If you couldn't trust your best friend, then who could you trust?
"We've been friends since third grade." Ted bragged whenever he introduced or talked about Christian.
"Indeed, best friends for life," Christian would back up Ted's story." Been through everything together."
They trusted each other.
Implicitly.
"Ted might be a low-life-hick," Christian would joke. "But I would die for that hick."
Christian, a dirty-dealing lawyer, lived on the luxurious East Bench of the city. Ted lived in the heart of suburbia, a recent move he had just made, afforded by his new promotion.
As the two friends strolled along the historical district, Christian said, "Just a few more promotions, Teddie boy, and then you can afford Italian suits like mine."
"Hey, I take pride in my thrift store finds. You might spend thousands on your suits, but I only spend twenty bucks on mine."
"And it shows, Teddie boy."
The two friends crossed in front of the Good Time Hotel, the oldest building in the city. Ted had spent his honeymoon there with Angela. He couldn't help but smile whenever he passed it.
"I actually have more closets filled with clothes than you do," Ted said.
Christian's eyes raised, "Do tell."
"The girls' room has a closet full of clothes. The boys' room has a closet full of clothes. I have Angela's closet and then mine. That's four closets stuffed with clothes."
Christian clicked his tongue. "You know, Teddie, you might have a little more money if you quit having so many kids. What do you have, twenty now?"
"Just five," Ted snorted. "You're just jealous cuz you don't have kids," Ted's jab lacked effect.
They stopped in front of Christian's black Lamborghini. Christian rubbed his hand across the slick top. The fresh wax reflected the sun into Ted's eyes, and he squinted and looked away. "Jealous of five whiny kids and a demanding wife. You are right, Teddie boy. I would trade this exquisite car in just to have your life."
Ted dropped his eyes. He didn't have a come-back burn for Christian. In truth, Ted loved his wife and kids. He didn't need Christian's empty life of material goods. He had love from his family. However, a few more trailing zeros on his paycheck could help.
Back at work, Ted sat in a straight chair, the hard plastic compressing his spine.
"I am sorry, Ted," Marshall said, avoiding Ted's eyes. Marshall, his boss coward behind the cherrywood desk as some sort of shield. The tension dripped off Marshall's unusually rigid body.
"It's no problem," Ted replied, squirming in the hard chair that ground into his tailbone. The humidity in the office made Ted's polo shirt stick to his back.
"Ted, you see. Well, I guess I…I guess…well what I mean to say…I don't know how to say."
Marshall moved out from the barrier of the desk and walked past Ted, and opened the door.
"You are laid off," Marshall said as he zoomed out of his office.
"What!"
Ted stared at Marshall's empty chair.
"Five kids and no job. How will I tell Angela?
How can I face my kids?"
Ted's soul darkened. "What about Robby's insulin?" Ted's middle child had brittle diabetes. "I can't lose my insurance."
Thirty pounds of worry filled Ted's stomach. He dragged it along the office floor as he walked to his cubicle.
"Good thing we just bought a huge home and doubled the mortgage payment last year. Will my home be foreclosed upon as I lose everything"?
Four months passed, leaving Ted to pump gas at the Metro down the street. He hated his job. No, hate was too nice of a word. He detested his job. But Ted didn't have pride. He had kids to feed. He would do whatever it took to provide food for his family. The next day the realtors would be over to take pictures of his house. Ted would move into a worse dump than they lived in while he went to college, except now, they had five kids to stuff into it.
Ted tried to forget his problems when he met with Christian.
"How are you doing, Ted?" Christian asked.
The two friends sat together at their favorite fishing hole. Ted chugged his root beer as he cast out his line. Rain dribbled down his face. Since pumping gas in the rain all day, Ted had become used to being constantly soggy.
"Can I be honest with you?"
Christian wiped the water off his face. "That's what I am expecting."
"I don't know how much I can take. Sometimes I think Angela and the kids would be better off without me if I weren't around, if you know what I mean. My life insurance policy would be enough where Angela could move into a decent home, and she would have enough to live off until our youngest moved out. Plus, she could get health insurance."
"Don't say that." Christian looked down at the power bait he put on his hook.
"All right. I am done talking. You told me to talk, and then you undermined my thoughts. If I wanted a fluffy conversation, I would talk to Angela."
Christian looked at Ted, "Sorry, you are right. Go on, Teddie boy."
Heartburn radiated in Ted's chest, and he secretly hoped it was a heart attack that would end it all. "I just don't think I can do this for much longer."
"Listen, I will drop some deer steaks off tomorrow."
"I can't take your food." Ted's swollen fingers felt stiff as his head pounded. The body aches increased daily along with the stress.
"I love you, Teddie boy. We've been best friends forever. You cannot stop me. How about we don't talk about the steaks anymore. Just know they will be there."
Ted couldn't say thanks, for he hated being a charity case. Yet, his bosom swelled with warmness from his friend's offer. Next to Angela, Christian was the most incredible person in his life.
"Listen, Teddie. You need a break. Next weekend I will take you camping to clear your mind."
Christian and Ted camped all the time as kids, but as Christian had risen in status, he abandoned camping.
"Wow, are you sure you are willing to make such a sacrifice?" Ted joked. "You might get your manicure dirty."
"My buddy has a cabin we can use. No dirt. Just relaxation."
Christian's offer sounded terrific. Maybe the break would settle Ted's nerves.
The day of the campout arrived. "Thankfully, Angela let me come," Ted said as he jumped into Christian's Lamborghini at their pit stop. Ted had wondered if Angela would try to stop his trip with Christian, but she seemed glad to see him take a break from stress.
"What's that?" Christian asked about the paper Ted gripped.
"It's the Million Mingle Lottery. Man, if I won this, this could change everything."
Christian focused on the lottery ticket and watched Ted slip it into his wallet. "You know what, that sounds like a great idea. Give me a minute. I believe I will accrue a few myself." Christian dashed back into the convenience store, then returned with a handful of tickets.
"What will you do with your millions?" Ted asked.
"Well," Christian contemplated as he peeled out of the driveway. Within seconds, he flew down the freeway. Ted proudly smiled at all the cars they passed. He loved when Christian took him for rides in the Lamborghini.
Christian said, "I'm sitting pretty. I don't know what I would do. Maybe buy an island somewhere. My home is paid off. Maybe I would get a fleet of classic cars." Christian swerved dangerously close in front of another car. "I would take several trips around the world and lavish in fine wine and women."
Ted shook his head. Christian's ideas sounded so short-sided, trivial.
"What would you do?" Christian asked.
"Insurance! For sure. The first important thing. Then, I would buy a decent house for my family. I would set up college trusts for my kids. My brother works hard and could use some assistance." Ted didn't need all the fancy stuff that defined Christian's already empty life.
Ted gasped when he saw the lavish cabin surrounded by trees. So serene. Christian and Ted spent the evening fishing in the private pond off the deck.
"They draw the lotto numbers tomorrow. I can't wait! I know I won this time." Christian watched the water skitters move across the lake.
Ted replied, "You can't win when I actually hold the winning ticket." He chuckled as his face lighted up." And I can't stop thinking about the premium insurance plan I will buy for Robby. We are already forty thousand in debt with Robby's medical bills. I will use that money for my son." Ted leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. It didn't seem fair. He had worked hard to provide for his family, and in the end, he was left destitute for no fault of his own. Everywhere, engineers were being laid off, just like him. But they probably didn't have a sick child to care for.
Saturday evening came, and Christian watched the lotto draw. "All my tickets were a bust." He moaned. "Fifty tickets and I didn't even score two dollars. I will never buy lotto tickets at that convenience store again. Come check your ticket, Ted."
Ted stood before the enormous bookshelf, looking for a book to read. "Nah, I am good."
"Why don't you want to see if you won?"
"Because, right now, in my heart, I am a winner. Once I check those numbers, my dream dies. Right now, I still have the high from hope surging through me."
"But that doesn't matter because, you see, Teddy Boy, you did win."
"It's okay, Christian. I will check on Monday."
"That is stupid."
Ted shrugged.
That night, Christian woke up to use the bathroom. As he passed the formal room, he noticed Ted's wallet on the side table. Christian tiptoed to Ted's bedroom and could hear his best friend snoring behind the door. Christian snickered. Ted had snored as long as he knew him. Christian tiptoed back into the family room and picked up Ted's wallet. He looked through it and found Ted's lotto ticket.
Christian opened the lottery web page and checked Ted's numbers. He had to stick his shirt sleeve in his mouth to keep from screaming. Ted had won the 346-million-dollar lottery!
Christian stared at the lotto ticket for twenty minutes. Then, he did the unthinkable; he slipped one of his losing lottery tickets into Ted's wallet while pocketing Ted's winning ticket. Christian had switched lottery tickets with his 'best friend'.
The relaxing trip rejuvenated Ted, and it ended way too soon.
"Guess what," Christian said on their drive home. "I looked in my luggage and found five lottery tickets I hadn't checked. I guess I will check them when I get home." Christian's voice came out tight and robotic. Ted didn't notice.
"Wouldn't that be funny if I won after all?"
"Won what?" Ted asked.
"The lottery. Wouldn't that be funny if one of those tickets I found was really the winner?"
"I guess," Ted said as he imagined his ticket winning. He soon would know. What a relief it would be to have insurance for his son and a lovely house for his wife.
Monday, as Ted checked the losing lottery ticket from his wallet, he heard on the radio, "One of our own residents won the 346-million-dollar lottery. Christian Thimble brought the ticket and his lawyer in early this morning."
"I'll be; Christian won!" Ted said, jumping up. "Way to go, Christian. You are a great guy. No one deserves it more than you," and Ted kissed the top of his sick son's head and headed to pump gas for eight hours in the Oregon rain.
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Best Friend Betrayal
by Stephanie Daich
