Keith’s Big Pokies Win And My Joyride (Part 2)

Shawn Has No ID

As the movie finished Keith decided that he wanted to head to Ettamogah Pub for a second so we could bet on the pokies. The first answer to this peculiarity was that Keith wanted to try and regain the amount of money he lost on Saturday night at Molly McGuire’s Tavern. Making our way through the side entrance on the road that leads to the bowling car-park Keith noted that we would probably all have to show identification despite being there in the day.

Shawn uttered how he didn’t have his identification and figuring that we wouldn’t even get asked we made our way towards the gambling room. However, a few steps away we were halted by the bar staff who promptly asked for our identification and as Keith and I took out our identification Shawn was left standing there incapable of proving his age. “I didn’t bring my identification with me” Shawn prompted but the guy couldn’t show any leniency so a decision had to be made.

Keith was eager to spend more money on betting and Shawn was equally eager to just sit in the car and read the paper he had brought along. Therefore, Keith handed his keys to Shawn and I was given the decision of heading either way in which I decided to watch Keith either blow all his earnings or win big…

Keith Bets Big

The betting started tragically for Keith as he put in $20 and lost it by trying to bet big as he had seen someone do on Saturday night. Instead of betting small money Keith was going for the big haul, betting $1 bets instead of one fifth that value. When Keith lost his first twenty dollars he placed another $50 in a machine and as I sat there watching his tragic losses I couldn’t help but to think that Keith was taken over by the pokies.

Keith looked to me as if he was hooked and controlled by gambling and it was obvious that he didn’t know when to stop. As he kept betting big he kept losing big and after he lost his second lot of money I would have thought it was time to head home. However, Keith then asked if I could lend him $20 until he got some more money out of the bank and that to me was just the last straw.

Denying Keith more money to waste he went against my better judgment and decided to withdraw a further $50. Crazed as he was Keith announced “If I don’t win with this money then I’m quitting gambling for good”. Betting larger than he had with his previous amounts I thought he was crazy for losing so much money but I found it interesting when I sensed that Keith would win fifteen free spins and in the next couple of goes he did.

What’s more, because he was betting so large in stakes he made up a fair portion of his money. Out of that one machine Keith won all his money back and as I called the assistant and Keith took out his money I was pleading for us to leave breaking even. However, Keith had the intentions of walking away with a large win and I guess he was thinking about all the other money he had lost on Saturday.

My Luck Charm Streak

The second round of playing the pokies was far different to the first in which Keith was continually winning. I seemed to be his good luck charm when it came to sensing the fifteen free spins turning up and I also picked him two good machines which paid him out large amounts of money. I decided to have a go at the pokies myself but having only $6 I tried to gain a couple more dollars.

However, betting small is not the way to achieve money and before too long I was drained of everything in my wallet except for the money I needed to catch a bus in the morning. Meanwhile, Keith was continually winning big and as we were in there for at last an hour Keith asked me if I could go try and sneak Shawn into the club so he wouldn’t be sitting there bored.

Keys To The Turbo

Commenting that Shawn wouldn’t be able to get in Keith was bold enough to hand me his car keys and note that Shawn was allowed to drive his car to get his wallet. Keith was obviously oblivious to any due morals because he was dazed upon winning money so I took that opportunity, took his keys and was on my way to surprise Shawn. Pacing myself to Keith’s car I walked up to the passenger side where Shawn was sitting in the front seat, comfortably reading his paper.

Knocking on the window I took him by surprise by saying “Come on, let’s go get your wallet”. Shawn obviously thought I was joking as he kept reading his magazine but as he stopped to pay attention for a little I repeated my instruction. “Nope, I don’t believe you” he protested, “You’re lying”. “I dare you to start the car up then” I uttered sounding sarcastic and not fully giving away all seriousness. “Do you want me to jump in and drive then just to show you”

I asked and as he nodded I made my way to the driver’s side, jumped in and prepared myself. “Shit, you’re serious” he exclaimed as I tried to move my seat forward but ended up popping the boot. Fixing up that little problem by jumping out of the car I buckled myself in and as I turned on the car to a surprised Shawn he told me to take it easy reversing as I surely knew I would be in deep shit if I had hit something.

Giving It A Squirt

This was the first time I had driven Keith’s car and what’s more, it was the first time where I got the chance to give it some worth. Lately I’ve been driving other people’s cars and it gives me a great sense of freedom and liberty. Reversing turned out to be easy for me as I looked in my rear vision mirror and giving myself enough space to turn I shifted into first gear and we were off.

For me, it seemed that the gears were hard to find but when it came to Shawn shifting on the way back to Macarthur Square he didn’t seem to find a problem. I guess because of my inexperience I was just trying too hard to push them into place when I should have been easing them. Anyway, we headed down the main street and over the new bridge where I decided to give the car a fair squirt. I found that it didn’t go too hard until the turbo kicked in and from there the car just pounded away.

Feeling the powerful thrust underneath my legs I looked as if I was in control and I didn’t phase Shawn at all or cause him to duck for cover. The rapture of driving had me preoccupied with the fact that we were supposed to head to Shawn’s house and as I was pulling into Bradbury heading to my house Shawn asked me where I was headed. Finally clicking that we were supposed to drive to Shawn’s house to pick up his wallet I mentioned that we should head for my house and pick up his shoes while we were in the area.

Hitting the reds as we careened up my street I gave the engine a good working and making a U-turn at the top I parked alongside the gutter. Shawn wanted to have his turn at driving but I insisted that I drive to his house before he felt the power behind the wheel and to this proposal he was obliging. Nipping inside to pick up Shawn’s shoes I ran back out and headed for the passenger side for some more turbulent speeding and wearing of the engine.

A Wasted Trip For A Wallet

Shawn decided before he even got to drive that he was going to take Keith’s car down the main street and I guess this was obviously a trend thing in which he wanted to get seen in a cool car. Not fazing me the least we headed to Shawn’s house first where I asked him to bring out my shoes but in the rush he forgot and only brought along his wallet.

The irony about this however is that when we arrived back at Macarthur Square Shawn realized that he had taken out his identification the night before to head to Molly’s. In turn, this meant that the whole trip was a waste apart from the speeding and joyride. In any event, it made my Sunday a worthwhile day and added a fair bit of spice to my layman’s weekend. Cruising down the one way main street as Shawn had suggested we headed past the Catholic Club and then up the main street towards Macarthur Square.

Parking relevantly almost in the same location as before we both jumped out of the car but Shawn realized that he still didn’t have his identification. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll still read my newspaper” he uttered as he jumped back in the car and with it I headed back down to Ettamogah Pub. Both Shawn and I made a vow that he wouldn’t tell Keith that I drove the car but I’m not sure if he’s going to keep his promise on that one forever.

I really don’t care if he says anything, at least it will help Keith gain confidence in my being able to drive his car and what’s more, his clutch wasn’t hard at all. Not once did I stall the car where I found that without throttle the clutch seemed like it would pick up speed just by finding the friction point. Anyway, we drove his car, we headed back and that was that.

Back To The Gaming Room

Making my way back into the gaming room at Ettamogah I wasn’t asked for my identification this time around. Walking past two or three girls in the small gaming room I finally found Keith sitting at the back, surprisingly still gambling. When asking him how his money situation was going he informed me that he was up some more money and all up at the end of the night he ended up gaining an extra $160.

At one stage Keith’s obsession led him to be $120 down but he not only won that back, he won the $160, all by betting big and being lucky with free spins. At one stage when Keith walked out to get some money or a drink or something I walked to the glass door that separated the gaming room from the rest of the pub. Being double doors I stretched my hand across one of the doors and the other holding the wooden part of the other side.

Naqi And Penelope Walk By

Placing my head close to the window lazily as I looked through waiting for Keith I noticed Naqi and Penelope walking in from the carpark. Immediately my face turned from a blank expression of patience to a stone cold hatred which really wasn’t that much of a change. In addition, I must have looked silly as well as mean looking through the window and as Keith was coming back from his little errand he noticed me at the door and then the both of them walking past.

Giving Keith a little grin of pleasure Penelope noticed me as she walked past, staring at her like a stalker, looking like a mean little dude. Naqi also looked straight at me but later I was told that he didn’t see me so he must have been oblivious, strolling with his eyes oblivious to the surroundings. When Keith walked back in the room he commented on how I looked funny like a stalker. Then he noted how Penelope looked fairly Australian to him except for the dead giveaway nose.

Penelope has changed but I really don’t think she looks anything like an Australian, she’s true wog in appearance and religion. Shortly after this Keith cashed the final part of his money thanks to my continual bickering in his ear to take the money and run. Keith pledged that he would now buy my chain from me and that he would also shout the three of us Chinese Food. This sounded great to me as I was hungry and the generosity from Keith was a great stemming of his appreciation for spending money that’s not really his. Keith told me that he was quitting gambling for good but I fail to believe that.

Chinese Food And Cards

When the drama was over at Ettamogah Pub we headed back to Keith’s car and with the glorious news spread around the celebrations were eminent. Leaving behind the austere memories of seeing Naqi and now knowing he was up there with Lyssa who was watching ‘Austin Powers’ around 4:00 p.m., we headed to Bradbury Shops. Walking to the Chinese Food Shop Keith forked out for a prawn and vegetable pack with rice for me as well as another pack to share with Shawn as well as chicken things for all of us.

Spending almost twenty dollars on the food we headed back to the car and it was here that Keith handed me $30, saying he would pay me the rest later. This to me sounded like Keith’s way of trying to skip his way out of paying but at the time, having that money in my hand was just enough to hold me through for the rest of the week. Taking the food to my house we watched the start of the 4:00 p.m. Football game as we dug into the newly bought food.

In the two hours that Keith and Shawn spent at my house we took up playing cards again. Black Bitch was the game and from the word go I was crowned the King and held my position for nearly the whole time we played. Handing over the chain that Keith bought off me I was glad to get it off my hands. In all truth, I’m not sure why I pressured myself into buying it but as Binh was persistent, I guess I was also persistent in selling it to Keith.

Selling Keith The Chain

Anyway, I get my money, Keith gets his chain and Binh got to sell it, everyone turns out happy. Keith looked keen on just bumming around and staying until 9:30 p.m. to watch the first portion of the cricket but I was more intent on typing in my diary. Nevertheless, I didn’t make it too evident on my interests and I didn’t kick them out but rather gave them hints. Keith and Shawn were heading to some guy’s house to watch the cricket grand final for the night but he wasn’t due there for another hour or two.

Regardless, Keith abided by my wishes and as he left I started to eagerly write in my memoirs around 7:30 p.m. That basically is where I end my chronology of Sunday night as I got myself to sleep at 11:30 p.m. Tonight it doesn’t appear to be faring any better as I’ve had a couple of hiccups but I will get through Monday’s saga, if only partly.