THE GREAT TEAM

Rudy and Emily had been living in Brownsville, Texas, near the Mexican border, for several years. Rudy had been forced into a disability retirement after twenty years of working offshore on a shrimp boat. It had been a lonely, unrewarding occupation, and he was happy that he no longer had to go to sea.

Emily was a nurse and worked many hours. She sometime worked days, sometimes nights, and often both. It took all that she could do to keep up their modest home and raise two teen-aged sons. Rudy's small retirement helped some, but it wasn't enough to keep him contented. After he made the utility payments on their home, and bought a few groceries, there wasn't much left. He cleaned the house and kept the lawn trimmed He had a lot of time on his hands and very little money to enjoy himself.

One of Rudy's greatest pleasures was betting horses at the Matamoras, Mexico Turf Club. The Turf Club is an off track-betting parlor just across the Rio Grande River from Brownsville. Off track betting is illegal in Texas, but people flock to Mexican border towns to bet on dog races and horse races. One day Emily was rushing around to get to work on time. She realized that the mortgage payment was due on their home. She didn't want to pay a late charge, so she reluctantly gave Rudy five hundred dollars and asked him to go make the payment. She was reluctant to ask her husband to make the payment, because she preferred to take care of things like that personally. Then she could be sure and avoid worries. Besides, she didn't completely trust Rudy with the money, knowing of his penchant for gambling. Rudy agreed to make the payment, and Emily was off to work.

There, Rudy sat with five hundred dollars in his pocket for the mortgage payment. He stepped out onto his front porch for a minute to see what kind of day it was. It was a beautiful, cloudless day in early October. The air was brisk and cool and the summer heat, so oppressive in South Texas, had finally subsided. He took a deep breath of the morning air. It was exhilarating, and it felt good to be alive. He went back into the house and watched "The Price is Right" on TV, and boredom began to set in. He felt the need for some excitement and thought, "It wouldn't hurt to bet on a few horses with a little of this money. Might win a hundred or so, have a little money to spend, and then go pay the mortgage."

When Rudy arrived at the Turf Club there were races from four different tracks going on and being shown on the closed circuit TVs. He began with small bets. He was playing very carefully. He started losing and was soon down a hundred dollars. He became desperate and began betting larger amounts, trying to recover, all the while thinking about the mortgage payment. Soon the entire five hundred was gone leaving Rudy with a consuming feeling of remorse. Rudy went home feeling defeated and terribly sad. He called up his friend David and told him about his trouble. He hoped that David would loan him some money. "I'm afraid I don't have much money." David said. "I'll pick you up in a few minutes, and we'll go see if we can get some of your money back." Rudy agreed and David drove over and picked Rudy up, and they headed to the Turf Club.

David was a seasoned horseplayer and knew which horses to bet on and which to stay away from. He was retired from the oil business and had been an avid horseplayer for twenty-five years. He no longer gambled seriously, but still went to the Turf Club occasionally for entertainment. Now days he stayed with two-dollar bets and just enjoyed the races. Even at that, he knew that it was a gamble. David gave Rudy a little money and told him how to bet He ordered some tacos and beer and just sat back to watch Rudy.

After a few races Rudy was ahead over a hundred dollars. "We make a good team, David." Rudy said. "Sure thing!" David grunted. "Put all your money on number three to win on this next race." David said. "He's three to one." "OK." Rudy said and placed the bet. The number three came in and won by a nose. Rudy had his mortgage money back. "Now, let's go make your mortgage payment, Rudy" David said. David drove Rudy by the mortgage office to make the payment then dropped him off at his house.

David went home to relax, with a smug and happy feeling. He had helped a friend in need. He felt certain that Rudy had learned a lesson and would stay away from the Turf Club, at least for a while. The next day Rudy called David on the phone. "Hey David, let's go to the turf club. My wife loaned me forty dollars. Come on; let's make some money. We make a great team, don't we?"

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