with us to La Vegas. So much to see and not just hear.”
Joshua laughed, “You really going to try to cheat the casino.”
“It’s not cheating and you know it-
“They just don’t like people card counting,” Joshua finished.
He heard Rob’s speech a dozen times about going to a La Vegas casino using the card counting method to win at Blackjack. He’s been obsessed with the game since watching the movie 21 on DVD.
“Yeah, yeah dude, you know I done the research, put in the practice time, read a crap ton of autobiographies about the players, I’m not trying to be some one that develops a gambling addiction. And that’s the problem they wanted to ride that winning streak high forever, but it doesn’t work that way.” Rob said as they moved into the house.
“Dude I just want to experience it with my best friend, who can now see and put that math brain of his to a real test.”
Joshua was quiet for minute thinking it would be fun but, “I haven’t seen deck of cards in thirteen years.”
“Don’t even try that, you know the game because I talked about it enough, you know the high low point system because I talked about it enough. And dude you are just smart. And all you need to do is work on your speed, easy.”
Joshua exhaled, “My doctor said I need to take it slow. I can’t overload my eyesight, too soon.” That wasn’t exactly a lie but he did need to go slow.
“Okay. Fine I want the miracle to continue.” Rob gave up, “So, what did you want to tell me?”
“Um… I… uh I have X-ray vision.”
Rob stood in front of him, “What?”
“I can see though things.”
“What?”
“This is where I prove it right?”
“Um… yeah,” then he looked around the living room, “I mean…”
“I’m not crazy.”
“Sure? I’m thinking-yeah right but we’re friends so I’m obligated to hear you out.”
“Yeah. But you’re looking at me like I’m crazy.”
“Nice you remember what that expression looks like, great.”
Joshua glared at him.
“Okay, okay dude, those eyeballs are getting a workout. Yeah-um so remember you lost that toy car, the NASCAR one over here when we were like seven or something.”
“Yeah, it was part of a set,” Joshua still had the others somewhere at home. Taking a breath, he shut his eyes and looked through his closed lids.
“Dude what are you doing?”
“I know it looks weird but this how I control it.”
Moving his head he saw the couch, the cushions fading away there was food crumbs and 42 cents in coins looking up through the ceiling, the second floor hallways, rooms and higher into the attic.
“It’s in the attic under something,” he said a minute later.
“To the attic,” said Rob sardonically, to which Joshua ignored.
Up there Joshua again shut his eyes. He looked for the car. It only took him a couple of seconds to find it behind some boxes and under an old dresser.
“Yeah…,” said Rob when Joshua showed him the toy car.
“What?”
“Well dude, I was thinking I was in a comic book, but your power, isn’t really super. It’s like a sidekick’s superpower.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“I’m just saying it’s a power that’s secondary. Superman has x-ray vision but he has other powers flight, speed, strength, cold breath, heat ray eyes and then x-ray vision. And dude you know it most likely x-ray vision is his least used power. What can you do with it?”
Joshua paused. He needed a comeback, the triumphant look on Rob’s face was annoying, “…I could see through cards at the Blackjack table, if I were going to La Vegas,” he said.
Joshua spent the next week seeing his home, neighborhood and town with his parents, learning and reintroducing himself to places, he lived his whole life. But also he was a bit bummed about his sidekick, secondary superpower, Rob was right it wasn’t a crime fighting ability on its own, it needed martial arts skills, or stealth skills, or detective skills, all of which he didn’t know how to do nor did he have the ‘with great power, comes great responsibility’ mentality. He lived in the suburbs, crime was low, in his entire life he’s never heard of anyone murdered here so no need to save the town. He didn’t really have that great of traumatic childhood, blindness causing accident aside and besides he could see again. In the end, he wasn’t close to being Superman, Batman or Spiderman. What was the point of having a power if he couldn’t be a hero?
On the drive home from dinner dad driving, mom in the front passenger seat while Joshua sat in back behind dad his seatbelt on thinking about the next step in comic book lore, finding the origin of his new eyes. What good would that do?
“So what do you think sweetie?” Asked mom.
“Uh? Sorry I missed that.”
“I was saying you could go away to college, not this semester, but the next semester if you wanted.”
“I could,” he answered honestly, he hadn’t thought that far ahead, most of his friends were going to the state university or somewhere across the country.
“We couldn’t pay for it but you have most of your college fund that your grandpa left you.”
“So you’re willing to let me go mom, dad?”
“No, but if you were thinking about it, I want you to know we support you.”
“Thanks.” That was cool of them his parents wanting him to have a normal college experience. He could see now so he had wider options. And his parents were willing to help do it without fear.
They arrived home a short time later. Joshua hopped out the car to get the mail since they been out all day.
“Medical billing center,” he said after seeing the third envelope.
He didn’t think much of it, because they weren’t addressed to him, until early the next morning. His stomach woke him growling for food the dinner last night wasn’t enough. On the way to the stairs he past by his parent’s room, they were heavy sleepers and never noticed him unless he made a loud noise.
“We knew this was going to happen,” said mom’s muffled voice, “The insurance wouldn’t cover everything, but he can see again.”
Joshua paused they were talking about him, his surgery.
“I know honey, but we have to figure out a plan before we get buried,” said dad.
They talked about money, how to get more of it, mom was going to take on more shifts, dad was going to get a second job, together take out another mortgage on the house and they made a list of expenses of things they can do without and selling some of their stuff. Joshua had no idea. What about his college fund? His parent didn’t even mention that, was that why mom suggested he go away to college so he wouldn’t know?
How much were his medical bills?
Joshua dialed Rob’s number later that day.
“Yeah what’s up dude?”
“Let’s go to La Vegas, it’s in a month right?” asked Joshua.
“Like a month and a week.”
“Alright then.”
“You’re in for sure?”
“Yeah, let the training begin.”
“Great. What changed your mind?”
“I got bills to pay.”
After a month and week, Joshua was in a Las Vegas casino at sitting five-dollar minimum a Blackjack table feeling the smooth green felt under his fingers. Rob and the others sat around higher minimum bet tables. Rob had made him sit here telling him to practice, when he felt good he should moved up. Rob, also made him wear sunglasses inside an already dim room, he took to heart what Joshua said about bright lights making him go blind again.
Two cards his hand total was 16 vs. a dealer’s up card of 6. Basic strategy said he should stand. And the card count was plus 17, the deck was in his favor, the dealer would mostly likely bust, going higher then 21. He waved his hand to stand a signal to the dealer of his decision not to give him another card. The dealer then
moved on to the next player at the table Joshua played like that for two hours winning the money he lost in the first few hands before the deck become a high positive. He tripled his money coming in with 200 it was now 600.
Now, it was time to move he couldn’t win enough to pay off his medical bills here to keep his parents from falling into debt. After he overheard about the money problems, Joshua found the letter the amount owed was 61,000. He could win that much, all he had to do was double the money he brought with him from his college fund.
Joshua took a seat at a 500-dollar minimum bet table. He laid 50,000 in hundreds on the green felt. The dealer started counting.
Several minutes later the dealer said to the pit boss who over looked the blackjack games, “50,000 exchange.”
He received 10 purple 500 chips.
“50,000 accepted,” said the dealer giving Joshua a look that read, ‘You wasted your money.’
“What are you doing?” Rob appeared at Joshua’s side, “How did you have that kind of money?”
Rob and the others brought with them 3 to 4 thousand dollars each.
“I’m going to win big and we’re going to have streak and lobster.” Joshua grinned at him.
That was an act, a cocky loser to throw off the pit boss a lesson from Rob’s training regiment. Joshua memorized the basic strategy in a couple of days and picked up the card counting system towards the end of the month. In between that, Rob made Joshua read a bunch of books about professional Blackjack player’s experiences. The key was if one was a counter, you have to distract the pit boss from ever thinking a counter was at the table in the first place.
Joshua entered the game mid shoe, so he couldn’t count cards anyway.
“Joshua,