This was originally handwritten in October 2014.
~K
-----
Ronen whistled, then began calling her name. "Rin! Ri-in!" Where is that girl? Ronen hissed under his breath. He loved his kid sister, but she could be a genuine pain.
"Rin! Come On! I'm doing this for you! You were the one who asked me to rehearse with you! If you can hear the sound of my voice and you aren't in my line of vision in five seconds I'm going to leave you and you can rehearse alone!"
"Shoot. Sorry guys," Rin whispered to her best friend and the two buskers. "I've gotta jet. Ronen is calling." She reached out and grabbed the piles of cash she'd just won off the tree stump that they'd turned into a makeshift poker table, gave Dixie half, then took off. "Later! Thanks for letting me play a while!"
The bucket boy looked incredulous at the concertina player across the stump. "Why? Why do we keep inviting Rin to play? She always wins and ends up with our money."
Dixie answered, "Well, which reason would you like? We usually need a fourth. Rin knows the game and doesn't cheat. I, for one, am sitting here fascinated -- trying to figure out how the hell she does it! I mean, no one wins like Rin."
The bucket boy sneered at Dixie. "Oh, shut-up you! You're just glad she's always your partner. Quit rubbing it in."
The acquiescing concertina player made an attempt to placate the drummer. "At least Ronen called for her before she completely broke us. I've still got a fiver left if anyone is up for one more go-round."
Dixie stood up. "Nah, I think this is where I bow out gracefully. I have to go tend the horses anyway." She walked away from the stump counting the money Rin had handed her. "Thanks for the game fellas! Later!"
The bucket boy waved her off. "Bye Chicken! Bawk-bawk-ba-gawk!"
"... 4... 3... 2..."
"I'm right here Ro!"
"Ah, there you are. Good. You wanted to rehearse? I got the net up and everything. Where were you anyway?"
Rin knew better than to answer that question. She knew Ronen didn't like for her to gamble, but to Rin that was like saying, "Don't play checkers!" It was never about the money - it was always about the skill it took to win the game. So when Ronen asked (as he always did) where she was, Rin answered in her usual way. "Oh, just hanging with Dixie -- showing some of the fellas how it's done."
As much as Rin tried to hide it, Ronen saw through it every time. "How much Rin? How much did you take them for?"
Knowing he knew (just like Ronen always seemed to know), Rin gave another usual answer. "I don't know Ro - I haven't counted it yet." Then she tossed him her half of the money she'd won, grinned, and ran on ahead to change into her rehearsal sweats.
Ronen shook his head, amused, and chuckled. Rin never kept the money she won. She'd always handed over every single penny whenever he'd confronted her about it. Ronen supposed that was why he couldn't get too mad at her, and neither could anyone else. Rin couldn't help it. She was just a winner. And even though he didn't agree with her manner of acquiring these ill-gotten gains, he knew it was a credit to her that she never kept any of the money she won.
More often than not, Rin's winnings went right back into the circus coffers -- to be used for paychecks, travel expenses, advertising promotions, and the like. Heaven knows how many times Rin's winnings had kept the entire circus afloat. If you were one of the carnies, losing to Rin was comparable to investing that money in your enterprises or putting it into a savings account that would either be returned to you during the next pay cycle or in the form of job security. Yes, gambling with Rin was good for business, and everyone knew it. So, while Ronen didn't necessarily "approve" and the losers usually grumbled a good bit, it was an easy vice for them all to turn a blind eye to... especially Ronen, considering he was the one that kept the books for the entire organization and knew exactly how many times Rin's winnings had kept them all in the black. Eh, it's just a game. Let her have her fun, Ronen thought as he sauntered toward the big top, counting all the bills Rin had just thrust into his hands. This might just make us to the end of this week!
~K
-----
Ronen whistled, then began calling her name. "Rin! Ri-in!" Where is that girl? Ronen hissed under his breath. He loved his kid sister, but she could be a genuine pain.
"Rin! Come On! I'm doing this for you! You were the one who asked me to rehearse with you! If you can hear the sound of my voice and you aren't in my line of vision in five seconds I'm going to leave you and you can rehearse alone!"
"Shoot. Sorry guys," Rin whispered to her best friend and the two buskers. "I've gotta jet. Ronen is calling." She reached out and grabbed the piles of cash she'd just won off the tree stump that they'd turned into a makeshift poker table, gave Dixie half, then took off. "Later! Thanks for letting me play a while!"
The bucket boy looked incredulous at the concertina player across the stump. "Why? Why do we keep inviting Rin to play? She always wins and ends up with our money."
Dixie answered, "Well, which reason would you like? We usually need a fourth. Rin knows the game and doesn't cheat. I, for one, am sitting here fascinated -- trying to figure out how the hell she does it! I mean, no one wins like Rin."
The bucket boy sneered at Dixie. "Oh, shut-up you! You're just glad she's always your partner. Quit rubbing it in."
The acquiescing concertina player made an attempt to placate the drummer. "At least Ronen called for her before she completely broke us. I've still got a fiver left if anyone is up for one more go-round."
Dixie stood up. "Nah, I think this is where I bow out gracefully. I have to go tend the horses anyway." She walked away from the stump counting the money Rin had handed her. "Thanks for the game fellas! Later!"
The bucket boy waved her off. "Bye Chicken! Bawk-bawk-ba-gawk!"
"... 4... 3... 2..."
"I'm right here Ro!"
"Ah, there you are. Good. You wanted to rehearse? I got the net up and everything. Where were you anyway?"
Rin knew better than to answer that question. She knew Ronen didn't like for her to gamble, but to Rin that was like saying, "Don't play checkers!" It was never about the money - it was always about the skill it took to win the game. So when Ronen asked (as he always did) where she was, Rin answered in her usual way. "Oh, just hanging with Dixie -- showing some of the fellas how it's done."
As much as Rin tried to hide it, Ronen saw through it every time. "How much Rin? How much did you take them for?"
Knowing he knew (just like Ronen always seemed to know), Rin gave another usual answer. "I don't know Ro - I haven't counted it yet." Then she tossed him her half of the money she'd won, grinned, and ran on ahead to change into her rehearsal sweats.
Ronen shook his head, amused, and chuckled. Rin never kept the money she won. She'd always handed over every single penny whenever he'd confronted her about it. Ronen supposed that was why he couldn't get too mad at her, and neither could anyone else. Rin couldn't help it. She was just a winner. And even though he didn't agree with her manner of acquiring these ill-gotten gains, he knew it was a credit to her that she never kept any of the money she won.
More often than not, Rin's winnings went right back into the circus coffers -- to be used for paychecks, travel expenses, advertising promotions, and the like. Heaven knows how many times Rin's winnings had kept the entire circus afloat. If you were one of the carnies, losing to Rin was comparable to investing that money in your enterprises or putting it into a savings account that would either be returned to you during the next pay cycle or in the form of job security. Yes, gambling with Rin was good for business, and everyone knew it. So, while Ronen didn't necessarily "approve" and the losers usually grumbled a good bit, it was an easy vice for them all to turn a blind eye to... especially Ronen, considering he was the one that kept the books for the entire organization and knew exactly how many times Rin's winnings had kept them all in the black. Eh, it's just a game. Let her have her fun, Ronen thought as he sauntered toward the big top, counting all the bills Rin had just thrust into his hands. This might just make us to the end of this week!
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