Welcome to the Watch RWISA Write Showcase Tour. The purpose of the blog hop is to highlight the work of nineteen outstanding authors. The RWISA (Rave Writers - Int'l Society of Authors) is an elite branch of the outstanding Rave Review Book Club, featuring the best of the best in writing.
Today we feature Karen Ingalls.
JUST ONE MORE
The bright neon lights of Las Vegas did nothing to improve Jack's
self-loathing. He walked the Vegas strip with head hung down and his shoulders
slumped, ignoring the people rushing past him. He was desperate as
he fingered the five coins in his pocket, knowing they were the last of
his money
The hot, bright sun did nothing to lift Jack's spirits. "What
am I going to do? Where should I go?" His questions went unanswered. He
did not know how long he had been walking, but he soon realized how hungry he
was. He stopped at the intersection looking in all directions, not knowing
where he was and not caring. The crosswalk signal changed, and the crowd of
laughing and drunk people, pushed him out into the street. Jack looked down as
he stepped onto the curb and saw a wallet. He picked it up and looked around.
The people that had once surrounded him had dispersed in different directions
moving far away from him.
Jack slipped the wallet into his coat pocket and walked into the
nearest casino and entered the men's room. He went into the first open
stall and with shaking hands he opened the wallet revealing a large amount of
one hundred-dollar bills. "This can't be. I must return the wallet."
He searched further and found a driver's license for a Stephen Richardson from
New York City. There were credit cards plus a family photo of a man, woman, and
two young girls. "I suppose this is his family."
"I will get hold of Mr. Richardson and tell him I found his
wallet." Jack put the wallet back in his coat and left the stall. He stood
in front of the mirror looking at the unshaven face and unkempt hair. He washed
his face and ran his fingers through his hair. He pulled his tie up and tucked in
his shirt. "Well, I look a little better. Maybe I could use one of
these bills, get a shave and haircut and have enough left over for dinner
and a room for the night." Jack reasoned that Mr. Richardson will never
miss one hundred dollars out of the thousands in the wallet.
The lights of the casino were less intrusive, and the noise lifted
his spirits a little. Jack walked past the slot machines and gaming tables out
into a hallway. He walked past clothing stores and gift shops until he came
upon a barber shop. The shave with the hot fragrant towels followed by a shampoo
and haircut were what Jack's weathered appearance needed. He hardly recognized
the face in the mirror looking back at him.
"Perhaps a new shirt, slacks, and jacket would not be too
expensive." Jack reasoned that he would pay Mr. Richardson back every penny
once he gets back on his feet.
The memory of his gambling habits which caused the loss of his
marriage, job, and friends had faded. "I will never become that person
again. I will change for the better."
The new clothes and filling steak dinner with all the trimmings,
relaxed Jack, and he confidently made his way back through the casino. The slot
machines were well occupied and occasionally Jack heard the screams from a
winner while the lights and sirens of the winning machine blared. "I would
rather play poker than throw my money down the one-armed bandit." He
stopped at a Texas Hold 'Em table where there was one vacant seat. "A few
hands won't hurt anything. I can play with Mr. Richardson's money and pay him
back with my winnings."
The free drinks, the smoke, the cocktail waitresses and the sound
of the cards being shuffled were magic to his ears. With each hand dealt, Jack
became more determined to win the big one. He eyed each of the players trying
to read their body language. On the fourth deal he opened his hand to reveal
two queens. The flop showed a queen, seven, and a five. Jack made a modest bet.
The dealer placed another card up which was a ten. Jack called the bet made by
a player across from him. They placed the final card up revealing a seven,
which gave Jack a good hand of two pairs. He raised the bet from another player
and watched as other players either folded or called.
"I must have a winning hand because no one is aggressively
betting," he reasoned. "I'm all in," he announced as he pushed
all $500.00 of his chips into the middle. Players folded one after another
except for the man sitting across from him. Jack tried to remain calm and put
his shaking hands in his lap. The noise in the casino seemed to become louder
and perspiration ran down his face.
"I'll call." The man turned his cards over to reveal two
sevens.
"That can't be. I had you beat." Jack felt weak and
nauseous. "Hold my place. I'll be back." He knelt in front of the
commode and vomited up his lunch. At the sink he washed his face, straightened
his tie and took another $500.00 out of the wallet. At this point he did not
care and had convinced himself it was his money. "I found it. Finders,
keepers."
The evening turned to long hours. There were no windows or clocks
in the casino, so Jack had no awareness of the hours slipping by in the same
way the money was slipping away.
Jack's luck and poker skills did not change. He won a few small
hands, but he never recouped what he lost. He took his last $100.00 bill out of
the wallet. "All I need is one good hand. Just one more."
The big winning hand never came. Jack threw the empty wallet into
a trashcan and walked out into the bright, sunny and hot day. He could not
adjust his eyes to the brightness as he staggered down the street. "What
am I going to do? Where should I go?"
Jack did not have one more game to play. He was found on a park
bench late that night, alone, penniless, and without any life force in his body,
still dressed in the new clothes.
****
Thank you for supporting Karen Ingalls along the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour today!
We ask that if you have enjoyed Karen's writing, please visit her Author page on the RWISA site, where you can find more of her writing, along with their contact and social media links, if she's turned you into a fan.
We also ask that you check out their books in the RWISA or RRBC catalog. Thanks again for your support and we h ope that you will follow each member along this amazing tour o talent. Don't orget to click the link below to learn more about Karen Ingalls.
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