Chapter 55

Frank said, dealing the cards face up, “We have 32 cards,” and he pointed to each as he named them. “Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight and Seven. The whole idea of the game is to win tricks. Now you might think that the Ace would be high card ... it’s not. The highest card is the Jack of trump ... the ‘right bower’ ... the ‘bower’ is called that because all other cards ‘bow’ or surrender to it. The next highest card is the Jack of the opposite suit ... or the left bower. I mean by that, if a black suit is trump ... the Jack of the other black suit is the Left.”

And I said, “If a red suit is trump the other red Jack is the left?”

He gave me a look...”You’re not a normal high school kid, are you.” Wasn’t a question.

“Nope ... Freshman in college in the fall. Except ... I’ve tested or will have tested out of most, if not all, of my freshman and sophomore requirements. I’ll be a junior ... maybe.” I picked out a suit of Hearts from the hands he had dealt and laid them out in order of strength, naming them as I placed them... “Jack of hearts, Jack of diamonds, Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8 and 7 of hearts.”

“That’s right.”

“I assume that following suit is required.”

“Can’t trump a trick if you have suit.” Then he whispered real low ... trumping when you have suit and could follow is called reneging ... and you and your partner automatically lose.”

“How is trump chosen ... I figure it’s not by the turn of the deck.”

“Bids.”

“Like Bridge?”

“You play Bridge?”

“No ... but I know how.”

“Studied it?”

“Nope...” And I went for it. “If an ancestor of mine had done whatever ... I can do it. Carl Jung called it ‘the collective unconscious.’

“Carl Jung?”

“Contemporary of Freud ... there were three famous ‘shrinks’ that used to go to conferences and complain that the other two were crazy. Anyway ... if an ancestor has done it ... so can I. Ask Junior if I could fly when I was 4.”

“The Princess?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Why would she know?”

“Her airplane.”

“Hmm...”

The front door opened, David Austin, the marina factotum, and Mr. McGaha, the Realtor, stepped through. They looked over at old Frank ... and said, “Game of three hand, Frank?”

“Nope ... but Tyche and I’ll take you on.”