Chapter 10 - got a light?
Racetrack had never felt so well in his life. He'd been winning bets left and right lately. He wasn't used to feeling so lucky, having spent almost a lifetime being on the losing end of every wager. The feeling was new and different; almost as if someone had finally decided to open the door and let Racetrack Higgins in. he knew part of it was thanks to profit's excellent business skills. That kid really knew his stuff when it came to money. He recalled that first day he took profit to the tracks. That's where it all started for him, really.
But even when profit lee was not around, racetrack still had an uncanny lucky streak. He didn't know what turn of luck it was, but he prayed that it wouldn't change too soon. Not when he was just getting used to it.
Something else had also happened to him, apart from the newfound good luck with the bets. He never thought he'd ever be fortunate in matters of the heart, but for the first time, racetrack felt like he just won the biggest prize of all- and it wasn't money. The true prize came in the form of a girl from across the arches of Chinatown.
From out of his pocket, racetrack took out the small pale green stone attached to a thin strip of leather. Dangling in the moonlight, the stone cast a cool halo around itself. Racetrack stared at it, mesmerized by its radiance and beauty. Racetrack knew that he had fallen in love with the girl who had given this to him, and it made him feel so sad to not even know her name.
And yet, when he would see her on certain days, she would give him a smile as radiant as the stone's mysterious glow. He didn't know if she could even understand anything he told her, but he kept talking to her anyway, because she smiled and nodded at him as though she could. He called her "doll face" in the beginning, but now he longed to call her by her true name.
Racetrack, lost in his reverie, didn't even notice pagan join him by the ledge for an evening smoke.
"got a light, race?" pagan said, plopping next to him.
Instinctively, racetrack put the stone back into his pocket. He felt that he couldn't bring himself to share it with anyone just yet. Not even with pagan, who was one of his best friends, and the reason why he met his beautiful radiant girl. He pulled out some matches and reached over to light pagan's cigarette.
Pagan graciously accepted the light and puffed contentedly. For a short while, none of them said anything. They just sat there, enjoying the cool breeze, the light of the moon and their evening smoke. It was then that racetrack realized that he missed pagan. Apart from selling together, they never really got to talk anymore. This was the first time in a long while that they found each other on the ledge at the same time. He felt the urge to give pagan a brotherly hug, but thought better of it. boy, he thought, am I feeling extra mushy tonight!
Instead he said, " so, you and jack still not speaking to each other?"
"yeah, well..." pagan said, looking back at the window behind them. "I don't know what to think, race. I really don't."
she looked so forlorn, racetrack's heart went out to her. He lightly flicked her chin.
Pagan paused. Then, "how are you, race?" she asked. " I mean, really. How are you?"
Racetrack peered into her face. She had on that smile that he was always such a sucker for. He would've melted at the sight of it in the moonlight, but now she just looked like she should: a very dear and trusted friend. And he realized that he missed talking to her. Really talking to her.
He took a deep breath, smiled, and took out a fresh cigar.
They sure had some catching up to do.
Racetrack had never felt so well in his life. He'd been winning bets left and right lately. He wasn't used to feeling so lucky, having spent almost a lifetime being on the losing end of every wager. The feeling was new and different; almost as if someone had finally decided to open the door and let Racetrack Higgins in. he knew part of it was thanks to profit's excellent business skills. That kid really knew his stuff when it came to money. He recalled that first day he took profit to the tracks. That's where it all started for him, really.
But even when profit lee was not around, racetrack still had an uncanny lucky streak. He didn't know what turn of luck it was, but he prayed that it wouldn't change too soon. Not when he was just getting used to it.
Something else had also happened to him, apart from the newfound good luck with the bets. He never thought he'd ever be fortunate in matters of the heart, but for the first time, racetrack felt like he just won the biggest prize of all- and it wasn't money. The true prize came in the form of a girl from across the arches of Chinatown.
From out of his pocket, racetrack took out the small pale green stone attached to a thin strip of leather. Dangling in the moonlight, the stone cast a cool halo around itself. Racetrack stared at it, mesmerized by its radiance and beauty. Racetrack knew that he had fallen in love with the girl who had given this to him, and it made him feel so sad to not even know her name.
And yet, when he would see her on certain days, she would give him a smile as radiant as the stone's mysterious glow. He didn't know if she could even understand anything he told her, but he kept talking to her anyway, because she smiled and nodded at him as though she could. He called her "doll face" in the beginning, but now he longed to call her by her true name.
Racetrack, lost in his reverie, didn't even notice pagan join him by the ledge for an evening smoke.
"got a light, race?" pagan said, plopping next to him.
Instinctively, racetrack put the stone back into his pocket. He felt that he couldn't bring himself to share it with anyone just yet. Not even with pagan, who was one of his best friends, and the reason why he met his beautiful radiant girl. He pulled out some matches and reached over to light pagan's cigarette.
Pagan graciously accepted the light and puffed contentedly. For a short while, none of them said anything. They just sat there, enjoying the cool breeze, the light of the moon and their evening smoke. It was then that racetrack realized that he missed pagan. Apart from selling together, they never really got to talk anymore. This was the first time in a long while that they found each other on the ledge at the same time. He felt the urge to give pagan a brotherly hug, but thought better of it. boy, he thought, am I feeling extra mushy tonight!
Instead he said, " so, you and jack still not speaking to each other?"
"yeah, well..." pagan said, looking back at the window behind them. "I don't know what to think, race. I really don't."
she looked so forlorn, racetrack's heart went out to her. He lightly flicked her chin.
Pagan paused. Then, "how are you, race?" she asked. " I mean, really. How are you?"
Racetrack peered into her face. She had on that smile that he was always such a sucker for. He would've melted at the sight of it in the moonlight, but now she just looked like she should: a very dear and trusted friend. And he realized that he missed talking to her. Really talking to her.
He took a deep breath, smiled, and took out a fresh cigar.
They sure had some catching up to do.