Family Tradition

This man was a crazy man, he was always leaving his children neglected in a trailer park, his shirt was never buttoned up despite the -10 degree weather in Detroit, and he believed that he was God. Yes, I said it, God. He enjoyed ruining people's lives with his tongue twisting named beers and his belching. He believed that people were all the damned creatures on Earth that would lead to his destruction. That wasn't true, in fact, he lead to his own damn destruction.

He leant up against a tree one night while the moon was low with a cigarette hanging from his lip, beer in hand, singing some white trash anthem. He wore his father's old sunglasses and he had tussles of hair all over his head, swaying with the night's air.

He laughed out loud to some unknown thought when suddenly the wind blew a card to hit him, smack dead in his face. The Ace of Hearts was the only card that he could see. It didn't bother him at first, not until a gun was pointing to his skull. It was a demon. His name was Saul Lu Grey.

"I'm Saul Lu Grey, you dirty little fucker and my card slapped you. You know what that means?" Saul asked him.

"No, I don't know what your damn card mean you fucker." he said to him.

"It means you have one heart and I'm here to collect. I will have that pretty little piece of artery right before the sun come up, and your pretty little children won't have a papi no more." the demon replied.

"You're a damn lie, leave me the hell alone."

The demon disappeared but the man hadn't. He stood there under the tree holding the card dearest to his heart while choking uncontrollably. In his hacking he began to hack up blood. The pearls of red rubies covered his face until he was on the ground in awe.

His son, Peter, was in the trailer eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The boy was only 10 and knew nothing about the realities he lived in, until the curse fell on him. The wind whispered, and under the trailer door came a Jack of Diamonds. The same card his father received when he too was 10. He picked it up and hugged it close to is chest.