My last night at the booze can…

There are 3 rooms downstairs. The first one is tiny and it’s where you get served. The second was a large room just off the server room and generally that’s where most people sat or stood and drank.

The smaller room by the exit is where I sat. Back in a corner, full view of the exit. I arrived early about 10p.m. and a young man was passed out on the floor of the smaller room. You can tell quite a bit about someone you don’t know who’s passed out.

First of all he was way too well dressed to be passed out here without consequences. Wrong place wrong time wrong. I just knew he was carrying money; and probably lots of it; which is why this was the wrong place.

He was wearing a reddish brown leather jacket and designer jeans. He was also wearing high top basketball shoes.

For reasons I can’t fully articulate the thought occurred to me that he might be gay. I couldn’t really see his face as it was sandwiched between his arm and the floor.

The Jackels arrived: 5 in total.

Their leader surveyed the room glanced over me and proceeded to go through the pockets front and back which netted him loose change. He was pissed at his small haul, and unceremoniously took off the fallen man’s leather jacket. As the last arm was released from his jacket… his head raised and fell hard to the floor. THUD!

He raised up just for a second and then passed out again minus loose change and a jacket. The lead Jackel seemed satisfied with his take. It fit him perfectly. He modeled for the others who nodded their collective approval before he left for the big room.

I speculated where he was keeping his money however I couldn’t prove it just yet.

The rest of the Jackels circled the body and finally the Bold up and Comer Jackel removed the shoes. He tried them on and smiled at the fit.

And there it was… exactly where I thought it would be: at the bottom between his heel and toes in his socks. The edge of the bills was there as clear as day. But no one else saw it. I couldn’t fucking believe it! The master criminals couldn’t see what they worked so hard to expose.

I waited my chance, more out of curiosity than Greed; which took about 20 minutes. Everyone had their backs turned. I put my beer down, took 2 steps, removed the socks ,2 steps and out the door running.

I ran about 300 yards when I realized that the Jackels might be laughing about my desperation for socks which made me smile. I took the bills out from each sock and counted it.

It was hundreds.

I was right.