The Life and Times of Cheater Hayes

7 Seconds in Heaven

     The three boys walked into the mansion wearing their brand new cummerbunds when an older lady smashed into them.

     "Oh! Oh oh oh goodness. I'm terribly sorry. Terribly, terribly sorry. You must be new here, hi, hello, good evening. I'm Augusta Granville, pleasure to meet you!" She seemed flustered, her voice was high and breathless, her glasses were askew and her hairbrush was still tangled up in her brown curles that were streaked with gray. She continued, every word coming out faster than the last. "See if you can find Margarita, she'll catch you up to speed on what you have to be doing. I don't suppose you're with the orchestra, are you?" Without giving them a moment to respond, she dashed off in the same direction from where she came.

    "Crazy, rich shebas. Dijja ever?" Muggs asked, using the term the three of them always used to describe disbelief.

     "Yeah, dijja ever?" Fingers responded.

     "We gotta scope out the place. We can't be dealing with these society types for very long. They don't get us." Cheater thought aloud.

    "You're right. These types make me nervous." Muggs agreed, heading off to the left. Fingers went left and Cheater headed forward.

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     Margarita ended up finding the boys. She too was an old maid, gray hair wrapped up in a bun. It was pretty clear that she had been a real beauty in her glory days, but the mobsters were too young to see that.

    "There you are! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you! Mrs. Granville does not tolerate lazieness." She then went on to scold the young men in Spanish. They all stared at her, having grown up in Manhattan, they had picked up a few phrases, but never bothered to learn how to speak fluent Spanish.

     "Well don't just stand there! Move! We have a lot of work to get done!"

     Finally, the end of the day came around, and Cheater collapsed into bed. His whole body ached, he had never worked so hard for a job in his life.

    If this plan falls through, he thought, his eyes closing, I'll kill Mona.

    Mona....

     All of a sudden, there she was, still in that black, sparkly dress from earlier, seated in the rocking chair that had been placed close to the bed. The low lighting emphasized her cheekbones, and the dark circles under her eyes had faded somewhat.

     "Mona??" Cheater cried out, sitting up in bed. "When did you get here? What are you doing here?"

     "Making sure you idiots got the job done right, obviously. I got here a few minures ago, but I guess you were too tired to notice me."

     "Its been a long day..." Cheater sighed.

      "Oh yeah, long day, poor Cheater had to drag his ass around, actually cleaning. Poor baby." she pouted, then came over and sat at the edge of Cheater's bed. He awkwardly swung his legs over the side of the bed, so that they were side by side.

    "Why are you doing this, Cheater? You could have said no. I wouldn't have minded."

   "Believe me, I would have said no to anyone else who asked." He stood up suddenly and extended his hand to her. Calmly, she took it, and they both began to sway, their arms gently wrapped around each other.

   "Then why me? Whats so damn special about me?"

    "Why do you even ask, Mona?" There was a pregnant pause, each of the adults dying to say something else, for silver words and golden replies to escape their lips.

     "Do you remember school?" Mona asked, suddenly.

     "Sorta. Its all kinda a blur. Why?"

     "I loved you, Chester. Way before you dropped out."

     "You did? I don't even remember you."

     Mona chuckled. "There wasn't much of me to remember. I was quiet, painfully shy. But I remember studly, brilliant Chester Hayes." She paused. "What happened to him?"

     "He died when I left." Cheater turned his face away from her. She put a hand to his cheek and turned his face gently, looking into his eyes,

    "I don't think he's dead. He's still there, inside you. I see him. I love him."

    "Do you think you could love who he turned out to be?"

    Mona smiled, so sweet, so soft, so sad. Their lips were so close... He looked down, and suddenly, she was dressed in a white dress. A halo rested on her brunette curls. She was dressed like an angel. His angel was walking away.

     "No! Mona!" he cried. "Mona! Please! Come back! Mona!"

     "Cheater!" she called back, her voice distant. "Cheater!"

     "Mona!" he called out one more time, then his world went black. 

     When he came to, Fingers was sitting at the edge of his bed, shaking him, calling his name. Cheater rubbed his eyes and sat up on his elbow.

     "You were dreaming about her weren't you? Mona, I mean."

     "How...how could you tell? What time is it?

     "Five thirty, I think. You were calling for her." Fingers' tone turned mocking. "Moooonaaaa, Monaaaaaa!" He laughed. "You sounded like a ghost. It gave me the heebie jeebies."

    "I wasn't..." Cheater sighed. There was no use in protesting. "Don't tell anyone, all right?" he glared pointedly at the other mobster, sound asleep in the bed beside him.

     "I wont tell if you wont."

     They shook hands