Rustywire's "Chasing the Dragon" .... a fable for our times?? -- Talking Circle Alternative

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Date Posted: Thu, 02/20/03 9:48am
Author: sunny
Subject: Rustywire's "Chasing the Dragon" .... a fable for our times??

The hardest part, for me, of this whole issue of War with Iraq is understanding WHERE are these people coming from??? and WHY is this crazy war so Necessary Right NOW ?????

Then, when I read J. Rustywire's new story it suddenly became a LOT clearer to me ..... all these ENRON high flyers and STOCK MRKT investors are hurtin' right now, and scared they might be LOSERS, and they've GOTTA HAVE just one more ROLL OF THE DICE ????!!!

Forget payin' the rent, or the wife waitin' home for the grocery money .... just that one lucky roll and we'll walk away Winners ???

..... sheeeeeesh, no wonder they call this an addiction :o((((

-----------------------

From: John Rustywire
Date: Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:58 am
Subject: chasing the dragon

It was standing room only, the table was full, all those gathered round standing room only, the smoke was thick in the air, heavy with sweat, cheap perfume and whiskey, bad breath and some who hadn't taken a bath in days.

Come on, baby, Hard 8! Hard 8! just a few turns of those bones, 100 on the line, 50 on the come, and 30 on Hard 8.
Come on shooter, 8, 8, don't be late. He picked those two white gems and rolled them in his fingers, the old guys sitting a little ways away watched him like a hawk. He was up, had made the point 4 times, took his 54 across and made it 3000, there were black chips, two of them and another 91 on placed on Number 8.

Oh, man let me make this number, just one time lord, let me have this day, let me roll for an hour maybe more, just a few more. he stopped and with his left hand picked up some quarter chips, dropped down 50 on the pass, and with tem times odd, dropped six more hehind. He picked up some nickels and made a call bet, Three WAY 8 on the turn! Payoff was fifteen to one, he could taste it the next roll was his.

The people were standing wide eyed dropping their chips on the table, wanting to squeeze every damn dime they could out off that table, he was gonna roll them bones all night.
A woman, all liquored up, saw his Washington Redskin cap, maroon it was and said, Cat in the Hat, roll that 8, and we can party till dawn. She was a real breezer, dress slit up the side and her every breath took the table away from the action to look at her just standing there ready to fall out. Man what a sight.

Hold them gently, those two bones, black spots, three and three staring straight up, the noise was loud, everyone was shouting, HEY MAKE THAT 8.

It was Tuesday morning, early, maybe 5, couldn't tell there were no clocks around, the air was thick with hanging white clouds, you couldn't see the walls. He forgot to call in, was supposed to have been home, Saturday had stopped off to play a little dice. Ended up standing there three days and nights, finding a dive for $22 a night, cheap steaks for 4 and a quarter. What a life, nothing stops.

Had run a little low on Saturday, dropped 400 off the bat, went to the machine three times and maxed out ont the daily limit, went to cage and found an advance for 12.50 in change, he was there four times in one day. It was really bad those bones, they weren't rolling the way they should. Got to stay in the game it will come, my roll will come.

Down, a little, maybe 1800. The rent can wait, the little lady better not shop for food this weekend, she should know I might need a little to get me by. don'e look at the atm receipts, stuffed them all in the back pocket and it was full.

He had stepped up to the table and started with 40 and had thrown seven three times in a row, hit a Hard 6, then a five, and look at how the chips were all coming his way, gotta get even, gotta get even, go home a winner, man it would be nice to go home a winnner. I am not a loser.

The dice rolled his way, the chips stacked up, this is why I came, to put it all out there, can't make any money if you don't risk it. The dealers eyes were narrow slits, easy smiles, drop one on the line for the boys. He said fifteen across, and they took it down when it hit, no they didn't let it stay out there. Come on Cat in the Hat, put something on the line for the boys, they chanted.

He was up there, and the chips were flowing in, I am a winner, this is the roll I have been waiting for, come eight, don't be late, four by four, let me see it. He shook the dice with one hand, the blonde said let me blow on it for you and she brushed against him, he forgot about the game for second, his libido went into high gear, but then the thought of all that green at the end of the table brought him home. He let them roll gently off his hand, just hard enough they bounced off the wall. Hate a soft shooter, hate that soft seven. Oh, man what are you thinking. The dice rolled on down banking off the wall, everyone cheered, there it was four by four, hard 8, the dice started to settle. Oh, man let me see the next roll, I can double my money, 3200 on the table, it can be 6400 the next roll, Two more rolls and man 10K, what a way to go home. The dice finally settled, a drunk tripped and hit the table. just a little but it was enough, the four turned to
three and it rolled out a seven. SEVEN. A cry went up and they all turned away. A few started to swear, I knew he was loser. damn him. What the hell, and more they said. The dealers were fast, the wiped the table clean, grabbing up those chips all piled up, no 8, just seven. he stood there with 35.00 and change. Oh, man, it's gone. The thought of owing rent, making excuses to the man he hated to pay, oh,
man I forgot to call in yesterday, it's three hours to 8, I won't be in today. too far to drive, need to sleep. Oh, man, there's enough canned food to cover us till next payday. how about gas to get home. The crowd was gone and he stepped back, new faces gathered around and shouted at the next shooter. come on seven eleven. Dealer yelling, after seven comes eleven.

Oh, what have I done. I could've cashed in and walked away. Just once I wanted to win, to be the hero, come home a winner. What is wrong with me, nothing. It just goes that way, next time you will get them. Wait, I don't owe anything on the car, maybe I could pawn the title, for cool thou and make it back and take care of it tomorrow. Yeah wait, just a day and go home a winner. He smiled wanely and walked out into the early light of dawn, wanting to hide from the day looking for night, a place to crash. When I wake up, I'll call in, yeah I just need one good roll, just one more time and that's it.

Tell me, placing four and ten pays off two to one, but then there are six ways to roll a seven, gambling it is chasing the dragon and when you start out it seems just a little step on the wild side, but then you lose more than your innocence, because in the end no gives a damn about you just your money. The dragon takes more than what you thought you had, more than just a life. The name for it is called Attakai, the Gambler and the story of it goes way back, it leaves you in rags, and some of those dragons live in the high valleys, lowlands and on Indian land.

An indian woman walks into the store, got to get some milk and bread, forgot to buy the charmin, maybe really whatever is on sale. The store clerk tells her at the checkstand, there is a problem, you can't pay the 8 and a quarter. Maybe you should try the ATM at the bank. So she walks out knowing in her heart where he has been, he hasn't called home, what about his job, he's gonna lose it. Oh, today's the day, my youngest was born today, oh it's a sick feeling
to know the reason why there's no 8 and quarter. He was a good man, no drinks, no women, but trying to get something for nothing is what he is looking for. chasng the dragon.

rustywire@y...

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