“THE HAND OF HIS LIFE”
By:
Michael Heitkemper
Published by Lucid Books MMXI
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 by Michael Heitkemper
Discover other titles by Michael Heitkemper at Smashwords.com or at
www.MHeitkemperBooks.com
At one time in their lives, both Tommy and Nick were troubled young men. They were teenagers, that spent too much money on drugs and alcohol, and stole any time they knew they could get away with it. A lot has changed since then. Tommy found love in a woman, and then married her. They had three kids, and built a house with money that Tommy had earned from an honest job. Working his way up the ladder, Tommy became a wealthy man with hardly any worries. He became respectable by distancing himself from his old habits.
Unable to give up his occasional drug habit, Nick still lives from pay check to pay check bumming rooms night after night from friends. Nick wishes to have the same luck in life as Tommy, but because of his habits he can‘t get ahead. And even worse, he doesn't realize what is really holding him back.
Tommy knows that Nick is a lost cause, but hasn’t turned his back on the friend that he’s known since before he can remember. On Friday, Tommy and Nick meet up in Tommy’s garage for their weekly poker game with low stakes. Nick arrives, sometimes wearing the same clothes as he had on the week before, while Tommy has a new attire every week. Things like that start to burn into a guy like Nick, but he does his best to hide it.
Friday night is usually enjoyable as Tommy and Nick recollect in their childhood and their dreams. Nick hides his jealousy, and Tommy tries to be the best friend that he knows how.
This Friday, Nick is more than bothered by something. Tommy instantly notices as they sit down and ante up for their first hand.
“ So what’s up pal?” Tommy asks.
“Just thinking.” Nick replies. “C’mon, deal the cards.”
Tommy knows that Nick is bothered by something, but keeps a smile on his face and deals the cards without further pressure. The game is five card draw.
“Hey, remember that time we took your old man’s car out for the night.” Tommy says with a smile.
The reminder immediately brings a smile to Nick’s face. “Yeah. What were we, fourteen?”
“Something like that.” Tommy replies. “Man that was fun. Donny thought we were crazy.”
“We were.” Nick adds.
“You see him anymore?” Tommy’s question goes unanswered as Nick quietly looks at his cards. “Nick?”
“Yeah, sorry. Just trying to figure out what to discard.” Nick answers as he throws down four cards from his hand. “Give me four.”
“Four? And you can’t decide what to discard?” Tommy questions with a laugh. “Whatever, I’ll take two.”
“I see Donny every now and then.” Nick finally answers.
“How’s he doing?”
“I don’t know.” Nick shrugs. “Still mad that you married the girl of his dreams?”
“Oh c’mon.” Tommy answers as he deals four new cards to Nick. “What were they, twelve, when they dated?”
“Yeah. Guy’s nuts. Keeps swearing that he‘s gonna rob a bank to get ahead.” Nick answers as he puts the cards into his hand.
“Rob a bank; that is nuts. We should get him to play with us one night.” Tommy says. He adds two cards to his hand. “Might be fun to get a few beers in him and hear his rants about a bank heist. Can you imagine…”
Tommy then looks up from his cards. Nick is sitting quietly staring at his cards. His face is as pale as a ghost.
“Nick? You alright?”
Nick snaps out of his quiet trance, and looks at Tommy. “Yeah. I’m fine.” He looks down at his cards again. “I gotta take a leak.”
“Whatever. Go round back. I’ll wait.”
Nick stands up and tucks his hand of cards into his pocket. “Just in case you get curious.”
“Never cheated you before have I?” Tommy replies.
“Guess not.” Nick mumbles.
“Just hurry up.”
Nick then quietly walks out of the garage, and Tommy waits. A few minutes pass, and then the sound of a gun shot erupts from just outside the garage. Tommy jumps to his feet and bursts outside only to find Nick lying in his driveway dead. A gun shot to the head. Tommy rushes to Nick, but he knows that his friend is already gone. A gun is near his hand, and a letter is noticeably tucked into his shirt pocket. The letter is folded and clasped with an ink pen. Tommy pulls the letter out and opens it. Nick‘s cards fall out onto the driveway. Tommy reads the letter;
“Tommy, I can‘t take it anymore. I’m tired of constantly going backwards and watching you move forward. I’ve done a lot of bad things to keep going these last few years. Things I never told you about. I keep hoping, something’s gonna give, but it never does. I wanna be a good friend, but not tonight. I decided before I got here that I was going to let the game decide our fate. That’s right, ours. If you won, I’d kill you for stepping on me once again. If I won, I’d kill myself knowing that my life had peaked. I won the poker hand of my life. I’m sure you understand. Thanks for the win.”
Tommy drops the letter and picks Nick’s cards up off the driveway. He can’t believe his eyes: it’s a royal flush.
Later, as the police have arrived and turned Tommy’s home into a crime scene, Tommy’s wife tries to comfort him. “Taking his life was his own decision, Tommy. You couldn‘t have done anything.”
“But I’m the one who dealt the cards.” Tommy replied.
“That doesn’t make you responsible.” She replies.
“Yes it does. Nick needed money, and I knew he wouldn’t take a handout from me. I just wanted to make sure he'd win some tonight.” Tommy explains as his eyes begin to tear. “I stacked the deck.”
For more stories by
Michael Heitkemper,
please visit: http://www.MHeitkemperBooks.com
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