nearby, the private and personal things in her purse spilled out for the world to see. Her breath came in shallow gasps but she was still alive.

Minutes later a squad car showed up, emergency lights casting an eerie glow in the morning mist. By that time a small crowd of onlookers, the curious and some with nothing else to do, formed a small circle around Natalie. Then the ambulance arrived.

Traffic was beginning to build up. A light rain forced the early morning gawkers to walk away. Blowing in off the East River a wind sent the yellow police tape swaying and billowing in an awkward dance.

The older of the two policemen looked up as the rain tapered off to a slow drizzle. The younger one asked if she was going to make it.

“I really don’t know but from the looks of her, she’ll pull through. Whatever happened, it’ll be up to the hospital to patch her up.” Silently the officers returned to the squad car waiting for the rain to end.

Not a hundred yards away down a narrow maze of dead end streets a Cadillac Escalade rested against the corner of an abandoned building. Its driver, eyes not moving, face up toward the sky looked like he was asleep. A dried trickle of blood had seeped downward over his nose and a pool of blood had collected in his ears. The doors were locked and the engine still running.

[creativesoul]

intersting- nice

[dadio]

Very good prose and storyline.