HOUSE OF CARDS By Michaela “Andrew, step back now. And stop distracting the men,” his mother hissed, trying to be quiet and miserably failing. She had never been a discreet woman, he thought, and it was showing. She would sigh, clap and gasp with extreme expression after every move (or lack of) during the match his grandfather, father, and two other men from the pub were currently engaged in. The game of bridge was taken immensely seriously in his village, often too gravely in Andrew’s opinion. He would never dare raise this point though, for fear of becoming the victim of his mother’s often grating personality and the men who would likely prevent any chance of his reaching manhood. The small village of Atterly was well-known in surrounding hamlets as the village that was inhabited by worshippers of the art of cards. After supper the men would leave their comfortable, thatched cottages and collect in the pub to practise and compete. It was more than an evening club; rather, a religion. Just last week a duel of whist had run into the Sunday church service. Not surprisingly, the priest did not have a very full church; in fact, there were no pews occupied. Half of the congregation of Atterly Church were huddled in the pub intensely watching the event, whilst the rest were waiting for their husbands, sons, or brothers to accompany them. All were dressed in their Sunday best, and all looked rather out of place, but this did not faze any member of Atterly village, for this was quite a normal ritual. Usually, the female gender was not permitted inside the premises. However, no man dared to refuse Andrew’s mother's entrance. She was larger than all the men in the village and always demanded to watch her husband play. Andrew was never sure whether his family's history of successes was by pure talent or the consequences the opponent faced when winning to a relative of his mother. "Andrew, stop breathing." This was rather ironic as the loudest wheezer in the room was of course his mother, a woman whose name was Mrs. Hinton. Criticising her family and keeping the Hinton’s in order seemed to be her favourite occupation, particularly Andrew, her youngest son. Unbeknown to Atterly village, Mrs. Hinton had a certain soft spot for her son, and possibly even loved him. However, her affections only ever consisted of spanking, and derogatory remarks. She was the only one who dared deliver these favours though, as Andrew nor the rest of the village wanted a grudge to be held against them by Mrs Hinton. Unfortunately, Andrew had not been given the legacy his ancestors had bestowed. Unlike his elder brothers, he did not have a passion for cards, much to Mrs. Hinton’s dismay and this was a rare occasion he was watching. Usually, he was gathering outside waiting with his sisters and female cousins, not having any wish to stand among filthy men palpitating an overwhelming stench of alcohol or watch four alpha males battle to be the champion of Atterly village for the next year. He would even prefer to discover Lydia Becker’s latest sweetheart, a topic well-discussed in the village, that one never seemed to know the answer to. Andrew was well-known for being the Hinton that was most unlike the Hintons. Not only his narrow, yet average height appearance, but his attitude towards cards. Most members of Atterly village could get past the assemblage of freckles and ginger hair; however, his lack of interest for the symbol of the village was inexcusable.
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THE CHRONICLE
2021/2022
