Half of Paradise

Toussaint’s bunk was two down from Avery’s. The army blanket on it was stretched and tucked so tightly across the mattress that you could bounce a quarter off it. The pillow was laid neatly at the head, and his foot locker was squared evenly with the base. He had a cardboard box fixed to the wall above his pillow, where he kept his razor, soap, toothbrush, tobacco, matches, and cigarette papers. He sat on the side of his bunk and reached up to get his package of Virginia Extra. He rolled a cigarette and popped a match on his thumbnail. He dropped the burnt match into a small tin can that he kept under his bed.

The poker game was being organized on the floor between the two rows of bunks. Jeffry’s foot locker had been pushed out into the aisle to be used as a table, and an army blanket was spread over the top. The men played wi

th pocket change, although it was against camp regulations for any inmate to have money. A visitor would slip a prisoner a few crumpled, hand-soiled bills, and they would eventually circulate through the entire camp by way of poker and dice games and bribes to the trusties and guards for favors. Billy Jo ran the poker game in Toussaint’s barracks on a house system, by which he took a nickel out of every pot for the use of his candles and cards. He would cover any bet up to five dollars, and allow credit if the player could put up security.

“We need two more guys,” Billy Jo said.

“We got four already,” Benoit said.

“We need a couple more. You want in, Claxton?”

“Will you give me something on next tobacco ration?”

“You already owe it to me. What else you got?”

“Nothing.”

“Brother Samuel.”

“I ain’t a gambling man.”

“Who wants to play. We need two more guys.”

“Get Jeffry.”

“He’s in the latrine.”

“You ain’t doing nothing, Toussaint.”

“I only got a quarter.”

“That’s enough. Move over and let him sit down, Benoit.”

Toussaint sat down on the floor in front of the trunk and changed his quarter for five nickels.

“Start dealing,” Benoit said.

“We need another guy. You want to play?”

“I’m broke,” Avery said.

“I’ll give you two-bits on your first tobacco ration.”

They made room for Avery. Billy Jo dropped two dimes and a nickel on the blanket.

“They pass out the tobacco on Monday. Bring me yours as soon as you get it,” he said.

“Let’s start playing,” Benoit said.

“Five-card draw, no ante, jacks to open.” Billy Jo dealt the cards around. The men looked at their cards in the light of the two candles melted to each end of the trunk.

“I can’t open,” the man on Billy Jo’s left said.

“Me neither.”

“Open for a nickel,” Toussaint said.

“I’m out.”