Two Fingers and a Thumb

     Dedicado, de nuevo, a la invencible Cristina Fallarás (@fallaras). Leed A la puta calle  (http://www.sigueleyendo.es/a-la-puta-calle-2/)

“It’s all about threes.” Luisa tapped the pen against Cath’s wrist. “It’s the third bounced check that’ll nail you.”

“Third time lucky.” Cath smiled. “I always loved the number three.”

“Three on a match,” said Luisa. “You remember that? We thought we’d get pregnant.”

“Worrying about getting pregnant, then worrying about not,” Cath said. “Seems like all we did by growing up was change one worry for another.” She fanned the pile of bills due and letters from the bank and hit the panic button. “They’re gonna take the house, aren’t they, Lu?”

“It’s the third month’s unpaid rent that lets them evict you, the third defaulted mortgage payment that forecloses your home,” Luisa quoted. She put the pen down and stroked Cath’s hand until she stilled it. “Third on a match,” she repeated. “Remember how we used to go bowling, and there was that team that practiced in the last lane?”

“They were so good.”

“Remember how they teased us about getting a turkey, and we thought it had something to do with getting pregnant, that they were a bunch of pervs?”

Cath nodded. “And Holly’s mother wouldn’t let her come for a whole month.”

Luisa took up the pen and pulled the scratch pad toward her. “Well, sometimes your luck turns and you get three strikes in a row. Almost nobody knows how or why. You just get lucky.” She began going over the sums one more time, determined to find a way out.

“Three strikes in a row for a turkey,” Cath said. “But in baseball, it’s three strikes, you’re out.” She rubbed at her eyes. “I already owe everyone and their brother money.”

Luisa stood and stretched. “You know what my Abuelita used to say? ‘Donde comen dos, comen tres’.” She gave Cat’s shoulder a squeeze. “There’s always room for one more.”

Cat leaned her head onto her friend’s sharp hipbone. “I know, Lu, and I’m grateful.” She looked up to head off a hiccup. “But for how long?”

This week,   has us talking TURKEY 3: three successive strikes in bowling