TAILIEUCHUNG - Two Fates

” *** Rico watched the Miami game in an Elizabeth Avenue strip bar. By half-time, it was obvious that Miami would be taking their worst loss of the season. Rico hung in there anyway, drinking beer after beer. By the time the game was over, he was pretty well gone. And so was Miami. “Another one?” the bartender asked. “Yeah,” Rico said. He didn’t usually drink this much, but it didn’t matter to him now. Whatever slim chance of survival he had had in the afternoo | Two Fates by Ric Rodriguez Copyright 2002 Ric Rodriguez Smashwords Edition This was the day everyone had been warning Rico about for years. Pay the piper day. Put up or shut up day. All out of luck day. He owed 44 000 -- more money than he had ever made in a single year -- and there wasn t one person who would help him. His sister had no money. His mother had stopped bailing him out last summer. His best friend Paul who Rico had known since they had gone to Jefferson High School together had given up on him years ago. Even the few loan sharks that operated in Elizabeth and Newark wouldn t help him. They all knew that Rico only borrowed money to pay off other debts. And despite what you see in the movies these men can be as discriminating as a bank. Ironically Rico had never wagered a single cent until he was in his mid twenties. His life had been like anyone else s until the day that Paul asked him to go to the track with him. It was supposed to be innocent fun and Paul himself didn t have a problem -- he worshiped money too much. A little alcohol and the chance of big earnings was all it took. By the end of that night Rico was hooked for life. There was no use calling Frankie Q for an extension. Q as he was called by those who knew him had already given him three weeks. In that time Rico had paid none of the balance. Q wasn t the kind of hoodlum to do this to. He was insecure. The kind of guy who always thought people were laughing at him. The kind of guy who turned his feelings of inadequacy into violence. Hello Rico answered his phone. I ll be by tonight Benny said. He was the bookie who had taken Rico s recent disastrous bets. You have it right Well . . . God Rico Benny said. I ve been keeping Q at bay for three weeks. I told him you d pay tonight. You re making me look bad. I know Rico said. Do you have anything Benny asked. He s got to know that you re at least trying to pay. I have about forty dollars Rico said. Is that supposed to be a joke Benny asked. .

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