I Wonder If I Care as Much

Chapter Ten

"Alright." A cigarette was placed on an ashtray. Four yellow chips were picked up from a pile, and placed delicately in the center of the pullout table. "Raise ya'."

"You don't have enough," the man across from him said. His cards were held close to his chest, in front of him a plentiful stack of chips, still more in the pile. Phil placed his cards face down on the table, picking up his smoke.

"Would you like to wager on that?" Travis, who sat across from him, frowned at the pile. Phil had put down plenty of chips, but no one had given up more than Travis himself. Glancing to his left he saw Malcolm smirking, Cliff drinking, and Angus coughing. To his right he saw Sherrie reading a newspaper, her hair rolled up in tight pin curls. Hannah had her lips wrapped around a straw which was sitting in a glass of chocolate milk. She watched the boys from afar, her big, curious eyes darting around the circle. An hour ago she sat with them, but was exiled from the table after giving away the men's bluff with her laughter or light tsk tsk of her tongue. Angus gave her a cheeky grin when she left, Hannah pushing her nose up with her finger as a response. Bon was also on Travis' right side, his chin in his hand, his stack of chips gone. They stood behind Phil's cards, along with the majority of the group's.

Sweat ran across Travis' forehead and he pulled a tissue out of his pocket to wipe it away. Phil's smile bore into his soul. The hole in his pocket was burning that minute, as if he had left a cigar in it. He almost wished he had one, though now wasn't the time. Looking down at the cards in his hands, the pair of queens not looking so royal. Whatever Phil had he seemed mighty proud of, then again, Phil had been playing longer than Travis had. Revealing his cards could be the ultimate embarrassment, yet folding would demand an immediate surrender.

Slowly laying his cards down on the table, he flipped them over. His queens faced the roof of the bus, the other three making hardly a difference. Phil nodded.

"It's your-your turn," Travis stuttered.

"How could I forget," Phil muttered. Taking his cards from the table, he revealed two threes and three twos. "Sorry 'bout that, mate, my cards were gettin' heavy." With that, he grabbed all the chips from the middle of the pile, and sorted them into their rightful stacks. Travis observed Phil's hand, then his own. "Lookin' for somethin'?"

"Didn't think I'd win," Travis admitted. "I'm not a guest to gambling but cards isn't my way of going about it." Phil eyed Bon who shrugged.

"Well, can't say Poker's for everyone. Takes a day to learn, an' a life to get it right." The cards were gathered in his hands and he shuffled them. "Who's playin' next round?"

"I'm in," Cliff said.

Malcolm sat up in his seat. "Rudd took my money, I have to play again." Phil smiled.

"Angus? You playin'?" The group waited for the man to answer. He wasn't paying an ounce of attention, and his eyes were focused a different direction. Phil snapped his fingers while Cliff elbowed him. "Angus!"

"Hmm?"

"You playin' or not?" With a stretch, Angus stood from the table and made his way out of the circle.

"Not this time, I'll watch." Phil nodded and passed the cards around.

"Like Hannah?" Angus tripped over his foot he stuck out for him. Giving him a dirty look, he walked to the other side of the bus.

"Yeah, like Hannah." He ignored the laughter of the group as he sat down next to his friend, the straw still in her mouth. Bon watched from his seat, as Angus surrounded himself in women. One of them sat apart, waiting for her hair to cool, the other staring back at the man, chugging the last of her drink. Malcolm raised his head when the liquid was almost gone, the silent drinking turned to loud slurping. He saw Cliff's drink sitting by his wrist, half gone. Malcolm thought it rude not to share.