Heads You Win

He swung around to see Addie smiling at him. She took his hand and led him up to the box office.

“Two for Once Upon a Time in the West,” she said, and stood aside to allow Alex to pay. Lesson number one in the courting manual. She then grabbed his hand again and took him inside the dimly lit cinema.

Although the film seemed to be incidental to what Addie had in mind, it was Henry Fonda, not Claudia Cardinale, who Alex couldn’t take his eyes off. He wanted to talk like that, walk like that, even dress like that. He decided he would have to see the film again during the week when he wouldn’t be distracted, because he no longer wanted to be James Cagney.

Alex didn’t want Addie to realize it was his first visit to a cinema, so when the man seated in front of him put his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder, he copied him. She snuggled up closer. He was enjoying the film, when a hand reached across, pulled him toward her, and he experienced his first kiss. There wasn’t time for a second, because a few moments later the words THE END appeared on the screen and the lights went up.

“Let’s get a Coke,” suggested Alex. “I know a great little diner not far from here.”

“Sounds good,” said Addie.

This time Alex took her hand and led Addie across the square to the diner Ivan had taken him to earlier that day. Alex marched in, waved to the man behind the counter, and said, “Hi, Lou,” before heading straight for Ivan’s table as if he was a regular.

“Two Cokes, please,” said Alex when the waitress appeared.

During the next half hour Alex learned far more about Addie than she did about him. In fact he knew her entire life history by the time the waitress asked if they’d like another Coke. He would have said yes, but he’d run out of money.

Addie didn’t stop talking while Alex walked her home. When they reached her front door she stood on her toes, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him. A second kiss. A very different kiss.

He walked home in a daze, crept into the house, and went straight to bed, not wanting to wake his mother.

*   *   *

“I’ve been given another raise,” said Elena triumphantly, when Alex joined her for breakfast the following morning. “I’m now on a dollar fifty an hour. I’m going to suggest to Dimitri that it’s time for us to start contributing to the rent.”

“Us?” said Alex. “I don’t contribute anything, Mama, as you well know. But that could change if you’d allow me to earn some extra cash on the weekend.”

“Doing what?”

“There are always odd jobs going at the market,” said Alex, “especially on weekends.”

“I’d allow you to look for a weekend job but only if you can assure me it won’t interfere with your school work. I’d never forgive myself if you didn’t get a place at NYU.”

“It didn’t prevent my father—”

“Your father wanted you to go to college every bit as much as I do,” she said, ignoring the interruption. “And if you were to get a degree, who knows what you could achieve, especially in America?” Alex decided this wasn’t the time to let his mother know exactly what he had in mind for when he left school.

*   *   *

Although he worked hard at school during the week, Alex couldn’t wait for Saturdays, and the chance to make some real money.

“Will you clear up?” Elena asked as she put on her coat. “I don’t want to be late for work.”

Once he’d finished drying the dishes, quickly left the house, and started running down the road. As he approached Players’ Square that Saturday morning, he could hear the banter and cries of the basketball players on the nearby courts. He stopped and watched them for a few minutes, admiring their skill. He wished the Americans played football, something else he hadn’t thought about when he climbed into the crate. He hadn’t realized that there were no goalkeepers in American football. He put it out of his mind as he made his way across to the patch of grass set aside for chess players.

The first thing he saw was Ivan standing legs apart, hands on hips, wearing an unkempt sweater and faded jeans, with a black scarf around his neck.

“You’re late,” he said in Russian, glowering at him.

“It’s only a game,” said Alex, “so why not keep them waiting?”

“It’s not a game,” hissed Ivan. “It’s business. Never be late when it’s business. It gives your opponents an advantage.” Without another word he moved across to a row of six chessboards that had been lined up next to each other with an empty chair behind each board.

Ivan clapped his hands, and once he had caught the crowd’s attention, announced in a loud, clear voice, “This young man is willing to challenge any six of you to a game.” One or two potential opponents looked interested. “And to make it more interesting, he will be blindfolded. I will tell him each move his opponents make, and then wait for his instructions.”

“What odds are you offering?” demanded a voice from the crowd.

“Three to one. You put up a dollar, and if you beat him, I’ll give you three.”