San Francisco State University - Franciscan Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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-7.ffiQk's A ' 'i i-3 -Q A, 1 ag, 132.71 ., ,. l. ' f f ,rig-317. Q r W I 'Q Z yi 'iiQQhlS 21i'i' 'Et ' t f - , M... f - jg xiii. 92 h -..- ,, ,cg ,,V . .fy y ' .1 tl--, a ' 5 L. f , Q' ., -t ii: 3' l 'Sgt - ,., 4:5 - - . 'l , .:' tr' ' ni V 3, V FRIDAY night SPORT The game had been in progress since eight o'clock. It was the regu- lar Friday night session which had started almost a year ago among Tommy Eavers, Pete Nunley, Hill Johnson, and Teddy Rayan. Tommy had been losing and, with the other three kidding him, had sunk deeper and deeper into a nasty mood. It wasn't that they always kidded the loser, but Tommy had been the winner for weeks on end and had made' wise remarks about superior playing every time they had gotten together. Now with the situation reversed, they were getting back at him in a good-natured way. We'll play a little draw, Pete said as he dealt. Jacks or better to open. Tommy picked up his cards with great care as they were dealt, mak- ing sure he didn't see any of them before he had all five. He felt that if he saw any of them singly, it would bring him bad luck. He turned them over and slowly slid them apart, squinting his eyes and holding his breath as if to make his wish come true. As they came into view, he saw three, four, five, and six of spades. His heart beat faster. Then the two of clubs showed and rage took the place of hope. Ah hell! The damn cards are against me! I can't draw a lousy thing! He threw his cards on the table with such force that they skid- ded off and fell to the floor. 21

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E r V r I l i I F r i , i V l P a E LL pay for those special pictures? llBut--,, Doesn't he say that food and skins are but temporary pleasures and that the visions he sees are beyond our ken and of re al pleasure only to him and our grandchildren's grandchildren? Yes, but-- Well then, let him scratch them for himself and for our grandchildren. No one stops him. But he must eat! Let him eat. Enough of us will trade with him if that's what you're Jorried about. But one interferes with the other. Woman, how you fuss about details. That is his job, is it not. Yes, but look how well Chut's successor does with his cheap and vulgar work while poor Luster who does such beautiful work-- Enough. His problem is no more to him than mine to me. He has more talent than we. That is his blessing and also his curse. Could we wish him all blessings, more than we have, and then go get his game for him too? The fire had burned low by then and the hunter and his mate slept well afterwards. Meanwhile Luster looked at his wall scratchings which represented so many years of his life, so many burning inspirations with correspond- ingly difficult technical problems, and he was bewildered that with all that beauty he hadn't been rewarded more completely. The grandchildren's grandchildren who would better appreciate them were not yet born and thus could not give him food and skins. But the thought of their praise and of how the Storytellers would describe his struggles for an ungrateful world comforted him. And when he looked at his hands, he felt even better -- for he still had long fingers. Q!! I 6 ng - -Gloria L. Alford. LLY , -N ,rf-4 ,.. Q ,f A . 0 if 4 , ff '?f , Qfa'b4f?f ' a 0 fa- egg. ff, f Jw i 'e,f2f ' lim- .Q-2' IAMMZV U. pm!!! I V .JE 2,1151-.J W' 6,10 .QM 1, , wg, ' ' ' .ff-3afif1'1 'ff H 1 w as -W. ff ff f, 4 ,. . 0 in MP, 1 fit. A 2.66,-' - '5- '- 17' V 0 1 ...., J! 4 gg ' Q '. . -- .-Sv? L1 ,v ffl-, -V-. - -,,.gffi'f- -:EL X- 4,s j?'?5-2422 ' - fi- ft ga- - q A - :g-QL' -S fav. IYQLYH-11, 1:-if! , A 1 if ' - . W,- ,ffgf 3 ,4 ' -N. , , -4- . x .. .p -- 1. 'RQ' g ,fe b - Q - - -W -, L. '- 20

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y V , W ,. W wWW--.-W-,--------.- l P k l Bill dealt the next hand and called the same game. Tommy took his cards in the same careful way. He peeked at them and was elated to see a pair of queens. I wonder what these guys have, Tommy thoughtg I can't afford to lose another one. He opened the pot for three, kept the queens, and drew three cards. He felt he' had to win this one. The evening was almost over and he was out money. The thought saddened as well as enraged him. He thought over what he could have done with the money if he hadn't lo st. The amount grew in his mind until it seemed he had lost thousands. Hell, I'm going to make sure this time, he thought. He peeked at the three cards he had drawn. His spirits soared as he saw another queen and apair of six's. l'll fix these guys now, he thought. Aloud he said, l'll get us some beer, fellas. Tommy rose and went into the dark kitchen. He rattled glasses and bottles, making as much noise as possible to make sure they heard him. Then he hurriedly set down the things on the sinkboard and tip- toed to the crack between the door and wall. He looked at the exposed cards of his three friends. Pete, on the right, had three of a kind. Bill was in the middle and held a pair of aces. Rayan was too far left of the crack for Tommy to see his hand clearly, but it looked like two pair. -He squinted, trying to see that last card. ' Hey, Tommy! Come on with that beer! Bill yelled and looked toward the kitchen. Tommy started back in surprise. Had Bill seen him? He felt tense and shaky. As he tiptoed back to the sink, his elbow knocked an empty pan off the stove. It hit the floor with a crash. What the hell are you doing in there? Pete asked, and Tommy heard his chair scrape as he got up. Tommy answered in a quivering voice, I can't find the opener. Pete came in and switched on the light. This might help. You've been here enough times to know where the light is. He opened the drawer and took out the opener. Look out. I can have this done before you could get the cap off of one of them. Tommy retreated to the other room, avoiding Pete's eyes. He could feel them knifing into his back. He was sure they knew what he had been up to, and he was afraid to face the others. He walked stiff-legged and it seemed to him he was making himself obvious. Bill and Rayan looked up as he walked into the roomy their eyes seemed to accuse him. He wondered what he would say if Bill should ask him why he had peek- ed through the crack. It was so real in his mind that he found himself 2