Too Late

In a pitch black bar, there are poker and drinks available.  People of many different backgrounds from all around the city reside there.  It reeks of alcohol.  It is close to midnight.  Larry is deep in thought about making money.  If only I had an abundance of money, I would have everything I want and would be the happiest person on earth, thought Larry.  He is wearing an oversized fur coat, decorated with ornate designs.  Meanwhile, a woman named Maria is relaxing and texting on her smartphone.  A bright yellow purse is over her arm, while she wears a light blue shirt over black.  But malicious thoughts are being thought in the dark corner of the room.  An old, wrinkled, hunched over card player with no name thinks to herself, If I get that man to sell me that woman’s purse and its contents, I would earn more than from my whole career of playing poker.  So the mysterious card player invites Larry for a game.  

“Psst.  Young man, come here and play a game with me.  You might learn something” she whispers a bit menacingly.  The poker player, with her sunken face and eyes covered with dark glasses, extends her long, wrinkly, bony fingers encrusted with a large number of rings, and beckons him to the table.  She stinks of rotten fish.  Larry jumps in surprise, being wrenched from his thoughts, and slowly lumbers over and sits down.  He gulps.  Larry and the mysterious card player play a game of poker, which the mysterious unnamed card player wins effortlessly.  

“I’m sorry, but I have no money to give you, even though you won” mumbles

Larry, looking at his toes.  “I wish I did have extra money” he adds, sniffing.  Larry’s shoulders are hunched, and he puts his hand out to shake the poker player’s hand.  All of a sudden, the poker player grabs him with an iron fist and pulls him close.  

“Listen here, young man.  If that is what you really desire, then we can easily come to a good bargain.  So, this is what you will do, and you WILL do it: go trick the woman over there with the fancy purse into leaving her purse with you while she goes somewhere.  Then, take the purse and sell it to me.  Do we have a deal?”  The player’s hot, musty breath is all over Larry’s face.  He tries not to breathe.  His hand, which the poker player is still clutching tightly, feels like it is about to fall off.  Larry is in pain like he is getting bitten by a poisonous snake.  

“How much would I earn, exactly?” he gasps.  His palms are getting sweaty, and his face is red.  Larry feels his forehead pulsing.  

“You will not be disappointed” blurts out the mysterious poker player.  “GO, AND DO NOT FAIL ME!” yells the poker player, spittle flying out of her mouth and landing all over Larry.  She pushes Larry on the floor with all her might, leaving him gasping for breath.  

He turns pale and his breath quickens.  Larry’s head throbs.  His head down, Larry looks back at the mysterious card player.  She is playing another game of poker, and doesn’t pay attention to him.  He wipes some sweat off his brow, and gets back into a healthy posture.  Larry saunters toward Maria.  Hmm, I gotta play the role to enchant her, thinks Larry.  When he is about a foot away, he plops down at the table Maria is sitting at.   

    “Hey girl, come over here,” he says in a deep voice.  

“Excuse me?” Maria looks up, her head cocked.  

“You must be infatuated with your blond hair,” says Larry.  

“Why is that?” Maria asks, arms and legs crossed with one eyebrow raised.  

     “Because you picked your purse to be a perfect color match - good taste,” explains Larry.  

Maria says, “Oh, thanks!  Yellow is indeed my favorite color.”   

“Well, too bad I don’t like it,” says Larry lazily.  “Hey waiter, whisky for the lady, and two for me!  Stirred, not shaken.”   

“Ha, someone here likes James Bond, huh?” said Maria.  The waiter brought three diminutive glasses on a silver platter.  

“Cheers!” says Larry.

“Cheers!” responds Maria, smiling.   Larry continues his teasing conversation with Maria for another twenty minutes, ordering another couple of drinks for her along the way.   The more she drinks, the more she feels butterflies in her stomach - wow, what a funny and confident guy! she thinks.   

“Umm, you know what, I got to go to the bathroom,” says Maria.  “Let’s keep talking when I get back.”   

“You got it,” replies Larry, “I’ll go for a dance in the meanwhile, I think that girl in the red standing in the corner is bored.”  

“Umm… actually… actually… oh, yeah!  I was actually going to ask you to wait for me here and keep an eye on my purse, because it’s too bulky to carry with me into the bathroom.”

“Ah, well,” says Larry, “I hate waiting, but okay, I’ll do it just this once.”  Maria, smiling and giddy, pecks Larry on the cheek and dashes to the bathroom.  

Meanwhile, Larry’s smile disappears.  How can I betray that charming women? he thinks to himself.  I am in love with her.  He rips out his hair, jumping up and down.  But the money, the happiness.  “Mmmmm.  How can I ever decide?!” he blurts out, his head down.  Eventually, after many long minutes of mulling it over, pacing back and forth, Larry’s spine straightens.  I can be happy with her too, he thinks.  Maria comes out of the bathroom and heads toward Larry, smiling.  

“Can I dance with you?” she asks, tussling his hair.  Larry trudges over, frowning.  “I have something to tell you” he says dolefully.  

“What is it?  Is something wrong?” Maria asks, her brows creased.  

“Um, I, ah-huh” Larry sighs.  “I did a very bad thing, and I hope you will forgive me.  I made a deal with someone to, um- I made a deal for me to enchant you and then steal your purse” Larry blurts out quickly.  At first, there is a long silence.  “I-” Larry begins.  

“How could you!  I thought you were my friend!” yells Maria, her eyes welling with tears.  Maria’s face is flushed with blood.  Her eyes pop, and her heart goes into her throat.  “You betrayed me!” she screams.  Maria slaps Larry with all her might, and bolts out of the bar, crying.  

Larry is crestfallen.  He cries, and puts his face in his hands.  Sobbing, he hates himself for admitting his secret to her.  I could have pretended the deal didn’t exist, and everything would have been fine Larry thinks.  Now I won’t even get any money.  Eventually, Larry stops crying.  His gaze drifts to the table, where Maria’s yellow purse still lies.  In her hurry, she had left her purse.  With a deep sigh, Larry takes the purse and drags it over to the mysterious poker player, sniffing and his head down.  His shoulders are hunched.  “Here is the purse.” Larry says, weakly dropping the bright yellow purse into the poker player’s lap.  She looks up with a crooked smile.  

“Oh good.  I knew you would bring it eventually.  Now here is your reward” she rasps, throwing a large bag full of hundred dollar bills to Larry.  Larry takes the bag and retreats to the corner to think.  I am now richer than in my wildest dreams, but why am I still so unhappy and melancholy? Larry thought.  He knew the answer.  Suddenly, it dawned on him.  The only person who really profited today.., is that despicable poker player.  I’ve been tricked! thought Larry.  He clenches his fists, and stomps back toward the poker player.  

“I want the purse back” he snarls.  “I will give you back the money.  Then I will go and give the purse back to Maria.  I will spend the rest of my life searching for her if necessary!” says Larry forcefully.  

“Oh, but it is too late!” laughs the poker player evilly, standing up and shaking her hands in front of her.  “The transaction is done.  Mwahahahahahaha!”