Next up, the episode 'Eugene's Birthday', or rather, a bit of a talk/flashback about it as I set up the next three to four episodes. You'll see as we go along! Anyway, enjoy!
On the weekend, I was humming a bit as I was looking at the diary and the screwdriver... I decided to get that mystery solved once and for all... I was about to loosen up the staples when I heard Olga coming in with the mail.
Olga sighed as she was looking over the mail she had. "Junk, junk... I never get anything good..."
"What's up, Olga?" I asked as I put the screwdriver and the diary away.
"Oh, it's nothing, sweetheart." Olga said as she put the mail away. "I was just told to collect a few old things that I want to sell. I figured I'd contribute a bit... if you want to sell something you don't want anymore, I can add that to my pile."
"Eh, well, I'm not sure if I want to sell anything at this moment in time." I said.
"Okay, sweetheart, but if you change your mind, let me know." Olga said as I walked out of the room.
I nodded as I decided to go downstairs. In one of the rooms, I heard Mr. Kokoshka complaining, "You can't sell that, Susie, please!"
"Oskar, I'm selling it whether you like it or not!" I heard Mrs. Kokoshka say as I walked downstairs, deciding to have a moment to relax.
I paused as I decided to get a small snack as I put it down. I was about to eat when I noticed a letter near the table. I picked it up and looked at it... and my eyes widened.
It was at that moment, Arnold and his grandfather came in with boxes. I looked over to them as I said, "Excuse me, Arnold's grandfather, but I've been looking at this... is this correct? You have an eleven-thousand dollar balloon payment?"
"Yep, I believe that is accurate." Arnold's grandfather laughed as he put the boxes down.
"Wow... that's just a rip off! You can buy a whole package of balloons for a dollar at the drug store." I rolled my eyes.
"No no no, Rhonda, you see, about a few years ago, my grandparents took out a mortgage from the boarding house." Arnold explained.
I blinked. "...Just to buy a balloon? Is it a hot air balloon?"
Arnold just facepalmed. "Beautiful, I love to discuss my grandparents' house payments, but I have to help Grandpa and Grandma a bit to get ready for the garage sale."
"You're selling the garage?" I gasped.
"NO!" Arnold, Arnold's grandfather and Arnold's grandmother, who just came into the room, said.
"Oh, good. Because you guys are going to need someplace to store that balloon." I smiled.
Arnold sighed as he turned to Arnold's grandfather as if saying, "Please explain this."
Arnold's grandfather chuckled as he said, "You just go ahead and get the rest of the stuff, Shortman, I'll set her straight."
Arnold sighed as he started going up.
After a few minutes of explaining the premises of a garage sale and a balloon payment, Arnold's grandfather coughed. "Now, do you finally understand what a balloon payment is?"
I nodded.
"And do you understand what a garage sale is?"
I nodded. "Now, can you explain secular humanism?"
Arnold's grandfather just shook his head as Arnold came in with the last box. He sighed in relief. "I think that's the last of the boxes."
"Good work, Shortman. Take the rest of the day off, but come back by nightfall!" Arnold's grandfather laughed.
I paused in confusion. "Say, you're not selling all these in your garage sale are you?"
"If we're lucky." Arnold's grandfather said as he was sorting through the boxes.
I paused. "It's not about the house payment, is it?"
"No, no... we're just clearing some old stuff away." Arnold's grandfather explained.
I just frowned, somehow not convinced as I got up.
"Come on, Rhonda, let's get going..." Arnold said as we left the boarding house.
"So, what is going on with the garage sale?" I asked, hoping to prod some information out of him, because I was concerned. If Arnold's grandparents can't keep with the balloon payment... it means me and Olga won't have a place to live except at... Olga's old home, the Pataki residence. For some reason, I felt a chill about that.
"Oh, it's nothing big. Just a couple of things we need to sell. Just to make a little room, that's all." Arnold said. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know... guess I'm just feeling a little jittery..." I sighed.
"After Eugene's birthday party last week, I don't blame you." Arnold said as we entered inside Mr. Green's Meats where Mr. Green and Harold were working. "I like to place an order for the boarding house."
"The usual, Arnold?" Mr. Green asked.
Arnold nodded. Harold saluted as he punched the register numbers in. Arnold paid the money as Harold gave the change back.
"Yeah, I remember last week... Eugene being convinced you were the jinx." I laughed.
"Well, after what happened with the mix-up of invitations, I was lucky to even get Eugene to the party at all." Arnold said as Mr. Green handed him a few bags. "Thank you, Mr. Green."
"You're welcome, Arnold. Send your grandparents my gratitude!" Mr. Green said as we went outside.
"Well, I'm just glad Eugene was happy, all the same." I nodded.
"Yeah." Arnold said as we kept walking.
"But that's not why I'm being a little jittery." I said.
"Oh?" Arnold asked.
"I'm just worried because of your grandparents' balloon payment." I explained as we walked into the flower shop.
"Good afternoon, dears." Mrs. Vitello smiled.
"Roses, please. For my grandmother." Arnold said.
"Of course." Mrs. Vitello smiled.
"Anyway, don't worry about the balloon payment. Just let my grandparents handle it. Trust me, Rhonda, it'll be fine." Arnold said.
"I just hope you're right, charming..." I sighed as Mrs. Vitello came back with the flowers.
"Say, Arnold, what are you setting up the meat and the flowers for?" I asked, out of curiosity as we were walking back to the boarding house.
"It's for next week, sometime after we get done with the garage sale." Arnold said. "I asked Miss Pataki ahead of time to help me plan this... you see, my grandparents' anniversary is coming up and I want to make it special."
"Oh, that's cool." I smiled as we arrived at the boarding house.
"Yeah... our plannings will have to be behind the scenes, because my grandpa and grandma will be focused on the garage sale, but it's worth it." Arnold said as we opened the door.
As soon as we walked in, we started hearing the men, Mr. Potts, Mr. Hyunh, and Mr. Kokoshka starting to complain.
"No buts about it!" We heard Mrs. Kokoshka said. "Buying a racehorse is a waste of money!"
"Aw, come on! Thank of the possibilities it can bring!" Mr. Potts explained.
"Yeah, Susie! We could make a lot of dough!" Mr. Kokoshka said.
We looked in the room as we saw Mrs. Kokoshka groan at the three men before her. "And what are you guys going to do when you buy a horse... how are you going to feed it? It would get sick because of your stupid mistakes!"
"We could train it?" Mr. Hyunh suggested as we saw Olga coming in.
"Olga, thank God. Back me up here. Do you think it's a good idea for these three men to buy a racehorse?" Mrs. Kokoshka asked.
"And lose our budget?" Olga asked.
I raised an eyebrow in concern when I overheard that sentence. Olga shook her head. "Not only is that the worst idea I have ever heard in my life, it is also a complete waste of money. You want to bet on horse races, bet on the track or a professional bookie."
"Oh, like my bookie!" Mr. Kokoshka smiled.
"Something along the lines like that." Olga shrugged. "I know Sharlene has a bookie she likes to make horse races with."
"Your vulgar friend?" Mrs. Kokoshka said in shock. "When did she become interested in gambling?"
"According to her... all her life." Olga said. "She says she likes betting the tracks... and occasionally, she gets lucky and wins... I never do it, though. Sharlene always tells me 'call Choco, she'll help you raise money if you bet on the right people', but I never do. Gambling's just not my thing..."
I paused in interest as I was starting to think... I wonder...
"Rhonda, whatever you're thinking, don't. It's a stupid idea." Helga warned me in my mind.
"Oh stuff it, Helga! I'm cooking up a brilliant plan!" I smiled.
I looked around at my saved money as I pulled out at least twenty bucks. The next step is to talk to Sharlene. Fortunately, I had her number.
I quickly dialed it on my cell and waited for her to pick up. On the other end, I heard fire burning as Sharlene said, "Hey!"
"Sharlene, it's Rhonda!" I said. "Uh, what's going on in the background?"
"Oh, nothing, just doing some cooking." Sharlene said as I heard something pop in the background on the other end. "What can I do for you, Rhonda?"
"Well, Olga wants to know more about Choco..." I explained.
"Oh, Choco? My bookie! She finally wants to make a bet, huh? Well, no problem, here is his number..." Sharlene smiled.
As soon as Sharlene gave me the number, I hung up on Sharlene and then started to dial the bookie's number. I waited until I heard the voice. "Yello hello?"
"Hello, is this Choco?" I asked.
"Yes, who is this?" Choco's voice was heard.
"Okay, listen, you don't know me, but I'm a friend of Sharlene's..." I explained.
"You mean, Devil Soul?" Choco blinked.
"Uh, yes, pretty much. I'm her best friend..." I paused... deciding to lie about my name. "...Olga Pataki."
"Oh, yeah, I heard about you... what's up?" Choco asked.
"Listen, if I bet twenty bucks on a certain thing, can you somehow make it into eleven thousand dollars?" I asked.
"Only if you keep riding it." Choco explained.
I paused and smiled. "No problem, I got until next Saturday!"
"Great. First horse race is on tomorrow at four, like they are every day. Just let me know who you're betting on." Choco explained.
I nodded. "Uh... number eight."
"Ah, a good choice..." Choco said as I heard him writing something down in the background.
The next day, Sunday at four, I was listening to the radio to know more about the horse races as I heard them go off.
"And the winner is Number Eight, 'Ghoulie Foolie', by a nose!" I heard the announcer say.
"Sweet!" I smiled as I dialed Choco's number. "Yo, Choco! Olga here!"
"You just hear that?" Choco asked.
"Yeah, heard everything!" I smiled.
"It's not bad! You bet 20 bucks at six to one odds!" Choco explained to me.
"How much did I win?" I said, trying to calculate it.
"Well... according to my calculations, you have won, overall, three h-" Choco started.
"THREE MILLION DOLLARS?" I gasped.
"No... three hundred dollars." Choco said.
"Oh..." I paused.
"Do you want me to mail it, or let it ride?" Choco asked.
I paused. "Let it ride."
"Great. Next horse race is tomorrow at the usual time. Don't miss it." Choco said as he hung up the phone.
I smiled as I gave a sigh of content. If I keep doing what I'm doing, I'll be raking in the money for sure, and I'll save the place I like to call home.
"This is not going to end well..." I heard Helga sigh, but I ignored it as I was imagining a good life with my new family.
There's episode one hundred and fifty-two! How was it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!