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What would you do if a complete stranger offered you a bet so good you would be a fool to pass on it? What if that bet seemed too good to be true? What if you couldn’t say no to this stranger? The main character in this story makes a bet he will never forget.
By Lucky Lost
Andy: I mean look at how Germany lost to Mexico. It’s humiliating. The only time Germany lost to Mexico was in that stupid friendly match. Now Mexico can say, ‘remember that time we kicked your ass in the world cup?’ All those good players Germany has and, what for?
Andy takes a drink from his beer after the long speech that made his throat dry.
Andy: If you ask me about Spain, I am going to start crying now. Why would you play against your strategy and give your opponent the chance they don’t deserve? Wasted!
He takes another gulp and looks at Ben.
Andy: Sorry man, I get carried away with this. I love criticizing them you know, it makes me love them even more and thanks for having me over! That was real sh*t at the bar, you saved my a**.
Ben waves his hand as if saying that it is all good, and raises his beer.
Andy: You see, France, Germany, and Spain are my favorites. Except for France, I got to say I am pretty disappointed with them this season. What are your favorite teams by the way?
Ben gives it some thought.
Ben: France… Belgium, and Brazil.
Andy raises his beer, “Cheers to Mbappe!” Ben repeats it.
Andy: Brazil and Belgium are so much better than Spain, Germany, Argentina and Portugal if you ask me. But if you look at Brazil, all those star players were eager to show off. Belgium was good, there’s no doubt about it, until they came across France.
Ben: Couldn’t agree more, brother, cannot wait for Croatia getting its a** kicked by France. But if they win the game, it would be like Tyrion Lannister’s quote, ‘Won’t that make for a great song?’
Andy: I don’t think so, I am sure the match will go down as the Mountain versus Viper fight, France being the Mountain.
Ben nods his head as if he agrees.
Andy rises from the couch and places the empty beer bottle on the table. “Loved the game man. Now I got to take off, have a plane to catch tomorrow.”
Ben: I knew you weren’t from around. Why did you come to this small town?
Ben rises from his seat.
Andy: I came to visit my brother who was hospitalized last week.
Ben: Oh sorry, man, is everything alright?
Andy: Yeah, it is just a severe case of diarrhea.
Ben: Wow, how bad was it?
Andy: Bad enough to be hospitalized for a week.
Ben: You never know, man, you never know.
Andy: Well, it is what it is. I’ll see you, man, thanks for saving me from that fight and inviting me to your house. I really appreciate it.
Ben: That’s alright, man. Take it easy. Where is your brother’s house, if you don’t mind me asking? Is it too far?
Andy: It is a little bit far from here, but I am staying in the Holiday Inn nearby.
Ben: That’s odd. Why would you do that?
Andy: Last time when I was here, I stayed at their place. Just like today I went to a bar. Across the river. Unlike today, I had a good time then. I drank a lot and I went home.
Ben: That’s bad… because?
Andy: Well, I threw up.
Ben: Oh yeah, that must be awkward for you.
Andy: I threw up in their kitchen.
Ben: What? Why would you do that?!!
Andy: I ask myself the same question every time I think of it.
Ben: That’s wild!
Andy: (looks at him embarrassed) Thanks, I guess. I’ll get outta here before I embarrass myself any more.
Ben: That’s alright, man, take it easy. I can drop you off, if you want.
Andy: I am alright, don’t worry, but that’s a nice GT you got down there. What a beast!
Ben: You can have it if you want.
Andy: (laughs)
Ben: I am serious. All you have to do is play a game with me.
Andy: You are kidding, right? (Still standing)
Ben: No, I am not. I do this all the time. It is a simple coin toss game!
Andy: A what?
Ben: Yes, the old coin toss gambling. Do you want to try?
Both men stare at each other standing. Andy, with his hands in his pockets, frowning at Ben who is standing with his hands folded and a blank stare.
Andy: Why a coin? Why not poker, or blackjack?
Ben: Those take too long, I want my prizes quick.
Andy: Man, enough of this bullsh*t. I thank you for inviting me over and again thank you for saving me at the bar, but I have to go.
Ben: Is this how you thank me, dude? By insulting me? I am offering you my car! I’ll offer you my phone, all the money I’ve earned my whole life. All you got to do is flip the coin.
Andy: I get to flip the coin?
Ben: Of course, if that’s what you want! We flip the coin four times, not less not more.
GAME
Andy: Do we really have to sit down for this? Can’t I just stand and flip it four times?
Ben: No, come on, man. What are we, horses? Let’s enjoy it like a game. You have to take it seriously.
Andy raises his eyebrows, showing fake excitement, and tosses the coin. The TV is off and you can hear the clock ticking if you concentrate hard enough.
Andy: Tails!!!
The quarter rises to a good height and falls on the table. A tree with rocks at its bottom is the picture facing the ceiling. Tails it is.
A smile grows on Andy’s face. There is no change in Ben’s face, as if he didn’t care if he wins or loses. Just a focused look at the coin lying on the table.
As Andy takes a deep breath and starts to speak, Ben takes out his Shelby GT 500 key and puts it on the table.
Andy: Are you serious? Do you really mean that?
Andy thinks. (He couldn’t really mean that, he will say he was messing around after this is over, what a waste of time!!!)
Ben: Shall we?
Andy nods and shouts “tails”. He tosses the coin again, which rises a little lower than the last time and falls on the table with the same picture of a tree on top.
Andy: So, if I ask you to send me all the money you ever earned at this moment, will you send it right away?
Ben: (takes out his phone) Yes, give me your phone number and whatever I got will be yours.
Andy: Wait! No, you are crazy, I don’t need that. This game makes no sense. Take that key off the table. Let’s stop this sh*t here!
Ben: I’ll be offended if you don’t take anything. I’ll be mad, and I am not a pleasant guy if I am mad.
“You already gone mad, you big freaky animal,” Andy thought.
Andy: Alright, I’ll have your phone.
Ben takes his phone out and gives it to Andy as it is.
(He is not even unlocking it, I know this is all bullsh*t. I should get out of here ASAP.)
Andy: Alright, let’s get this done with. I’ll go with tails again.
Andy tosses the coin, which raises a little higher than the first toss and falls on the table showing George Washington’s face.
Andy: Alright now you won, I am giving back your car and phone.
Ben: I don’t want them.
Andy: Then what? You want my wallet?
Ben grabs Andy by the back of his neck and pushes Andy’s head from the back towards the table.
There’s a loud bang on the table, after which Andy is unsure of what is going on around him for a few seconds.
He can sense the pain on the back of his neck and on his nose. He cups his nose with both hands and he can see his own blood flowing through his hands. He stands up shouting in pain.
Andy: You motherf*cker! What the hell is the matter with you? You crazy son of a b*tch! You broke my nose!
Ben: That’s what I want.
There was no change in the expression or tone. But Andy felt Ben’s voice growing deep unlike before. Maybe he was just assuming the depth or maybe he is turning into a monster. Andy is not sure and he couldn’t care less because of the pain. But no matter how angry he is, he can’t hit Ben back, maybe because he has never been a fighter. He could never fight. Not in front of the whole bunch of strangers when a drunk guy starts talking sh*t. Not with a stranger whom he thought was saving him from the fight and invited him like gentleman but turned out to be a complete psychopath. He needs to get out of there. He wants to be in bed, at the hotel he checked into. He wants to be on the plane that will take him home. He wants to be with his wife who thinks he is still the sweetest guy, even if he talks a lot. He wants to be anywhere but in that house. He starts walking towards the door without saying a word and holding his nose.
Ben: You will not leave this place without finishing the game, Andy! Do not try to reach for the door or that would be the last thing you will remember.
Andy stops and turns back. He looks at Ben, who hasn’t moved or turned back. It looks like he is staring at the wall straight ahead of him.
Andy walks slowly to the spot where he sat before. He looks at Ben while walking. He has a very pleasant look on his face and nods his head a little bit to the right and signals Andy to sit.
He pushes the quarter towards Andy and signals him to toss it.
Andy is not sure why he is doing what Ben says, he just knows that in order to have that Vanilla Chai from Dunkin Donuts made by Melissa the barista in his home town he needs to toss the coin and get the hell out of there.
Ben: Heads!
Andy wishes that it would be tails. He wouldn’t ask for anything. He would beg that this cold blooded man would not stalk and strangle him on the hotel bed.
As the coin flies up, it would seem like it stays in the air a little longer than usual. The coin drops on the table, with George Washington’s face on top. Andy is not sure why he is not shocked to see it. Andy understands that Ben wants to hurt him. He hurt him bad for the third toss. Now Ben won the final toss, which means he might hurt him a little bit more. He is ready to take that final blow, which he hopes will be on the cheek, so that he can leave this place.
Ben: So, if I ask you to give me your life, would you give it to me right away?
There is horror in Andy’s eyes. But deep in his thoughts he was expecting those words to come from Ben. With his eyes wide open he stares at Ben, who did not flinch at any point. He stopped covering his nose as the blood stopped coming out. But he doesn’t care much about the blood. He is concerned about what Ben said to him.
Ben starts to laugh hysterically, which helps Andy to relax and try to think that this is going to end in big laughs and fun making, and he would be completely okay with it. He doesn’t want to complain about what happened to him. He doesn’t want to talk about this worst day to anyone. He just wants this to be over.
Ben: Man! You should look at your face. You look worse than Patrick.
Andy looks puzzled.
Ben: Patrick and I played this game yesterday. He is good at it. He won all four tosses, and he didn’t want to stop and he tried to strip me off completely. Which he almost did, to be honest. But the second game didn’t work in his favor. Wait, let me get you a wet towel so that you can wipe that blood off your mouth, you look like the ghost in Insidious.
Andy is okay with that insult, he can take more. He is angry not with Ben but with himself. He is angry that he is a coward, more than he ever thought he could be.
Ben’s phone rings, Andy looks at the phone, and sees the name Samantha on it. Ben doesn’t turn back and tells Andy not to worry about it and continues to wet the piece of cloth in the water at the kitchen sink.
A message pops up on the same phone. Andy leans a little bit and tries to read what it says.
A message from Samantha, “Hey Ben, Patrick’s not been home since yesterday, he might’ve lost his phone. Please tell him to call me if he is at your place.”
Andy cannot hear the water from the kitchen anymore. He wants the water to start again. He can hear the ticking of the clock. He does not want to lift his head up from the phone. He thinks Ben is standing in front of him watching. He wishes to be wrong. He slowly lifts his head up. He starts to see Ben’s shoes, then his pants, his belt buckle and there it is, the last face he is going to see.
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