B station 2

Another day in the arcade.
Along the walls are new machines. I browse among them thinking I’ll take a shot at them all.
I began my play noticing several youngsters lurking around the entrance of the game room.
School is still in…why are they here!?
My thoughts drifted back to the game I was playing.
A boy no more then nine or ten walked up to me and boldly stated that I should give him my money, or he would scream I was handling him.
How did this little pipsqueak have the wit and gall to workup a scheme like that!?
I was stun!
Than I was afraid.
Than I got angry.
This miniature hoodlum is not going to roll me!
Before I could react, thank god a security officer noticed the kids and shooed them away.

In an instant, a good life could of went bad…and by the littlest of things.

Guard yourselves out there!

bus station

I had frequently hung out at the Greyhound bus station when it was located on Randolph Street in downtown Chicago. They had a video arcade room full of machines. I loved going there to play my favorite game, Robotron. I was master of that game.

Being master, you had to keep top score on the machine, so I had to visit often to make any needed corrections.

When I’m playing, the world becomes the game.

Once when I was in the world of the Robotron, I felt sometime being pulled from the pocket of my tight jeans. ( did I mention that the room was completely dark, except for the glow from the video machines) I was startled by the sensation, and quickly brought my hand to my pocket to feel another hand retreating.

There in a lover’s embrace, where a couple dressed like hippies kissing, it seemed for dear life. Now they were staring at me. I had caught them in their plan to empty my pockets. I hadn’t even noticed they were there.

We continued our stares, wondering who was going to do what first. I didn’t want to leave in the middle of my game, nor call out.

They made the first move, and for a moment, I wondered if they would call out yelling I was the perpetrator trying to rip them off. They vacated the room and disappeared.
It seems I was more worried about loosing my place in the game, then the attempted theft that had been acted upon myself!

Strange….!!