The Mare
A Tale
A gamblin’ man puts his life on chance. It’s fateful to believe that chance is goin’ to save a man. There are two kinds of gamblin’ men, the one’s that think they got it all figured out, and the others that think they have nothin’ to lose. The first ones look up at the sky when all comes crashin’ down, and the others never knew there was a sky in the first place.
Lloyd had a good family, a wife, and a baby. They lived in a sturdy house, all paid for by workin’ his land. Until, that is, the rain stopped.
It wasn’t long before the bank came knockin’. They threatened to take his home. Winter was comin’. To take a man’s home and put a family out in the cold…well, let’s say there are special kinds of monsters imagined for those kinds of people.
Stress gets to a man, especially one staring at winter with no home. It’s enough to make men jump in a river while knowin’ they can’t swim.
One day, while Llyod was out beggin’ for work, a man came up. He looked like a regular person, shirt not too pressed and pants not too straight, like he had been travelin’. His black hair matched his black horned-rimmed glasses and his voice was neutral. It was hard tellin’ what county he was from. He definitely wasn’t a workin’ man like Llyod.
When they shook hands, Llyod couldn’t help but notice the man’s watch. It was black like his hair, and it shined in an odd way, not like gold or silver, the shine had a life of its own.
The man smiled. “You look like you need some help.”
Llyod didn’t say a word. He wasn’t too proud. He was just exhausted. The man handed him a ticket. It had the name of his baby on it.
“What’s this?”
“That’s the horse’s name. Go to the track and put your money on the mare, and all that sitting on your brow will go right away.”
Llyod gazed at the ticket.
“Remember, put everything you got on the mare.” The man walked away.
Llyod tossed and turned all night. He kept seein’ a black horse in his dreams. Its gallop shook the ground. Llyod sat up sucking air like he was drownin’. He looked at his wife and baby and stood in front the window. He saw the frost comin’. It was movin’ fast. Cold fog rolled out of his mouth. When he turned to his family, they were frozen in bed, a deathly blue. He woke up, got dressed, and went to the track.
It was still dark out. He stood until the gates opened. There were a few other gamblin’ men standing around. They all looked like skeletons waitin’ to escape hades.
Eight horses trotted out. Four roan colts, three bay stallions, and a solid black mare. Their muscles ripped and rolled.
Llyod went to place his bet. He handed the bookie the ticket. The bookie paused and lifted his head. Llyod pushed everything he had across the counter. He picked up the stub and waited for the race to begin.
The black mare lost.