Casablanca:

The ugly truth

Rick's Café American is back in full business again and is packed with the usual lot; gamblers, Germans, Moroccan and French citizens and refugees. Yes, the refugees still flow through Casablanca as a final stop before they reach Lisbon, then their path to America.

Captain Renault sits in the gambling room of the café, and would often take breaks to flirt with the woman at the bar or to have a drink. But often he would take his drinks to the table with him, or the woman, or even both depending on his mood. Sam was playing his piano and singing joyfully to the customers as they clapped and cheered him. An exhausted looking woman wandered into the café with her husband, the couple didn't stop to talk to anybody, or to even have a drink. The woman tensed up when she passed two German officers drinking at the bar, but despite the uncomfortable atmosphere, she walked up to the bartender who gave her a warm smile.

"Hello sir, I'm looking for monsieur Rick. Is he available?" She kept her voice down so the Germans don't here her.

"No mademoiselle, I'm afraid he's busy right now but you can see Captain Renault, he's over there" He pointed into the gambling room at the police prefect. "Do you want a drink?"

"No thank you" She quickly walked over to the table where Renault sat. "Excuse me Captain Renault?"

"Yes Madame, what do you need?" Not taking his eyes off his cards.

"We are looking for Monsieur Rick, it's urgent."

"I'm afraid he's rather busy right now, he asked not to be disturbed. What is your business with him?"

"Our business is our own sir, I'm afraid." she stammered "But it's very important we see him as soon as possible."

Captain Renault sighed and looked at the young woman. "I'll see to it at once, just let me cash in my chips" and he led her out of the room.

Rick sat at his desk in his office staring into a shot glass, it was damp with whiskey after his last 7 shots, and he filled it to take his 8th, staring at a photograph on his desk. It was a picture of Ilsa and him, while they were in Paris. She was in America with Victor Lazlo now and he wondered how they were doing, not that he cared much for Lazlo. He shook his head

"America" He said to himself. "So what, there's better places to live" and he filled his glass again.

There was a knock on the door and Rick quickly hid the photograph in his desk. "Come in!"

Captain Renault opened the door "There's a woman here to see you, she says it's urgent." He strides over to his desk. "Be careful with this one Rick" he winked and walked out of the room. "He's ready for you mademoiselle" and shut the door behind him.

"Well sit down" Said Rick, trying to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Monsieur Rick" she said thoughtfully, "I heard you are a very charitable man, that you help people. My husband and I come from Czech-Slovakia and… well you see we are Jews, and the Germans don't treat us very well there, they discriminate us and even try to kill us. Oh sir please if.. If you could just grant us asylum for a week at least, until we can get to Lisbon.. We'd be very grateful."

Rick paused and shook his head. "Do you know how hard it is to get out of here? Why I've been here for years and do you know how dangerous it is to shelter people that the Germans are looking for? I had to do that a week ago, and I nearly lost my saloon and even my life."

The woman's mood changed from sincerity to mere desperation. "Oh please sir, just a week. We have nowhere else to go, or else the Germans will take us away."

"What makes you think they won't snatch you here?"

"We.. we don't. But we need to take our chances, please sir.. one week is all we ask."

"How old are you and your husband"

"I'm twenty-four, and he's twenty –two, we aren't ready to die sir.. we just got married"

Rick looked down at his shot glass again, filled it and sighed. "One week, I'll find you two a room upstairs, don't talk to anybody you don't know"

"Oh thank you sir, bless you" she grabbed his hand and kissed it.

Rick quickly pulled his hand away and wiped it on his pants. "Do you understand?"

"Oh yes sir, completely. What about that policeman?"

"Captain Renault? He's fine, I'd trust him with my life."

"Thank you so much Monsieur Rick, I knew you'd turn around. I will inform my husband."

Rick watched her leave the room as he sat down at his desk again, he remembered all the trouble that he had to go through having to shelter Victor Lazlo from the Nazis and how much trouble Major Strasser had caused them both. He shook his head and pulled out the photograph of Ilsa.

"Here I go again, it never ends does it?" He put the picture on the desk and raised his shot glass. "Here's looking at you kid" and drank the rest of the night away.