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Disclaimer: Grim Fandango belongs to LucasArts. I'm not making money with this story and I'm not associated with the company in any way.
This is dedicated to Rei Nokato.
HE COULD HAVE TOO
It was a very quiet night. Manuel Calavera sat in his club, leaning to the bar with a half drunk drink in his hand. Behind the bar stood a young lad who had come to replace the regular barman. The poor man had caught a nasty flu.
The cackle of roulette tables, dark curses and exclaims of the lucky could be heard from the small casino in the back. However, they weren't loud enough to bury the notes of the gloomy piano.
Two seats from Manny sat a woman. She was pretty and the red dress she wore made her look more beautiful than she really was. She kept both her hands in sight and played with her empty glass. There had been a man with her earlier, but he had soon gone to enjoy the opportunities the casino offered.
Manny sipped his drink, listened to Glottis play and glanced at the woman every once in a while. She seemed to be paying no attention to anything but her glass, but Manny knew she was just bluffing.
"Do you want another drink?" he asked turning to her. She was startled slightly.
"No thank you," she said. She sounded surprised and alarmed. Manny guessed she had just arrived to Rubacava. Newcomers were all alike; afraid of their every step and word, as if fearing that something terrible was about to happen at any minute. He had told them again and again that the worst had already happened, they had died, but it had had no effect.
Old habits die hard, he thought as he looked at the woman's stiff form.
"A wise decision," he said. "From what I've heard about the casino tonight, your husband won't soon be able to pay even for the one you just had."
"Not husband. Boyfriend," the woman said. "And I can pay for my own drinks."
"Suit yourself." Manny turned away and finished his own drink. It tasted bitter and he decided that he wouldn't have it in his bar anymore.
His business in Rubacava had blossomed nicely. At first it had been a little difficult to get money to repair the old Rub-A-Mat and furnish it, but he had managed to convince a local mighty man of the benefits and get a loan. Now, three months later, he had almost paid everything back to Maximino.
While working for the DOD he had never even dreamed of owning his own place one day. Now he could come and go as he wanted, say whatever popped in his mind and lift his feet on the table. He made money with other souls' weaknesses without revealing his own to anyone. It was the kind of life he had always wanted.
And then there was Glottis. Manny couldn't have hoped for a more loyal friend and he couldn't name anything he lacked.
It was late, but Rubacava was alive and he in his element. At night he was able to suppress the guilty nag inside him and concentrate on doing what truly mattered to him.
A man stepped out of the casino and Manny instantly recognised him as the woman's date. He had loosened his tie a little and a desperate expression marked his face. Not everyone can get lucky, Manny thought to himself.
"How much did you lose?" the woman in the red dress asked in a low tone.
"Much," the man replied whispering. Then he turned to the barman. "Give me a drink. Anything will do."
"Can you afford it?" Manny asked, gesturing his employee to remain still.
An expression Manny had seen many times during the months appeared on the man's face. It told of soul's desperate anger at the situation he had caused himself. Some years ago Manny had seen it on his own face when looking in the mirror, but practise had made it go away.
"I'll pay," the woman promised for her boyfriend and opened her purse.
Manny couldn't be bothered to stay and watch how the couple drank and talked in low voices about their future and where they'd now get the money for tickets. He hated hearing how people talked about their problems. It wasn't that he was guilty his roulette tables had been the end of many souls' journey but he didn't like the thought that he could have done something and helped.
After taking the stairs to the lobby he heard how Glottis stopped playing downstairs.
He walked to his office. It was the only place where he could truly be in peace. It was spacious, comfortable and he loved the balcony that went around the building. At many nights he merely stood there, watching the lights of Rubacava.
He did it again. It was a little cool outside, but there was no wind. He leaned against the rail and looked down. The sea glittered in the moonlight and the neon lights in the town were pulsing with life. Street lamps decorated the finer streets, a fire or two was lit at the docks and pale light flowed out of the windows of the many buildings. Rubacava was a beautiful place at night.
Three months since he had arrived. Numerous souls had come to Rubacava after him. At first he had kept an eye on them to find the woman for whom he was in this situation. He had asked people if they had seen Mercedes Colomar. He and Glottis had looked for her in the Petrified Forest. Almost every day in the beginning, then a couple of times, and finally only once a week.
Now it was two weeks since he had done anything to find the woman. Taking care of a successful club took a lot of time and he had convinced himself that he couldn't keep an eye on every soul that knocked the gates of Rubacava.
He didn't have to turn around when he heard steps behind him. It could be nobody but Glottis. Manny took a cigarette from his pocket and stuck it between his teeth.
"You gave free drinks to the customers again, didn't you?" he asked as he lit the cigarette. Glottis was a good friend, but the demon had such a soft heart. It couldn't be healthy.
"Yes, Manny, but they were so unhappy. I thought they needed something to cheer them up," the demon said.
"They are to blame for their own misery. We didn't force the man to play all his money and it's not our fault that she still loves him. We are not responsible for all the souls in this world, Glottis," Manny stated.
"I know, but I was able to help. She smiled at me," his friend said. Manny breathed out smoke and remained looking down.
"There they go now," he said as he saw the couple leaving the club.
"When will we go to look for Ms. Colomar again?" Glottis asked.
"Soon, very soon," Manny said. "Tomorrow, maybe."
The End
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