We had another fight. Later I was back at my place but I didn’t feel like sitting there alone and drinking. The night harness racing meet was on. I took a pint and went out to the track. I arrived early and got all my figures together. By the time the first race was over the pint was surprisingly more than half gone. I was mixing it with hot coffee and it went down easily.

I won three of the first four races. Later I won an exacta and was nearly $200 ahead by the end of the 5th race. I went to the bar and played off the toteboard. That night they gave me what I called “a good toteboard.” Lydia would have shit if she could have seen me pulling in all that cash. She hated it when I won at the track, especially when she was losing.

I kept drinking and hitting. By the time the 9th race was over I was $950 ahead and very drunk. I put my wallet in one of my side pockets and walked slowly to my car.
I sat in my car and watched the losers leave the parking lot. I sat there until the traffic thinned out then I started the engine. Just outside the track was a supermarket. I saw a lighted phone booth at one end of the parking lot, drove in and got out. I walked to the phone and dialed Lydia’s number.

“Listen,” I said, "listen, you bitch, I went to the harness races tonight and won $950. I’m a winner! I’ll always be a winner! You don’t deserve me, bitch! You’ve been playing with me! Well, it’s over! I want out! This is it! I don’t need you and your goddamned games! Do you understand me? Do you get the message? Or is your head thicker than your ankles?”

“Hank . . .”

“Yes?”

“This isn’t Lydia. This is Bonnie. I’m baby sitting for Lydia. She went out tonight.”
I hung up and walked back to my car.