The Bells, The Whistles, The Lights

Have you ever walked into a casino and felt that you walked into another planet. An adult playground where we hope for one push of a button, one flip of a card, one pull of the slots and we would become zillionaires. That is what strives people to return and fill the casino belly with our green tea leaves of life. For 4 years I have dreamt that dream, but alas I only come back empty or a half way full. The most I have ever won in a casino day was $300 playing nickle machines. I never spend more than $50.00 which to some, means a lot, or nothing.

The rush that you get when you see the dials spin and spin and spin waiting for 5 colors, shapes, 7's would be in a straight row and BOOM, the machine would explode spilling money in your lap and of course a security guard would jump out also. I saw a face of a thousandaire, 10,000 to be exact. She was a 30-40 year old women, short and petite and didn't seem too excited, or flushed in the face. She was with one of the Casino's "personal" who had a badge and they talked as if nothing had happend. Security had to rope off the entire section of poker, nickle machines and create a human wall so no one would get funny and try and mess with the machine. One security guy had a flashlight and was even checking around the machine to see if this 30-40yr old woman had rigged it, I guess if my casino lost 10,000 I would do a whole body, cavaity search.

A royal flush, on a nickle machine, it was playing a tune that repeated itself, the word JACKPOT bounced around the screen like some nintendo game. The human wall was just staring, wondering about what they would do with that money, pay for their house, car, their childrens education. I had a sick gut feeling while looking at the middle aged woman, I almost wanted to kick her to the ground and yell THANKS FOR GETTING MY HOPES UP KNOWING THAT I WILL NEVER WIN. ooooh if only I had sat there, at that particular machine, I would of walked out with my father like any other time I go to the Casino.. but this time I would have little more life in my step. Oh if only...if only...