Chapter 11
The Joker Card
What the? A joker card?
Annabelle never explained that this card was in the deck. Did she do it on purpose, hoping that she would draw it?
"Annabelle, I just pulled a Joker card. What does this mean?" Mei says in a sassy tone as she holds the card up in her right hand.
"Ah, the joker card, huh? Let's just say you can do whatever you want with it."
"Whatever I want?"
"So you are saying if I played this card Right now, I could win?"
"No."
What the hell does she mean no?! She just said I could do anything I wanted with the card.
"The card does give you insane leverage, but there are conditions on the card like, for instance, you can't win immediately…"
"And you can't get rid of every card in your hand except one. Those are the only rules the Joker card has."
So I can't use the card to win, and I can't use it to make it, so I only have one card left.
"Okay, I think I know what I will do with it now."
"Okay, Kyo, you can go now. It's your turn."
"Right." Kyo says."
Man fuck, why does she get such a good card, and I get these crappy ass cards? There's nothing I can do about it now.
"Oh yeah, so Mei just keeps the joker card?"
"Yes that's correct." Says Annabelle.
"Then do we just flip another card over?"
"Yep." says Annabelle."
"Okay, guess I will do it," Kyo adds.
Kyo goes to flip a new card over to get the next number.
"The new number is 28," Kyo says as he puts the card on the table.
Okay, now the card I will play is… ah fuck I'm fucked, aren't I? The number is just too high for me.
Whatever, I will play this and hope nobody calls a lie.
"The number I play is 41."
Please, no one say I'm lying, pleaseee.
Kyo puts his hands together under the table and performs a prayer.
"Okay, my turn, is it?" Son says.
"I play number 67."
Huh, is no one going to call out the fact that I lied? Kyo thinks.
Ah, fuck is it that no one sees me as a threat anymore? Meaning that they don't think I can win no matter what… Kyo bites his bottom lip in defeat.
It seems the boy has finally realized he can no longer win this game. Annabelle thinks.
"Okay, it's my turn, right? First, we should flip a new card indicating another round has started."
"The new number is 56."
"In that case, I play the number 57," Annabelle says.
What another number that's only one-off? Should I call lie?
I know Kyo thinks he should call lie right now, but he shouldn't, especially since he has so many cards right now.
Hmm, dammit, as much as I want to call lie right now, I won't
"Okay, Mei, it's your turn," Annabelle says.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter what card I play because I have the Joker card, to which I pretty much set any conditions.
But for now, I will keep playing and wait for the best opportunity to use this.
"I play the number 60."
"Lie." Says Annabelle.
"Tcccch." Mei makes a noise with her lips.
Mei grabs the small pile of cards from the center table.
I wonder what question I should ask her. It should be something family-related so we can get some info about her, especially since she is so mysterious.
Oh, I got it. Annabelle thinks.
"Okay dear, my question to you is…"
"Are your parents dead?"
"Sorry if the question is too much, but I just thought I should try asking," Annabelle says calmly.
"It's fine," Mei responds.
"And to answer your question…"
"Yes…"
"Both my parents are dead."
Woah, did she really just say something about herself? Kyo thinks.
The room is quiet.
"Okay, Kyo, it's your turn now."
"Uh,h right."
Are we really just going to skip over what we just heard? I mean, Mei just dropped a bomb, and no one really seems to be paying attention…
I know you probably are questioning what I said, Kyo, but that is the truth. So now we just have to move on and finish this game.
Right, I have to flip over a new card. Kyo thinks.
Kyo's hand reaches to flip over the new card.
"Okay, the new number is 63."
Alright, let's see what I have here… Ah, I'll play this number.
"Okay, the number I play is 71."
And no one here will call it a lie because they think I can't win anymore.
"Okay, I play number 76."
"Okay, mom, it's your turn."
"Right, let's see what the new card is…"
"The new number is 17."
"Okay, the number I play is 24."
It seems I am getting close to winning this game; I have only one card left. Of course, I should remember the joker card that Mei pulled.
"Okay, Mei, it is your turn."
"Okay I will play…"
"My joker card."
I have been planning on how to use this card for a while now, and I finally know how I want to use it.
Oooh, she is finally using the Joker card. How will she use it?
Now, let's see how you make use of that card, Mei.
"Okay, firstly, I am going to put two conditions on the card…"
"The first one is that I will be swapping hands with you, Annabelle, and second…"
"I want to hear your life story or at least some of it."
My life story, huh? Honestly, it makes sense that someone like her would want to listen to my life story, if not just a little bit of it.
What! Did she use her Joker card for that? I understand the first condition, but the second? Why would you want to hear Annabelle's story?
Ah, I just don't get it.
This girl really just used the Joker card like that. This might be the first time a Joker card has been used like that in this game.
"Okay, so your first condition is to swap hands, correct?"
"Yes, that is my first condition."
"Very well. Let's swap."
Mei and Annabelle swap hands.
"And your second condition is my life story?"
"Yes, if possible, I would like the story at the end of the game before we do the punishment."
"Yes, I can do that."
"Okay, let's continue then, Kyo. It's your turn."
"Ah, okay."
Dam, that was crazy. Kyo thinks as he tries to digest what just happened.
Okay, the number is still 24, so I should play…
"Okay, I play the number 26."
"My turn." Says the son.
"The number I play is 70."
"Okay, time to reset the card again."
Annabelle reaches over to get the new card.
"The new card number is 65."
"That being said, I will play the card number 67."
Well, since I know what Mei has, it's safe to assume she has won.
"Okay, Mei, it's your turn," Annabelle says.
"Right," Mei says.
I have won. Finally, this game is over, and we can take the 1,500,000 yen home with us.
"Okay, the card I play is the number 68."
As Mei puts down the card, the room is silent; you can hear the rats running around outside and the people arguing over what's there from the other shops.
You can even hear that rain is slowly starting to come down.
"What!" Kyo is the first to break the silence.
"Yes, Mei, awesome job!"
"Does this mean that we can win the money now?" Kyo asks.
I don't know how Mei did it, but she did it; I'm so happy we are now able to walk away with 1,500,00 yen.
"Congratulations, Mei, for winning the game. This does, of course, mean that you don't have to partake in the punishment."
"Now that I won, I want to hear your story before we leave."
The rain starts to come down even harder.
Kyo glances over at Annabelle's son and realizes that this guy does not look right. He looks like a ghost right now.
What's wrong with him? Why does he look so pale?
"Hey, son of Annabelle, what's wrong with you?"
Mei and Annabelle turn their attention toward Kyo and Annabelle's son.
Kyo waits patiently for a response, but he doesn't get one.
"Hey, did a cat bite your tongue or something? Start talking."
"Hey, Mom, can we talk in private, please?" the son says as he stutters.
"Hm? Sure, but what could be bothering you? Son."
"Come on, Mom, let's go, " the son says as he gets up and walks outside the booth.
"Excuse us for a moment; my son and I seem to have something to discuss."
"Sure," says Kyo.
Annabelle gets up from her chair and heads outside the booth.
"Hey Kyo." Mei whispers to Kyo."
"Hmm what's up?" Kyo whispers back.
"Isn't it weird that they are heading outside to discuss something in the pouring rain?"
"Weird. Well, now that I think about it, you're right."
She's right it is weird that they are going outside to discuss something in the pouring rain. Could it be that they are worried about something?
"It seems you are already thinking about it Kyo, but yeah, something is definitely off."
"Could it be that this was their first time losing?" Kyo asks.
"It's possible, but I doubt that can be the reason," Mei adds.
"I have an idea; I wonder if it's about money; what if the son doesn't want to pay, or what if the 1,500,000 yen is the last of their money, and they gambled all of it away?"
"Oh, that's not bad," Kyo says.
Although I wonder if that is what's really bothering them—or should I say the Son—so much. Maybe it goes much deeper than we expect.
"What! Did you want to talk about so badly? and make it snappy because it is pouring rain right now?"
"Mom, do you seriously have no idea what I'm talking about?" The Son says in disbelief.
"Well, let me break it down for you: One, we just lost all of our money! And two, you were supposed to get the joker card, not Mei."
"Like, what were you thinking!" Son says as he is starting to get angry.
"Look, it's not like we can do much about it now, so let's just move on okay," Annabelle says.
"Oh, and wait one more thing, the punishment could kill you, Mom. OH! And one more thing, you must tell the girl your life story."
"I say we just make a break for it right now while we still can, yeah?" The son says.
"No, we won't do them like that."
"We lost fair and square, so stop pouting, and let's head back inside."
"Tccch." The son makes a noise.
"Okay we are back!" Annabelle says.
"Hmm? What's wrong with you two? It looks like you guys are the ones that just saw a ghost."
Little does Annabelle know that Mei and Kyo just listened to their whole conversation.
Annabelle and the son head back to their seats, wet from head to toe.
"Okay, now who's ready to hear my short version of my life's story," Annabelle says.
Chapter 11 End