Writing for Fun
Monte Carlo - Bob Wendelkin
September 2014
Tony put his arms around his wife Sylvie to comfort her over the news she had just received from their doctor. The news told her that the latest IVF treatment had failed yet again and she wasn't pregnant. As a couple they had been married for a number of years but, although they were anxious to have a family, so far they hadn't been blessed. Sylvie's sister had on one occasion been very hurtful when she had said to her that she was too selfish to have a family as she enjoyed the extra money that no children had given them.
For the last few years they had tried to have a family using IVF but so far it had failed them. The first few IVF's had been paid for by the state but the other treatments had been paid from their savings.
'I'm not certain that we can afford another IVF, not because I don't want to but the money has virtually run out and our overdraft is on its limit,' said Tony.
'Can't we afford just one more? I'm certain it will work this time,' replied Sylvie.
'I'm sorry, love, but I just don't think we can afford it at the moment. All we have is about five hundred, and the treatments cost thousands and the numbers just don't add up. I don't think we should borrow the money from the Payday loan shops as we could lose everything. No I think we have got to draw a line under it and say we tried but failed,' said Tony.
'Oh, Tony, time isn't on our side,' cried Sylvie 'Can't you think of any other way?'
'I've had an idea, but it's gambling with our last bit of money. If we win then we will have enough to pay for another treatment; if we lose then we are not really that worse off, only just a few hundred,' said Tony.
'Do you mean the horses?' asked Sylvie.
'No. I have been giving some thought to it. I think we should try Roulette. Although the house will eventually win as they have about 3% advantage, it does mean any one time there is a 97% chance that we could win,' said Tony, looking into Sylvie's face for any sign of agreement. 'Shall we give it a try?'
'If you think there's a chance then let's give it go,' replied Sylvie, as she trusted her Tony to do the best for them.
'I think I should go to the Casino in Monte Carlo.'
'When shall we go, only I'll need a few weeks to get ready and plan my holidays,' said Sylvie.
'I thought I would go on my own as it will save money. Nigel said he would let me travel in one of his lorries that's going that way,' replied Tony.
'When are you going?' asked Sylvie.
'Within the month, but only if you agree. I have a good feeling about this,' said Tony.
'Okay but you must promise me that you will win lots of money,' replied Sylvie.
'We will be so rich that you will be able to have triplets, and have a nanny to look after them,' replied Tony with a smile on his face that Sylvie hadn't seen for several weeks.
******
The Milan bound lorry that his friend Nigel had arranged picked him up and took him through France and dropped him in Monaco.
Tony found himself a cheap room as it was out of season. He sent a text to Sylvie that he had arrived safely. Then he went to find the Casino.
The building looked imposing although he had seen it in films. He didn't go in but he did look though the door, to see the chandeliers.
Later he returned to the Casino to try his luck.
Tony had never been in any Casino before in his whole life, although he hadn't told that to Sylvie. He hadn't even played Roulette. The first thing he would do was to look round the place and find out where everything was located particularly the Roulette tables, he needed to identify the tables where there was a very high limit on the amount he could bet and, more importantly, the amount he could win.
On his wandering around the gambling hall he was quite surprised how many old men were accompanied by what he could only assume were their young nieces.
He found a table and spent at least half an hour just looking at how the game was played. He could see that every player had their own coloured chips so that they wouldn't become mixed up with other players. The Croupier always marked the winning position with a marker then he cleared the other chips from the table then paid out the winners, if any.
After a time Tony felt a little more confident that he would try his luck.
He collected his pink coloured chips and wondered if this colour was symbolic that with the winnings they may have a daughter.
He placed his first chip on Red 32. The Croupier gave the wheel a spin and flicked the ball around the edge.
'No more bets.' The ball bounced and settled on Red 32 and he won. The Croupier cleared the table and paid Tony a heap of chips.
This is easy, it's like taking money from the afflicted, so he let the chips ride on Red 32. This time the ball landed on Zero, the Croupier cleared the table of chips as no one had won.
Tony tried again and this time he won; then he tried several times more, sometimes he won and other times he lost. But as he looked at his pile of chips it was clear that the house was gradually winning. In the end Tony was just down to his last few chips. I think I'll give it a rest for a while.
He walked out on to the balcony where a beautiful young woman stood there in a magnificent green and silver dress with pink trimmings and glittering diamonds around her elegant neck. Tony nodded to her she returned his nod with a smile. Tony stood there leaning against the stone balustrade overlooking the garden and fountains.
Fighting back tears as his thoughts were miles away with his Sylvie. She trusted him and now he was letting her down.
The beautiful girl came over to him. 'Hello, you seem a little distracted, have you lost your money?' she said in a fascinating accent.
Tony looked up and before he could reply she had put her slender hand on his arm. Tony had heard of girls like this who make their living in this manner. But she was so beautiful and Tony couldn't tell her to go away so he said, 'I've practically lost all my money; I'm down to practically nothing,' telling her he was broke, knowing that if she was that type of girl she would be off.
'I thought so; tell me why you want the money?' asked the girl looking into his eyes so deeply that they burned into his very soul; any deviation from the truth would have been impossible.
Tony told her the whole story in every true detail.
'Come I'll see if I can change your luck,' said the girl.
'What is your name? I'm Tony, if we are to gamble together at least I'll know what to call you.'
'I've had many names, but here I'm called Gwendolen, let's go in.'
*******
As they approached the table Gwendolen gave Tony a list of numbers that he should play.
'I want you to play the following ten numbers, then promise me you will never ever play again because you are getting too close to the unacceptable, as all the numbers on the roulette wheel add up to 666, so you're warned. If you play again you may lose more than your fortune,' said the girl.
Tony played the numbers that Gwendolen had given him; he won one after another and the chips piled up until in the end the Croupier told him that he had broken the Bank and pulled a black cloth across the table.
Then Gwendolen whispered to him, 'You won't need the money for what you intended, your wife's condition has changed, please call one of the three, Gwendolen, to remember me.'
The Croupier said, 'I've been a Croupier for a long time but I've never seen what you did before, ten straight wins. How did you do it?'
'This young lady told me the numbers . . . oh she's gone,' replied Tony.
'What young Lady? You never had anyone with you the whole time you were playing. Please come with me,' replied the Croupier.
They went into the Manager's office to collect Tony's winnings. Behind the manager's desk there was a large painting of a girl.
'That's her,' said Tony pointing to the girl in the picture.
The manager replied, 'That's 'Gwendolen at the Roulette Table', it seems she has struck again, every once in a while she comes and someone breaks the bank. This is the second time she has done it to me.'
'Why?' asked Tony.
'Ah! That's another story,' was the manager's reply.
