The Explorer

Significant Figures

The sunset that night was very calming. Blue and deep, flanked by weighty clouds - Adam paused to admire it. He let it sink into his eyes and color his spirits.

As he relaxed, strains of the song he had heard earlier that day welled back up into his mind. Images of the man who had been singing flashed through Adam's imagination; he remembered the purple and green stripes on the man's shirt, the golden tones of the guitar and the man's mellow voice. Live while you can...learn to love...don't follow their rules...before you know it, it'll be over...

The janitor! "Hard, but you'll make it!" Adam laughed. Damn that homework -- was it that obvious how much it was getting to me? "Gimme five!" What a great guy...obviously he doesn't mind his position, being around college kids who are bound for more money. Time to go..."

Next to the mail boxes, Adam came across a bunch of playing cards, scattered on the floor. Some were even under the bench. He almost walked on, but -- what was that? Something had caught his eye. He bent down. Eight of clubs? No... five of diamonds, six of clubs... Then Adam stood up, holding another card in his hand. He shook his head.

It was the twenty-two of hearts.

Bending over again, Adam began to finger more of the cards, flip them, shuffle them around. Nine of diamonds. King of spades. Seven of hearts. All normal!

Adam stared back at the twenty-two, frowning. He pocketed it. Maybe it was stealing, something like that. The twenty-two of hearts - that's a big deal! Adam decided it would only be right to show it to everyone he know, in time. Had the previous owner known? Who would just scatter such a special deck?

Adam shrugged to himself, and made his way back to his room.

posted by Andy @ 12:13 AM