Fourth for Cards
by Jake La Botz
“It’s Harold,” Marcy says cheerily.
“Dear, that’s not even the same kind of bird as yesterday,” Eunice objects.
“I know my Harold when I hear him. Believe you me. Same bird. Nuthatch. They make different kinds of peeps. I think he wants me to take two,” Marcy says, extracting two cards from her hand and pushing them towards Adeline guardedly.
“An egret flew over me at the cemetery the day we buried my Irving. I knew it was him,” Adeline offers along with two fresh cards.
Marcy, Adeline, Eunice, and Helen sit at Marcy’s card table in a U-shaped nook off the dayroom at Peaceful Gardens, Inc. Helen, the newest resident, is joining the ladies for the first time since her eldest, Johnny, moved her in three weeks ago. She sits on a cushion-less folding metal chair set in the least inviting side of the nook—neither facing one of the two windows that flank it, nor facing the dayroom, but instead aimed at a picture-less wall, the bottom of the U.
The unattractive seating area and uncomfortable chair are the likely reason, Marcy thinks, that it’s been so difficult for her and the ladies to find a fourth for cards. Nonetheless, she refuses to move the game away from the south facing nook window where she can look out at the bird feeder and watch for Harold.
It’s Eunice’s turn, but she can’t remember if they’re playing hearts, spades, pinochle or poker.
“Five card draw dear,” Marcy says understandingly.
“Yes, I know. I’m just thinking,” Eunice replies, and then continues, “after Marty passed I had the mourning doves. They landed on the balcony every day. Same time we would’ve had cocktails. In the afternoon, mind you.”
“You can’t take five cards sweetie,” Adeline says, “You wanna do four?”
Eunice nods and exchanges four cards.
Helen’s been quietly listening to the conversation while watching a fat black spider on the wall above and behind Eunice. If Bob came back he’d be that one right there, she thinks, tracking the arachnid as it scurries towards a freshly caught fly squirming in silk at the juncture of wall and ceiling.
“Your turn Helen,” Marcy encourages.
Helen lays her cards on the table. Three queens and two fours.
“Oh. Isn’t that something,” Eunice remarks.
The ladies push their cards towards Adeline while Helen rakes the small pile of nickels and dimes towards the juncture of the table and her breasts.
A bird lands on the window sill and peeps loudly just then causing everyone to turn and look.
“What’s he saying Marce?” Adeline asks.
“That’s not my Harold.”
Raised in Chicago, La Botz spent his early days studying under the last of the city’s pre-war era bluesmen. His songs, and sometimes acting, have been featured in film and television, including True Detective, Shameless, Ghost World, and others. "Fourth for Cards" is his first published piece of fiction. www.jakelabotz.com