Karma

The clink of glasses as the bartender washed his dishes and the droning of the juke box latest country song, filled the room of the almost deserted bar.

Two women sit on either end of the bar counter, each lost in their private thoughts. Elaine, the tall brunette, and Emily the feisty blonde lit up a cigarette almost simultaneously and their eyes met as they blew out their matches.

Each nodded acknowledgment that another person shared the same space and Emily picked up her glass and walked down to where Elaine sat.

“Mind if I sit here?” Emily asked.

“No, no, I don’t mind,” Elaine answered.

“If business doesn’t pick up this establishment will be closing,” Emily said.

“I know, I was thinking the same. Guess the weather has kept most folks at home tonight. I thought because it was Halloween, everyone would be out.” Elaine replied.

As if the weather wanted to emphasize Elaine’s suggestion, a loud clap of thunder caused the glasses on the shelf to vibrate.

Elaine jumped at the sound.

“You seem awful nervous tonight?” Emily stated.

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Elaine answered.

“Want to talk about it?” Emily prodded.

“Not really,” Elaine said.

“O.K., then let’s have another round and play a game of pool. You up for that?” Emily asked.

Elaine nodded and got up from the stool and walked over to the nearby pool table. She picked up a cue and gave it a good look and then said,

“Rack ‘um up.”

Emily obliged and then selected her own pool cue. She watched as Elaine glided the cue expertly into the crowd of pool balls.

“I can see you’ve done this before,” Emily said.

“A time or two,” Elaine replied as she continued the game.

As time passed the two women continued to share the pool table and their drinks. Two hours had passed since they first met, although neither had yet told the other, her name. Elaine had been downing doubles for a long time and Emily was sure she was going to pass out if she didn’t stop for a while. Emily said,

“Hey, let’s take a break and get some fresh air.”

“How do you suggest we do that since it’s pouring down rain out?”

“We can stand under the stoop and smoke a cigarette,” Emily suggested.

“O.K.,” Elaine agreed.

As Emily opened the door, she made note that the rain wasn’t blowing under the stoop and so she picked a spot and welcomed her newfound friend to join her.

They each lit up their smokes and Emily said,

“I believe your spirits have improved since the beginning of our evening.”

To which Elaine responded,

“Yes, they have, thanks.”

“You looked as though you had lost your last friend at the beginning of the evening,” Emily said.

“I feel like I have,” Elaine said.

“Again, I’ll ask, do you want to talk about it?” Emily said.

“Not much to tell really, I was engaged to a man for the past year who I love dearly. Today I was told he’s hired a hitman to assassinate me.”

“Assassinate you? Whatever for?” Emily asked.

“He’s found someone else, and I guess he thought it would be easier to get rid of me than to just break up,” Elaine said as her voice cracked.

“What does he do that you know about, that would cause him such concern he would have you killed?” Emily asked.

“He’s an arms dealer. But I thought he was a legitimate arms dealer. After this was exposed now, I’m thinking he’s not, and he’s afraid I will tell.”

“Well yes, that’d be my first guess.” Emily laughed.

Before Elaine could respond, Emily asked,

“Who’s the other woman?”

“I don’t know. Someone he’s met on his many trips out of town I guess.” Elaine said.

“What do you say, let’s get our belonging, and let me see you get home safe,” Emily said.

“Thanks, I am a little drunk,” Elaine responded.

Emily went inside, paid their tab, and gathered up their things. She helped Elaine put on her coat and then she hailed a cab for them. When the cab pulled up, she asked Elaine for her address. As they pulled away from the bar the town clock struck midnight.

Emily thought to herself, you never know what kind of hand fates going to deal you. Just when you think you’ve seen it all she shows you, you never can outdo her wit and scheme.

When the cab pulled up in front of Elaine’s apartment, Emily asks the driver to wait for her. She wanted to see Elaine up to her flat and then she would be right back down.

The cab driver agreed, and the two women disappeared into the apartment complex. The rain was still pelting down, and the streetlights were dim through the mist and haze. The trick and treaters had long since given up and declared the weather the victor in tonight’s game.

Fifteen minutes passed and Emily appeared from the apartment building and climbed back in the cab. She gave the driver an address in uptown, to a very rich part of town. The driver thought to himself, ‘I’d never figured her for one of those rich folks.’

The cab pulled up in front of a beautiful mansion and Emily got out and paid the fare for the evening. Then she disappeared inside the mansion.

As the driver pulled away from the curb, he wondered why such a woman of obvious means would have been slumming in the low rent district where the bar was. He shook his head in disbelief and thought, ‘I’ve been driving cabs long enough that nothing should shock me.’

The next morning the newspaper headlines screamed the news, ‘LOCAL ARMS DEALER, SHOT AND KILLED IN HIS HOME. No suspects in the case.’

Thirty thousand feet up the silver plane streaked through the early morning hours, en-route to Paris, France. The pretty little blonde sitting in first class sipped on her coffee and read the newspaper headlines.

“Karma’s a bitch.” She thought. However, she had to admit she had been shocked when she accidently ran into her mark at a local bar. She had immediately liked her. Elaine was good people. After considering all the options Emily had decided it was her employer that needed killing, not Elaine. So, she had done Elaine a favor that she would never know about. She had taken the devil himself out of her life for good. Under her breath, Emily whispered,

“Your welcome Elaine, some people just need a chance in life and some people just need killing.”

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