Chapter 99: House of Cards
"The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well." – H. T. Leslie
"Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died." – Steven Wright
"Life is like a game in which God shuffles the cards, the devil deals them, and we have to play the trumps." – Yugoslavian proverb
"You can observe a lot just by watching." – Yogi Berra
"We are all what we pretend to be, but, we had better be very careful what we pretend." – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Everyone gathered around Vaughn's chair to play. Sydney moved to his other side and removed the sling and then helped him so that he could hold the cards. They decided on five-card stud to start, using poker chips for bets. Everyone anted up and Jack dealt the cards to each player. Everyone studied their cards and play resumed, with the usual betting and calling and folding. By the time the last betting rolled around, Francie had folded, any fool could tell that Will had shit but wouldn't fold, and it was down to the three that had the best poker faces.
Sydney bet 25 and Vaughn and Will called. Jack raised 50 and Sydney called. Vaughn smiled and called as well. Will looked at the three but called as well.
They laid out there cards. Sydney had a pair of Queens, Vaughn a pair of Aces, Will a King, and Jack a pair of 4's.
Will looked at Jack, "Why did you raise? You had fours!"
Jack smiled, "Did you think I had fours?"
"Well...no..."
"Then I played my cards right Will."
Will looked dumbfounded, but they all played another round.
After about a half hour, Will and Francie were mostly on the sidelines, fascinated by the way the other three could bluff each other.
No one came out a clear winner in the poker rounds, but they all had fun nonetheless and watching Will lose time and time again because he couldn't figure out the bluffs was very amusing to everyone it seemed.
"Ok...new game," Will said, "since the spies dominated that one..." he looked at Francie, "Maybe we should get like Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders – think we could win one of those?"
Francie laughed, "Probably not Will – we've got steep competition."
Will got up to get another game.
Sydney groaned, "If he gets Clue, I'm gonna barf."
"I heard that!" he said carrying out a few boxes. He set down the boxes in front of everyone. "Fine then...how about Scrabble?"
Every consented and they started the game. They played for a while and Jack won that one.
"Well...that was fun...since Jack came up with a word worth like a bazillion points!" Will said as they put that one away.
"What now?" Sydney asked, "What else do we have?"
Will read off some titles, "Uh...Monopoly, Mastermind, Pictionary, Sorry...more card games..."
Sydney looked at Vaughn, "Well...what do you wanna play?"
"I don't have a preference..."
"Hmm...Sorry?" she asked everyone.
"Sure," Francie said.
"Works," said Will.
Jack just smiled.
"Oh...wait...that only has four players..." Will said looking up after examining the box.
"I'll watch;" Vaughn said, "I can't move the little pieces anyway...or get the cards..."
"You sure honey?" Sydney asked.
"I am capable of sitting one out," he said with a wink.
"You can be on my team," Sydney said happily.
"Ok Syd..."
They played a round of Sorry, but it went rather quickly and then they were left with decision time again.
"Actually," Francie said looking at her watch, "we should think about making dinner...you guys play something." She got up and she and Will went off to make dinner.
"What should we play now?" Sydney asked the two men with her.
"Did Will said you had Mastermind?" Jack asked.
Sydney smiled, "Yeah...you used to love that game...it was one of the only ones you'd play with me."
Jack's smile faltered.
"No, dad, I didn't mean it like that...I'm just saying...you used to like that one."
"Yes I did," Jack said slightly sadly, "I'm sorry I didn't play other ones you wanted to Sydney."
"Dad, it's fine..."
"No, it's not...I wasn't a good father...not really."
"Well, you're making it up now...let's play the game," Sydney said getting it.
Jack shared a look with Vaughn, who smiled back at him.
"You two play the first round," Sydney said handing her dad the game and sitting down again next to Vaughn.
Jack moved closer, "Do you want to put the pieces in or try to guess on the first round?"
"I'll guess," Vaughn said.
Jack smiled happily, with a hint of competitiveness. He arranged his sequence of four pegs and moved a little closer so Vaughn could move the guessing pegs. Jack's brow furrowed when Vaughn had the sequence figured out in six tries.
"Hmm..." he said, "I'm not sure I like playing games with you Michael."
Sydney started laughing.
Vaughn smiled at her, "Your turn."
Jack turned to her, "Arrange or Guess?" he asked.
"Guess," she said.
Jack arranged his sequence and Sydney set to work on figuring it out. Vaughn was giggling when she only had two guesses left and only figured out two of the pegs.
After Sydney failed to guess the sequence, Vaughn and Jack seemed unable to contain their laughter.
"Ok," Sydney said, "My turn..."
They both continued to laugh while Sydney set up her sequence, "You first dad..." she said.
He guessed her sequence in five tries.
"Damnit! How do you do that dad?" she said getting upset.
Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Ok, Vaughn...you're turn," Sydney said as she brought the sequence over.
He looked at her and picked up the pegs, arranging them.
"Ok, you saw them, right?" she asked.
"Nope," he said, raising his hand in the Boy Scout sign, "Scout's honor."
She looked at him baffled and them moved the barrier that hid the sequence. Vaughn had guessed it on the first try.
"Ok, how did you do it?" she asked, intrigued as she took her place next to him again.
Vaughn smiled, "I know you too well..."
Sydney sat quietly for the next few minutes before Will and Francie brought dinner out.
"Really, Vaughn..." she asked as they were eating, "how did you do it?"
He looked at her, "I told you..."
"Come on...you mean to tell me you just KNEW that was what I picked? What are you psychic now?"
"No...I'm not psychic...I just...I don't know...that's what I thought you'd do."
"Wow," she said leaning down to kiss him, "that's pretty amazing."
They finished dinner and after Francie and Will had cleaned up, they came back ready to play more games.
"What are we gonna play now?" Will asked.
"I think I'm kinda gamed out..." Vaughn said.
Sydney looked at him, "You ok?"
"Yeah...you guys can play though, I'll watch..."
Will fished through the pile of games, "How about Pictionary?" he asked.
"Yes!" Francie said, and then looked at Jack, "I'm awesome at Pictionary..."
Sydney looked at her dad, "You wanna play Pictionary?"
"Uh...that's the one where you draw whatever the card says right?"
"Yeah," Sydney said smiling.
"I can try...I'm a terrible drawer."
"We could do Charades instead," Francie offered.
"That's where you act it out?" Jack asked and Francie nodded her head. "I think I'll stick to the drawing."
"Dad's on my team," Sydney said.
Francie looked at Will, "Well, I guess I'm with him then."
"Hey, you know I'm right here, don't you?" Will asked smiling.
Francie smiled, "I'm just kidding honey."
Sydney looked down at Vaughn, "You sure you don't wanna play?"
"I'll just watch," he said smiling.
"You're ok?"
"Yes," he said pushing her over to her father.
"We'll go first," Francie said.
"Ok," Sydney agreed.
Will picked a slip out and looked at the writing on it, "Ok...here we go," he said looking to Francie.
Sydney started the timer as Will started drawing.
Francie studied what Will was attempting to draw.
Sydney looked at her dad and then at Vaughn. Vaughn was attempting not to laugh.
Francie couldn't take anymore, "What the hell is that Will?"
Since he couldn't talk, he gave her a "duh" look and pointed to the paper.
Time was slowly ticking away as Francie started throwing out guesses right and left. Will kept pointing to the paper but Francie couldn't make heads or tails of his scratchings.
"Time," Sydney said.
"What the hell is that?" Francie asked.
"It's a fish hook...get it?" he said pointing to the drawings, "See...this is a fish...and this is the hook – get it – like a right hook – a punch..."
Francie stared at him, "Why didn't you just draw a FISHHOOK?" Francie yelled grabbing the pen and drawing an actual fishhook.
"Well, I thought that was too easy..."
"That was like the easiest one in there! I want a new partner," Francie said.
By this time, everyone else was laughing like crazy. Vaughn was in danger of falling off the lawn chair because he was laughing so hard. Sydney came over and helped him sit up again. "Oh man," he said wiping the tears away, "that was classic! And you guys wonder why I didn't play?"
Sydney was still giggling uncontrollably when she went to get her slip with the item on it.
She studied it, thought a moment and then said, "Ok...I'm ready..."
Will started the timer, and Sydney started to draw. Jack started throwing things out right away.
After Sydney put a plus sign in between the images she drew, Jack shouted, "Sleep Walking!"
"Yes!" Sydney said.
Francie let out a "Huh! See – see what they did! They drew a person sleeping and then someone walking...they didn't make up some shit I'd never guess!"
"Fine...guess who's turn it is?" Will said.
"Mine!" Francie said, "Try to see if you can guess..." She grabbed a slip and read it and then looked to Sydney to start the timer.
"Go," Sydney said.
Francie started drawing. Will looked at the sheet, staring...
Francie looked back at him and sighed, getting angry. She poked the paper.
Will shrugged, "I don't know..."
Francie huffed and started drawing something else but time was up.
Will asked, "So what was it?"
"Ok...I did what you did...I drew two things...see – hair...and dryer – a dryer...hair dryer..."
"Well...why didn't you just draw the actual hair dryer...you know, the hand held one..."
"AHHHH!" Francie said taking the paper and rolling it up and chasing Will around the yard with it.
Vaughn was about to fall off the chair again and Sydney and Jack were finding the whole thing extremely amusing as well.
Once Francie got tired of chasing him, she sat down, "I'm so not playing with him anymore."
Will looked at everyone, "What?"
