Oliver Benjamin
move. Also watching with concern were the pit-bosses and security
personnel stationed behind closed-circuit TVs.
Then disaster struck. A veritable fortune was lost on Bennie’s
next call. He heard Uncle Carlos say trece, thirteen, but afterwards
realized he had actually said tresand then coughed.
“Three,” called the croupier.
“Uncle Carlos died of lung cancer,” Bennie tried to explain to the
baffled crowd. He decided to switch spirits once more, pulling a live
snake out of his bag and placed it over the wooden rail. A few women
shrieked and the Turk jumped back, spilling his cocktail on the
cowboy’s sleeve. Bennie took out a small knife. Just then, the pit boss
and a security guard took him by the arms and pulled him away from
the table.
“Sir, we don’t allow pets in here.”
“It’s not a pet. I was going to kill it.”
“We don’t allow killing in here either. You’ll have to leave.”
Bennie tried to protest and was suddenly surrounded by heavies that
carried him outside by his upper arms.
Still at the table, Colin tried to contact his mother through the
monkey skull but couldn’t manage it. “Mama? Mama?” he cried as
the players looked on. He too was thrown out, leaving behind only
Izzy and Sprout. A drunk cornered Sprout with cheap gold-plated
rings on his fingers and thick polarized glasses on his face, dark from
the diffused glare.
“Honey, you are one primo piece work,” he drawled, “What’s
your price?”
“My price?” she said.
“Yeah. Everybody’s got a price. Three hundred should be okay.
Or do I have to arrange it through the beaner?” He raised his glasses
to get a better look. His eyes wobbled in their sockets. “Wait a
minute. I know you, don’t I? Didn’t you hook at the Flamingo?”
Izzy kicked the drunk in the testicles. He crumpled silently to the
floor. Immediately they too were ushered out into the warm and
sleazy night. Bennie and Colin were sitting on the curb counting their
money.
“Seventeen dollars,” Colin said mournfully. “Oh well, I believe
there’s still a bit left in my account.” He jumped up and ran across the
street to an ATM. Bennie noticed that in place of a cigarette, Izzy now
held Sprout’s hand. A prostitute walked by them and called out to
him. “You the odd man out? How ‘bout I even it up?” Bennie smiled
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