Took a sickie today. Went for a run this morning. Cleared my head. Felt my heart. Then took a deck of cards to the pub.
A few regulars were there already. I nodded and held up the cards.
“Let’s try this again!” I said. “Easy to learn. Quiet. Tactical.”
One of them grunted. Another shrugged. But we dragged two tables together and played again.
I lost the first round on purpose.
Second round, I played a weather card perfectly. Showed them how it’s done.
Laughed in their dumb fucking faces. They’ll never grasp it. I was rinsing them, game after game.
By the fifth round, I was getting annoyed with the idiots.
“It’s a slow-burn game. You’ve got to let it breathe. You’re playing too fast. Use the weather cards! Think!”
Sixth round, another win. They were playing it wrong. It’s not just a cheap flush game. There’s strategy. Depth. But they didn’t get it.
Seventh round, I won again. Morons.
They cried. Sloppy Ben called it “too clever for normal people.” Some other old soak said he wanted to play Snap.
I laughed at them.
They bought me a pint as a thank you. I took it. Earned it. Deserved it.
Went to the corner table and opened my phone. No calls. No emails. Could hear them all whispering about me. In awe. Wish Warwick had seen this.
Stayed for a few more drinks.
On the walk home, I watched my feet. Wondered if Sloppy Ben is happy with how his life turned out. Doubt it.
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