Rain beat against the wagon, sending a low torrent of reverberating taps through the air so that there could be no true silence. Despite this, a hush had fallen among the four inhabitants of that wagon. Shoko could feel it as she lay flat in her bed, and found herself able to taste the sour mood which floated through their cramped abode. There had been words a few moments ago, but Shoko continued to stare upward into the wooden underside of Jason's bunk. Flickering light from a glass lantern danced across the old grain, and the popping of that fire blended in perfectly with the rain outside.
What Jason had said was, "Hey Shoko, Tommy. We're gettin' out some cards. Wanna play?"
Those words had come a few moments ago, but they seemed like eternity. Shoko couldn't see Tommy from where she lay, but the size and age of the floorboards made silent movement generally impossible. He creaked for a slow moment in response, and Shoko held herself still, wondering at what might come next.
The absurdity of that expectation rang out suddenly. What Tommy done the day before? What had he done for weeks and months before? It was possible that his voice didn't work anymore. Shoko would have chuckled at the idea if it wasn't all too plausible. Though she hadn't moved a muscle, Shoko felt as if she were collapsing back down onto her pillow.
There was another creak, and Tommy floated into sight. He looked just like he always did, stern and removed.
"What the hell, sure."
Shoko jerked up so quickly that her forehead struck against Jason's bunk. She fell back, rubbing the sore spot, and looked over to see Tommy join the other men at their card table.
"Is that a yes from you too?" Travis said, stooping so that he could see her.
"Yes," she said, struggling to roll over, "Yeah, I'll be there in a sec."
Shoko fell to the floor and quickly clambered up onto her feet. She had soon taken the place in the fourth chair and was being dealt cards as Jason explained the game. It was really a simple endeavor, a matter of losing all the cards in your hand before any of the other players had. Travis passed out the thin, battered cards while Jason explained the game's dynamics to the two novices. Tommy picked up each card as it came to him, clutching them greedily in front of his chest as he listened to the instruction. Shoko decided early on to let the cards accumulate before grabbing them all up at once, but did not shirk her due curiosity and attention.
It did not take long for the game to start, thought it did this with a tired shamble that belonged more to a dreadfully hot day than a rainy one. They each looked over their cards for a few moments, only making noises with the occasional shuffling of those or an unintentional mutter toward the apparent success or tragedy of each hand.
"You got any eights?" Travis said, looking over at Tommy, who promptly shook his head.
"No, you've gotta say it," Jason instructed.
Tommy nodded at this and repeated the magic phrase toward Travis, "Go fish."
Travis did as instructed and took out some anonymous card.
"How about you, Shoko?" Jason said, "Eights?"
"Oh I should have asked you," Travis said, grimacing into his frayed collection.
"Maybe," was Jason's only response before returning his attention toward Shoko. "So, you got 'em?"
"Yeah, here you go."
Jason lay down his acquired pair and twisted his gaze clockwise. "Tommy, have you got any jacks?"
Tommy stared down at his cards for a long moment as if he were trying to see something very small. His mouth worked in a slow, nervous way, dropping out "ums" and "uhs" with each passing second.
"Oh, I forgot to cover that," Jason said, laughing, "In addition to the numbers, there are royal cards. J for jack, Q for queen, K for king."
"What about the A card?" Shoko asked.
"That's an Ace, it can count high or low as one or fourteen. That's not important for this game, though. All you need to know now is that it's called an Ace."
Shoko nodded, and Tommy handed over his jack.
"Now Shoko, I think you might have an Ace there." Jason said and, once she had given it over to him, added, "Never tell your opponent what's up your sleeve. Rule one of cards."
Travis scoffed and said, "Not just cards. You should have started there, you damn hustler."
Jason laughed at this, "You've played me before. If this were poker I wouldn't need any tricks. I bet I could even win these kids' swords and the pillows out from under their heads."
Travis cracked into a smile, confirming Jason's claim of prowess. Tommy, however, was not amused by this. He looked over at them with a startled expression.
"You can't have my sword," he said quickly.
"Relax," Jason said, holding one hand up while the other stayed safely facedown against the table. "I'm not out after your stuff. It was just an example."
"Good," Tommy said, lowering his guard a little. Shoko watched as his shoulders slid down, though she had not noticed them as they flew back into a defensive position. Tommy seemed better now, but still his gaze switched back between Travis and Jason, and then once at Shoko.
That glance came as she observed, and in that moment they caught each other's eyes. Tommy froze in that angle, then sighed and let out a small, half-forced chuckle. With nothing toward her, Tommy turned back to the men and said, "Never mind, then. Let's get on with the game."
Jason laughed and said, "Alright. Travis, nines? No? Okay, your go Tommy."
Tommy looked down at his cards but, during this occupation, glanced up at Shoko once more. It was a flitting sight, and Shoko couldn't even see his eyes, but it was something. All of this was just that, something. Something strange and amazing. This reserved, guarded person with darting eyes was hardly the Tommy she had met years ago, but he had somehow stepped out from the skin of what he had been for the past months. This was not daylight, but that second glance was a hint on the horizon.
Tommy asked Travis for a two, which he received. After that he asked Jason for a six, which he did not.
Shoko could not help staring over at him throughout the game, or listening intently to his voice when it occasionally appeared. With every syllable, he seemed to be returning. Or maybe that was just blind hope.
In the end, Jason won the game and they all climbed into the suspended beds. Shoko had the first decent dreams she'd had in a long time.
