Читать книгу Escape To Anywhere Else - Robert Rippberger - Страница 14

chapter six

“B, seven. B, seven,” the priest announced as everyone searched the game boards for the number.

It was marked, and all eyes returned forward in anticipation of the next bingo ball. The priest huddled over the lottery wheel with microphone in hand as a subsequent marble rolled out and was called to the dismay of Mrs. Tyler and the clan of hags. Beside me, Mom’s hand flew over the numbers on all six of her cards, blotching out spaces sporadically. Dad and her were always racing, so when she finished, she would slap her dauber on the table, cock her head to the side without even looking at him directly, and squawk, “Done.” Dad would then tell her to shut it, claiming he hadn’t been racing in the first place.

I eyed them squabbling like four-year-olds and then gazed at my bingo card and marked the number called. I was doing poorly, but Louie was doing much worse. Not a single one of his numbers was inked. He leaned back in his chair as his eyes roamed the walls.

“What?” he muttered a short while later, only then realizing I was staring.

Another number was called. I inked it and then glanced to Louie’s card. His mind was still astray, so I marked the space for him. The two of us were sitting shoulder to shoulder, but there was ten feet of dead air between us. His face was pallid, starch white. I stood to get him a glass of water, wondering the whole time what was going through his head. What was bothering him? Before I got to my feet, Mom had my bingo card and was browsing over it for numbers I might have missed. I returned to my seat with the cup and placed it in front of Louie. He half-smiled.

“We’ll talk later.”

And that was all I needed to hear.

Seconds later I was rattled out of my seat.

“Bingo! Bingo!” Mom shrieked, flailing her arms and jumping up and down. “I won! Bingo. I won!” she cried.

Dad threw his cards to the floor, cursing. She had won with my game board. But of course, when I pointed it out later, she adamantly denied it.