Daddy's Girl - Chapter 5

“Cheryl, let’s go to the casino for awhile. We both need a break. I’m restless, I don’t feel like just sitting here watching TV all night.” Sam looked her hopefully.

“I don’t know, Sam. I’m so tired. It’s been a long week. Can’t we just stay home and spend some time alone together tonight?” Cheryl was in her black sweat pants and an old, red comfortable sweatshirt, two sizes too big for her. She didn’t want to leave the peace and quiet of home.

“C’mon Cheryl, it’ll be fun, don’t you think? We won’t stay too long, just a couple of hours. Please?”

Wanting to please him, Cheryl forced a smile. “Okay, let me change and freshen up a bit then. It’ll take me a couple of minutes.” Getting up, Cheryl went to the bedroom to change. “Did you get all the work done on your truck today?” She yelled from the bedroom while she changed.

“Almost, I’m going to wax it tomorrow afternoon while you’re down visiting your dad. I washed her up today, she looks great. Didn’t you notice when you got home?” Sam was almost obsessive about keeping his work truck clean and shiny.

“I don’t know why you spend so much time washing and waxing that thing, it’ll be dirty again two hours into your day on Monday. Couldn’t you just wash it and leave the waxing?” Cheryl could never understand why he spent so much time shining up a truck only to drive down dirty, dusty roads everyday, just to see it as dirty as before he started.

“It’s a guy thing, Cheryl. Which reminds me, when was the last time you washed your car? I should wax it. I can’t remember the last time it was waxed.”

“Geez, I don’t remember, honey. I’m on the road all the time or I’m home. Keeping it clean isn’t a priority for me, I just want it to get me where I’m going and back again.” Cheryl walked back into the living room.

“Yeah, I figured as much. It’s a nice car. I wish you’d take better care of it. Are you ready?” Sam looked at her. “Oh, aren’t you changing that shirt too? It’s so big you look like an orphan in it.”

“You really think I have to? No one will notice, we’re going to the casino, not a fashion show. This is comfortable, I like big shirts.” Cheryl hoped he wouldn’t press the issue. She would just find another sweatshirt to wear, she hated shirts that fit too close and showed her overweight frame.

“Whatever, wear what you want. I know you’ll just pick another shirt too big for you, or you’ll wear one of mine. You look fine, let’s go. When did you last check the oil?” Sam turned and walked towards the door.

“Oh, I think I checked it a few days ago, it was fine.” Cheryl wasn’t sure it was then but she thought it was a good guess.

“I better check it, you’ve been down to the cities twice since you checked it then. I told you, honey, check it every time you go anywhere.” Sam headed out the door to the car.

Cheryl watched through the window, praying the car wasn’t low on oil. Seeing he shut the hood, she exhaled not realizing she was holding her breath. She grabbed a coat, purse, and her set of keys. After locking the door, she got in the car. Sam was inside, changing her radio station and adjusting the seat and mirrors while she buckled her seat belt. Laughing, she looked at Sam, “I’m going to spend ten minutes re-adjusting all that stuff next time I drive my car!”

Turning and smiling at her, “You could just leave it, drive my truck and I’ll drive the car if you don’t like me adjusting everything.” Sam knew she hated driving his truck. She was nervous every time she had to do it.

“No, no. That’s okay. Adjust away, I’ll just put it where I want it when I go to the cities tomorrow, I’ll just have to leave earlier.” Cheryl laughed, enjoying the ease of the conversation between them. “Are you comfy yet? Anything else you need to change before we go?”

“I’m fine, but you better be quiet or I’ll change all the preset stations on your radio too!” Sam laughed, appearing to be in good spirits as they pulled out of the drive and headed to the casino.

The casino was an hour away and they talked on the way. Sam told her about work, his frustration and his troubles with some of his fellow employees. Cheryl listened while she watched the scenery as Sam drove. Although it was mid-August, she could see signs of fall coming. The days were getting shorter, the nights cooler. Soon the leaves on the trees would change color and eventually drift down to the ground. She loved the vivid red, yellow, and orange colors of fall but knew winter was close behind and didn’t look forward to the cold.

“Oh, by the way, I talked to mom.” Cheryl recalled her mom’s invitation.

“When? What did she have to say?” Sam glanced over at her, looking surprised to hear the announcement.

“She wants us to come for dinner sometime soon, play some cards, visit for awhile.”

“Oh, cool. Sounds fine to me, what did you tell her?” Sam watched the road while he spoke.

“I told her I’d talk to you. I also told her it would be awhile, you were probably too busy right now and wouldn’t have time till it slowed down at work.” Cheryl watched him for his reaction.

“Honey, it’s no big deal to spend a couple hours with your folks. Call her tomorrow, set something up, okay?

Cheryl looked away and found herself wishing she wouldn’t have brought it up. “Okay, next weekend? Sunday?”

“Yeah, sounds fine. Let me know if that’s okay with her. It’s been ages since we saw your folks, at least six or seven months.”

“At least. Hey look, there’s the casino!” Glad to see the casino, Cheryl knew this was the end of the conversation. They hadn’t mentioned her dad since she arrived home earlier that afternoon.

Pulling into the parking lot, Sam parked the car in the first spot he found. It was a Saturday night and it was rare to find a place to park so fast. “You got your checkbook?”

“Yes, I always do.” Cheryl looked at him, hoping he wasn’t expecting her to pay for their night out.

“Good, you write a check for five hundred dollars, okay? I’ll write you out a check in the morning to cover it.” Sam was grinning from ear to ear.

“Okay, I guess. You have that much, right? I can’t afford to cover the check. I still have bills to pay this week.” Cheryl hoped her voice didn’t betray how apprehensive she felt.

“No problem, I got you covered. Now let’s go win the big one!” Sam loved to go to the casino and loved even more the thought of winning big. Cheryl watched him as he walked ahead of her, his pace quicker as he got to the doors. “Gimme your coat, I’ll hang it up for you while you go get some money, okay?”

“Okay.” Cheryl was taking off her coat as she walked. She handed it to him and had to catch the door as he walked in ahead of her, hurrying to get to the coat check counter. After cashing her check, she saw Sam waiting, an anxious look in his eyes. “What are you going to play?” She asked while handing him half the money from the check.

“Hang on, gimme fifty more of that, after all, I’m going to pay you back.” She gave him the money and he pointed and said, "I’m going to the nickel slots over there.”

“Okay, you want me to come with you? Play by you?” Cheryl knew he would prefer she just wander and play on her own but asked just in case tonight would be different.

“Nah, you go wherever you want. I’ll see you later!” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, “Good luck, I’ll see you soon.” Turning to walk away, he was gone.

She sat at the nickel slots and played. She sometimes enjoyed going to the casino; she loved to watch people as they waited to hit the jackpot. Sliding another twenty dollar bill into the same machine, she decided when the credits were gone, she’d find Sam to see if he was ready to head for home. She knew in the back of her mind he wouldn’t be, two or three hours was never enough. Never enough unless he was losing. She hit max bet every time the reels stopped, watching them go round, waiting for them to stop only to hit the button again. She won a few credits with some of her spins, enough to allow her to keep playing for awhile. As her credits increased then dwindled, she was tiring of the game and decided to cash out and look for Sam.

Walking at a slow, casual pace, she looked up and down the aisles, trying to find him. It was crowded, people walking, sitting and standing almost every where. She remembered he was wearing his blue denim shirt and laughed, knowing it would difficult to spot him in such a common looking shirt. She knew where his favorite games were, but unfortunately they were on opposite ends of the casino. She looked by the Reel ‘Em In slots and didn’t see him there. Heading over to the dollar slots, she prayed she wouldn’t find him sitting there. She looked down the row of people, and there he sat. His eyes fixed on the machine as his finger pushed the max bet button down, time after time. “Hi honey,” she said as she walked up behind him. Her hopes of leaving soon were dashed as she saw the large amount of credits on his machine. “I see you’re winning there.” She hoped her voice didn’t betray her disappointment.

“Oh, hi! Yep, I’m winning all right! See these credits?” He looked up her grinning.

“Yeah, you have almost five hundred dollars there! Good for you. What do you think, let’s grab a bite to eat and head for home. I’m tired honey, I don’t know about you.” She looked at him, hoping he would say yes.

“I’m hot here honey, I can’t leave now. C’mon, let’s stay a little longer. Are you out of cash? I’ve done pretty well tonight, here.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out what looked to be a sizable sum of money.

“Oh my God, how much have you won tonight?” She couldn’t believe he was winning.

“Enough. I won a couple jackpots. I’m lucky tonight. Here, take another hundred. You know where I am if you need more. Go play for awhile. Try to have some fun, would you?” He winked at her, then turned back to play the machine.

Walking away, she took the hundred dollar bill he gave her and stuffed it in the back of her checkbook. She only spent sixty of the two hundred he let her keep, so she decided just to keep the extra money just in case it was needed later. She sat down at another nickel machine, put a twenty in the slot, and began to play. She knew there was no sense trying to talk him into leaving now. He would never leave thinking he was on a roll. She would have to just play and wait.

The sun had come up hours ago, she looked at the clock. “Damn it, its nine o’clock in the morning. Already.” She spoke out loud, knowing Sam wouldn’t hear her; he was fast asleep in the back seat. Fighting to keep her eyes open, she turned up the radio and lit a cigarette. She was driving home after she finally convinced Sam it was time to get out of the casino. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed with him, the thick stack of twenty and hundred dollars bills were gone, all put back in the slot machines. His streak of luck went from hot to cold; he wasn’t happy, she wasn’t happy. When he found her at five o’clock in the morning, he asked her to write a check for another five hundred dollars. After convincing her he had the money and would give it to her the next day, she agreed to write it on the condition they left within the next two hours. Five hundred dollars and four hours later, they were finally on their way home. She was glad she stuck the hundred dollar bill away and didn’t tell him about it; now she had two hundred dollars in her purse and that somehow made her feel better. She won a small jackpot and hid the other hundred dollar bill along with the first one.

When she pulled in the drive way, she turned and shook Sam’s leg gently, rousing him out of his sleep. “C’mon, Sam. We’re home. Time to go to bed for a couple hours.” She got out of the car and looked through the window. She opened the back door and shook him harder, “Sam, get up. Wake up now, you need to get in the house and go to bed.”

“Okay, I’m coming.” He looked up and saw they were home and grabbed his shoes off the floor. She unlocked the door and let him in first. She walked in behind him and looked at the answering machine to see if there were messages. She saw the “1” flashing and pressed the play button.

”Cheryl, it’s Sandy. Just wondering if you were on your way down. I’m leaving for the rest of the day. Marlene is here with your dad, so if you can’t make it down, don’t worry. He’s not alone here. Talk to you soon. Call me, let me know when you’re coming down again.”

Cheryl sat down at the kitchen table and slipped her shoes off. Pulling her cigarettes out of her purse, she felt guilty for not being down with her dad. She knew she couldn’t go today; she was too tired and couldn’t drive without getting some sleep. She’d have to go tomorrow afternoon, after her appointments were finished. She heard Sam in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. “Sam, how long are you going to sleep? Do you want me to wake you up at any certain time?”

“Aren’t you coming to bed with me? You haven’t slept either you know.” Sam walked out of the bathroom and looked at her.

“I don’t know if I can sleep, honey. I have a tough enough time sleeping at night let alone in the middle of the day. Maybe I’ll just lie down on the couch for awhile, watch some TV. Go to bed, get some sleep.” Cheryl didn’t want to go to bed, she didn’t think she could sleep.

“You’re angry, aren’t you? I’m sorry, okay. I know I got a little carried away. Shit. We should’ve left when you asked me the first time. How can I be so stupid? How do you put up with me?” His eyes begged her for understanding.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now, Sam. Nothing. Maybe we shouldn’t go there anymore. This happens more and more lately, we really waste a lot of money there.” Cheryl looked at him, wanting to be angry, but she couldn’t. She knew he was sorry; she could hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes. “I’m not angry, just disappointed. You said last time you wouldn’t do it again, and here we are, in the same spot.”

“I’m not the only one who spent the money, Cheryl. Don’t blame me for all of it. You had fun, you know you did.” He was defensive, he didn’t like hearing his own words come back to haunt him.

“I’m not saying you’re all to blame. I’m just saying it’s getting too expensive. We can’t afford to do this. I’m as guilty as you are. We really need to find something else to do, something you can enjoy without it costing so much money.” She didn’t believe she was to blame, but she accepted the blame anyway. If anything, she thought she was too nice, too willing to accommodate him. She was too willing to see him happy and in a good mood rather than sulking when he didn’t get his way.

“I gotta go to bed, I’m exhausted. Are you coming or not?” He asked as he took out his keys, wallet, and empty money clip out of his pockets.

“No. I don’t think so. I don’t want to crash, I just need a nap. Then I’ll sleep tonight, maybe even get a good night’s sleep for a change. Go get some sleep. We can talk more later on if you want.” Cheryl put out her cigarette and looked at him.

“Well, we’ve pretty much decided we’re not going to the casino, right? So there’s no more to say about it. Just let me sleep till whenever, I’m sure I’ll still sleep tonight. I’m turning the phone off in the bedroom.” Sam walked out of the kitchen and to the bedroom.

Cheryl went and got her sweat pants out of the bedroom and gently shut the door as she left the room. After changing clothes in the bathroom, she turned the TV on; making sure the volume was low. Grabbing her blanket, she lay down on the sofa and covered up. She watched TV for only twenty minutes before she drifted off to sleep.

Waking up, Cheryl could see by the time on the clock she slept most of the day away. After making some coffee, she sat down in the chair next to Sam’s, hesitant to start the conversation she knew he would never initiate.

“Sam, I need you to write me a check. I need to deposit it right away in the morning.” Looking at him, Cheryl could see he was still tired.

“Do you need it right this minute?” Sam looked over at her, waiting for her to tell him it wasn’t necessary to deal with it right away.

“Yes, I don’t want to forget. I know you’re tired, but it’ll take you two minutes to do it. Please?” Cheryl tried to keep her voice light, her tone easy.

“Fine. I’ll write it now.” Slamming the foot rest into the recliner, he walked to his desk and yanked his checkbook out of the drawer. “How much do you need?” He said abruptly.

“A thousand dollars, hon. I wrote two checks last night, remember?” Cheryl knew he wouldn’t want to hear the total; she also knew without a doubt he knew how much he had to give her.

“Christ, I don’t know if I have that much.” Sam was peering over his checkbook as though the numbers would change if he stared long enough.

“Sam, you told me last night you had enough to cover the checks. What’s the problem here?” Cheryl could feel her anger rising.

“I can write you a check for five hundred. I have enough, but I need cash when I’m working. If I write you a check for a thousand dollars, I won’t have anything left for the week.” He stared at her, waiting for her to answer.

“Sam, I told you, I have bills to pay this week. I can’t afford to cover that check and pay the bills that need to be paid. I knew this would happen. I knew it.” Turning away, Cheryl reached for a cigarette.

“Would you at least try to understand here? I can get you the rest of the money when I get paid. Can’t you wait until then?” His voice gave way to his frustration.

“I do understand. We shouldn’t have stayed if you didn’t have the money. Fine, whatever. I’ll hold the bills until Friday. But on Friday, you’ll need to give me the five hundred plus the other three hundred you give me every week.” Cheryl knew it was useless to argue with him.

“That’ll take most of my check. Can’t you do without the three hundred next week? When do you get paid?” Sam was angry now; she could see it in his eyes.

“I get paid on Thursday. But Sam, that’s our deal. You give me three hundred a week, to help pay the bills. All of my check goes to the household, so I don’t see where you shouldn’t give me what we agreed on. You make between eight and nine hundred dollars a week, that’s take home! You have a savings account, get some money from there if you need it. I’m willing to wait until Friday for all the money spent at the casino, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to give me the three hundred. It’s not fair of you to just decide not to give it to me because you got carried away at the casino!” Cheryl could hear her tone, she was shouting. She silently chastised herself, yelling at Sam only provoked him.

“Cheryl, I’ll give you five hundred dollars now, and again on Friday. That’s the best I can do. I’ll have to figure out how to get you the rest. Maybe next week I can give you six hundred instead of three.”

Looking at him, she knew the battle was over before it even began. “Fine, Sam. If that’s the best you can do, I’ll deal with it.” Putting her cigarette out in the ashtray, she got up. “I have to call Sandy, let her know I’m coming down tomorrow.”

“You aren’t working tomorrow?”

“No, I’m going to see dad. I didn’t get there today like I promised.” Cheryl knew he wasn’t happy with her decision.

“You know, you tell me how much you need money, yet you’re more than willing to just take the day off and go to your dad’s side. I think you’re priorities are mixed up, Cheryl.”

Cheryl looked at him. “I have vacation time coming, I get sick days. I’m salaried, which means my check stays the same whether I work more or less hours in a week. I work more than enough to make up for the days I don’t work. You don’t need to worry about it, I’ll take care of it. This is important, he’s the only dad I have and I’m going to see him, whether you like it or not!” Cheryl’s tone let him know she wasn’t going to waver, her mind was made up.

“Fine, but don’t come complaining to me when they fire you for not doing your job. You missed two days last week. They’re going to get tired of you never being at work.”

“Sam, I’m a grown woman, and I know what I’m doing. Knock it off, I won’t get fired and they know about my dad, so they are being quite understanding about my needing some personal time.” Cheryl hated it when he treated her as though she didn’t have any common sense.

“You do whatever you think you have to do, I won’t say another word about it.” Sam’s eyes turned to the TV. She knew they were done with the conversation. Going into the kitchen, she sat at the table and called her aunt. She told Sandy she would be down the next morning by ten at the latest. After glancing at the clock, she decided to clean up the kitchen and go to bed. She needed a good night’s sleep; she was on edge, irritable and frustrated.

She went to bed, trying not to think about Sam, her dad, or anything. She said a silent prayer, asking for patience. Patience with Sam, patience with her dad, and patience with herself. She fell asleep hoping God heard her prayer.