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FOUR FLUSHER

the train leaves martinez on time. six fourty eight.
i take a window seat. within an hour the gentle back
and forth swaying puts me to sleep.
at fresno two young men sit in the opposite seats.
josh introduces himself and his pal jimmie.
they are students at fresno state travelling to watch
the yankees play the angels in anaheim.
both are life long fans from jersey

at hanford i step off to stretch and look around.
it is very hot very humid. next stop corcoran. there
a middle age man gets on. he asks if the seat next
to me is free. i say yes. he sits and places a black
briefcase in the space between us. " the name's father dan.
pleased to meet you " he is wearing a colorful shirt

father dan opens the case and takes out a bible
a pint flask a deck of cards and sets them on the
center table. he reads a bible passage to himself and
removes the flasks cap " to our health gentlemen !"
he takes a swig. jimmie and josh look at each other.
father dan says " love the sinner and hate the sin "
i laugh. he recaps the flask puts it back in the case
and says " judge not lest ye be judged "

as the train pulls into wasco father dan smiles " will you
young men humor an old man and play a card game ?"
before we can answer he removes the deck from its box
shuffles it three times and deals us five cards each.
" we'll play four flusher a simple child's game " he says
while arranging his hand and nodding at josh to start

after several rounds there is an announcement
" ladies and gentlement we will be arriving at bakerfields
in thirty minutes. thirty minutes to bakersfield ".
father dan takes his turn and says " young men i am
going tell you a secret ". he smiles and lowers his voice
" gentlemen once you reach fifty years of age
make love to a young woman every full moon "

he takes a photo from his shirt pocket and sets it
on the table. josh picks it up whistles then passes it
to jimmie. father dan says " that's tiffany. i minister
at the prisons. coalinga corcoran wasco. up and down
the valley. but every full moon i'm in bakersfield "

jimmie gives me the picture. she is pretty and blond
and is wearing a short purple skirt and nothing else.
wow ! father dan " she's seventeen. we go walking
in the hills. hold hands. cook food. listen to hank williams.
and fuck and fuck and fuck. but i'm thinking of stopping
until she's eighteen ". jimmie grins

i say " father you've got to kidding. you've already
robbed the bank and now you don't want to spend
the money ! what's up with that ?" father dan slaps
the table and laughs " hey that's a good one !
never looked at it that way. i want to remember that !"

the train begins to slow. there is an annoucement
" ladies and gentlement we are entering bakersfield
station. please check the overhead compartment and
beneath your seat for all baggage. we are now entering
bakersfield station. the last stop "

i look at my cards and take my turn. father dan is next.
he studies his cards for a moment and places them all
on the table. diamonds. eight through four. josh whistles.
father dan smiles broadly and leans back in his seat

" four flusher !"