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It's All In The Cards
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It's All In The Cards |
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Mysteria 
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada 
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 ~* It's All In The Cards *~ 1,775 words Like fireflies, lights started flickering in windows of houses and bungalows in the suburbs, and city workers began to trickle homeward to family circles patiently waiting dinner. Albert J. Seedy, Merchant, as he styled himself in big blue letters on the sides of his delivery truck, had finished his last round for the day. He covered Edgemont’s outlying districts every Friday, and as Albert had arbitrarily divided the various parts into zones, he had managed to create a sales probability program capable of being visited on regular days of the week. He was a dealer in hardware of all descriptions. In fact, if he could buy anything at all wholesale and sell it for a profit, no matter now small, he would load it into his panel truck and mention it in his sales pitch. In days past, Albert would have been called a “packrat,” but with the growing of modern means in transportation, he was able now to carry more stock and cover much more territory than his favorites of old. He dabbled in other lines than hardware, and occasionally turned over a piece of real estate for a hefty commission. In this way he developed a fair idea of property value in many locations and began to recognize the many possibilities. Opportunity was always the driving force behind Albert’s mind, though he had as yet very little to show for it personally. He lived as a permanent guest at a cheap hotel in the center of town, where accessibility to the wholesale warehouses proved desirable, and because the enclosed yard of the hotel’s rear was a good place to put his van, with its stock of lace and plastic curtains, hardware utensils, and assorted trivia made it safe for nightly marauders of a thieving nature. Having completed his round of regular customers and about to turn and head back to the city, Albert noticed a light in the house of a small far. This house has been vacant for over a year, of that Albert was sure as he had investigated it every once in a while. So he stopped to have a new look at it. He had never been able to find out who actually owned this property, and many schemes had turned over in his mind as to the possibilities of using it for himself. A small chicken ranch might be an ideal proposition, as an extra income could be made with a supply of eggs and dressed chickens, that is, if someone could be found honest enough to look after it while he was out on his regular rounds. He could pay a small wage as an investment to get it going, he thought longingly. It was good to dream he thought. Albert had never married, not being able to see how money could be made (and kept) on that score of life. His celibacy perhaps was not quite complete, however, as life in a cheap hotel was not without contacts to the opposite sex. Poor Albert had never been too venturesome in that matter, as he didn’t want to be caught in a snare of a profitless marriage. Thirty five and he had made it through life both a lonely and selfish man, with the one aim of making money and holding onto it for himself. A lovely woman, who asked what he wanted at this time of the day, answered his important sounding knock on the door. Right sharp, she was, Albert was quick to notice, as he started his patter in his genial way” “I carry a line of household goods and supplies, madam, and call in this direction one a week regularly throughout the year. Seeing your light on, I thought I could heave my card, as I’d be pleased to supply you with anything you may be in need of, if I have it. You’ve just moved in have you not?” “That’s right, but it happens that this is my own property and I’ve just come back to live on it,” came an unexpected explanation. “It was going to rack and ruin standing empty in all kinds of weather.” Albert figured her to be around forty, give or take a year or two. She seemed to be worldly-wise by the evidence of smart jewelry that dangled from her arms, and sat upon her fingers, ears, and neck. “Why don’t you come in?” she suddenly asked. “I can let you have a cup of coffee, and besides it must be extremely cold standing in that open door. Your truck will be all right exactly where you parked it.” “Such a nice piece of property you have here,” he remarked. “What do you figure on doing with it may I ask, if you don’t object, madam? It looks to me that it might be good for market gardening or perhaps raising chickens,” he suggested brightly. “I did actually have something like that in mind, but it would mean having to hire a little help.” Albert chatted on about this and that, but seeing that he was not going to get any free supper by the looks of it, and an oatmeal cookie was not much with the coffee, he got up to leave. “I’ll look for you in about a week then”, he said, “and let you see some extra good curtains I’ve got, and if you think of anything else you would like, I could find it for you at a bargain price.” Albert thought quite a lot about this new prospective customer and the opportunity she presented, and during the following weeks struck up a friendship with her. “If I play my cards right,” he thought, “this could turn out to be a really good thing for me I bet.” That evening while playing solitaire, he devised a plan to his benefit. Well, they were soon married at the registry office as neither of them seemed to have affiliations with any particular church or creed. Albert gave up his hotel life and moved into the little farmhouse he was so taken with. He bought a large dog to keep intruders out of the property and to protect his van with all his hardware inside. Prematurely he thought one day this would all be his, if he played his cards right. One Saturday morning during that same summer, Albert was sitting in the bright kitchen, going over his books to add up his profits, and taking inventory for replacements. Then he played solitaire as he always did this time of day. He heard his wife approaching the open door, talking to a younger woman. They entered the kitchen, and Albert tried not to look shocked as he saw the young woman standing by his wife. “Albert,” his wife said. “This is my daughter Ella.” He jumped to his feet in shock and surprise, scattering his papers from one end of the kitchen to the other. Ella could hardly contain her laughter, and winked at Albert. “I didn’t tell you about my first husband because it didn't seem important at the time,” his wife continued, “Well, anyway, he died, and Ella was brought up by my sister. My sister passed on last year, and Ella has been trying to make it on her own without much success, so now she would like to come and live with me again, or us I should say. I hope that will be okay with you Albert, as Ella has offered to help around the farm?” Albert could not have been more pleasantly surprised, and certainly another pair of hands wouldn’t be amiss, that’s providing Ella didn’t expect to be paid of course, he added mentally. "Of course you are more than welcome Ella, and please, help yourself to whatever you need around here." Life settled down to a steady routine for the three of them eventually. Albert went his usual rounds while his wife looked after the chickens and the property. Ella helped around the house and property, and did chores in the evenings, such as filling up the egg boxes for inclusion in Albert’s rounds for the next day’s sales, and dressing up chickens when people ordered them. In the evenings, Albert sat in the kitchen, doing his accounts, or reading the paper while he smoked his pipe. His wife usually sat watching television most of the time, then went to bed early, as she had to rise early to fetch eggs from the chickens. It seemed of late that she was going to bed earlier and earlier, as Albert had purchased more chickens, and it took a great deal of effort to take care of them. Ella, being such a lively girl, went about her work humming the latest tune from the radio or doing little dance steps to accompany herself in her chores. This of course distracted Albert at first, but eventually he found himself waiting for her little performances and really starting to enjoy Ella’s company in the house. She was, after all, quite a smart girl, and well, this must have been in the cards he thought. Ella bounced out of the kitchen with her usual shake of her hips, and Albert rustled his paper as if he had been reading it assiduously. He was counting his wife’s footsteps as she climbed the stairs to their bedroom. She had been getting more and more tired and could hardly keep herself awake after a strong cup of coffee, which, after all, should have helped to keep her awake so she could enjoy her television. “Oh well, “ she thought, “Albert has Ella to keep him company.” “Now, if I play my cards right,” mused Albert, after reading the latest poultry quotations, in preparation for his bids for birds in tomorrow’s business, “ I should be able to get back to loving Ella as I did downtown at the hotel before, but now it would be for free. Ella had not mentioned living downtown and her occupation for fear of shaming her Mother, so this was going to work out just fine. She would most certainly please him to no end as she had done many times before, and his wife would never even suspect. She was too busy tending those extra chickens she wanted, and besides that was increasing his profits. Albert thought to himself that he may even take Ella with him on his rounds seeing that his wife was always so tired now. . He picked up the deck of cards on the table and put them away in the cupboard for good, as he didn't need to play solitaire anymore. “Oh life is good, this change in fate was sure in the cards." I don't want to know where I am heading, it will spoil my journey. Carpe' Diem [This message has been edited by Mysteria (09-07-2003 12:35 AM).] |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
Scoundrels, both of them! LOL, I was caught by surprise with that twist. Good one, Sharon, a really good, fun story. |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Thank you Kacy - my one and only fan of this little "old tyme type" of story. I do these for the old folks at the hospital for the poetry book, so thank you. 
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Dear friend...I read this a few days ago, and bumped over an oops, and tried to come back, but have been fighting that darned Blaster bug...but I think I am the winner! However...coming back to read your lovely, I again came over the oops... quote: Should "night" be, perhaps, day? I loved the story! Thank you! |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Thank you Karilea. |
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