Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Action & Adventure
- Subject: Adventure
- Published: 12/16/2020
Gamblers’ Anonymous
By Lea Sheryn
Nervously I stood before the circle of unfamiliar faces as they stared up at me. This was my first Gamblers’ Anonymous meeting. I had just been called upon to introduce myself and didn’t quite know where to begin. At the beginning, I assume, but how was I going to start? So I blurted out my name:
“Alfred K. Kregs,” I stuttered as I tightly gripped my battered felt hat in my fists. “My name is Alfred K. Kregs and I’m a gambler.” As all those faces continued to ogle me, I took a quick step backwards. My knees met with the edge of the red plastic chair behind me forcing me to nearly take my seat again. Instead I forced myself to take a step forward and cleared my throat.
“Money,” I stated to the room. “Ever since I was a small boy, playing marbles with my mates in a back alley, I have been obsessed with money. Big Larry Bunch was the one who insisted we play for quarters. When I was eight, he was ten and knew more than me and the rest of the gang. We kids looked up to him for guidance so when he dug a silver coin from his pocket and laid it down by his feet, we all chucked in our own silver.
“Well, besides Becky Mayhew who wasn’t there that day, Big Larry was the best of the best when it came to shooting marbles. No one stood a chance against him so, by the time, the sun began to set behind the tenement building, he had all the coin.” Stopping to catch my breath, I surveyed the circle. Everyone nodded their heads as though they understood the situation.
“I lost a dollar fifty in that game; it was all the money I had. I’d been saving to buy a little doll for Shirl—she’s my sister. It was her birthday pretty soon; she was turning four and all she wanted was a baby doll of her own. The five & dime had a beautiful on with blond ringlets and a pink lacy dress with little black shoes poking out beneath the skirt for two and a quarter. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched Larry pocket my money and walk, whistling toward his building.
“At that point, I determined I was going to get it back no matter what it took. That summer marbles was my obsession. No matter how much I played, Big Larry took everything I had. Shirley didn’t get her doll that year or any other year as a matter of fact.
“Before I knew it, I was a grow’d man haunting the backrooms of bars for a nightly poker game or back alleys shooting craps. Didn’t matter much to me what the game was; a gamble is a gamble and a chance to win a wad of money is a chance to win a wad of money. Not that I was all that lucky. There was always a “Big Larry” at the table who was the big winner.”
Breathing heavily, I took a step further into the circle and still gripping my worn hat tightly in my clenched fist, I stated: “Last night Marge—that’s my wife, you know—said she had enough. I either quit gambling or she was done. I should have known something was up because the Old Battle Ax (her mother) was behind her in the kitchen doorway. So, that’s the way it is. Here I am. Gamblers’ Anonymous. My last chance to break the habit.”
The room was silent as I ended my speech, but I knew they were with me. Of course they were. They’d all been there themselves. If they weren’t gamblers why else would they come to the meetings?
Gambler's Anonymous(Lea Sheryn)
Gamblers’ Anonymous
By Lea Sheryn
Nervously I stood before the circle of unfamiliar faces as they stared up at me. This was my first Gamblers’ Anonymous meeting. I had just been called upon to introduce myself and didn’t quite know where to begin. At the beginning, I assume, but how was I going to start? So I blurted out my name:
“Alfred K. Kregs,” I stuttered as I tightly gripped my battered felt hat in my fists. “My name is Alfred K. Kregs and I’m a gambler.” As all those faces continued to ogle me, I took a quick step backwards. My knees met with the edge of the red plastic chair behind me forcing me to nearly take my seat again. Instead I forced myself to take a step forward and cleared my throat.
“Money,” I stated to the room. “Ever since I was a small boy, playing marbles with my mates in a back alley, I have been obsessed with money. Big Larry Bunch was the one who insisted we play for quarters. When I was eight, he was ten and knew more than me and the rest of the gang. We kids looked up to him for guidance so when he dug a silver coin from his pocket and laid it down by his feet, we all chucked in our own silver.
“Well, besides Becky Mayhew who wasn’t there that day, Big Larry was the best of the best when it came to shooting marbles. No one stood a chance against him so, by the time, the sun began to set behind the tenement building, he had all the coin.” Stopping to catch my breath, I surveyed the circle. Everyone nodded their heads as though they understood the situation.
“I lost a dollar fifty in that game; it was all the money I had. I’d been saving to buy a little doll for Shirl—she’s my sister. It was her birthday pretty soon; she was turning four and all she wanted was a baby doll of her own. The five & dime had a beautiful on with blond ringlets and a pink lacy dress with little black shoes poking out beneath the skirt for two and a quarter. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched Larry pocket my money and walk, whistling toward his building.
“At that point, I determined I was going to get it back no matter what it took. That summer marbles was my obsession. No matter how much I played, Big Larry took everything I had. Shirley didn’t get her doll that year or any other year as a matter of fact.
“Before I knew it, I was a grow’d man haunting the backrooms of bars for a nightly poker game or back alleys shooting craps. Didn’t matter much to me what the game was; a gamble is a gamble and a chance to win a wad of money is a chance to win a wad of money. Not that I was all that lucky. There was always a “Big Larry” at the table who was the big winner.”
Breathing heavily, I took a step further into the circle and still gripping my worn hat tightly in my clenched fist, I stated: “Last night Marge—that’s my wife, you know—said she had enough. I either quit gambling or she was done. I should have known something was up because the Old Battle Ax (her mother) was behind her in the kitchen doorway. So, that’s the way it is. Here I am. Gamblers’ Anonymous. My last chance to break the habit.”
The room was silent as I ended my speech, but I knew they were with me. Of course they were. They’d all been there themselves. If they weren’t gamblers why else would they come to the meetings?
COMMENTS (0)