12/15/22
As I splashed through the flooded streets of Aruba, I was grateful to be outdoors. I am an irrepressible explorer. But the day had started like the previous day, with a deluge of rain. October to January is rainy season on the ABC Islands. Hard rain followed by sunshine was in the forecast. Sure enough, like yesterday, the sun chased the clouds away early in the morning, allowing me the opportunity to scurry from the cruise ship.
As I walked, I heard a plethora of languages. Aruba is a true melting pot, with over 90 nationalities represented in its population. Due to an excellent school system, the average Aruban can speak Dutch, English, Spanish, and the native language of Papiamento. The Aruban people also enjoy a healthy economy, due to the tourism industry. I heard they were a super friendly people. So, when a man in a dark raincoat waved at me from the shadows of an alleyway, I thought nothing of waving back.
“Here,” he said. “Take this.”
It was a coupon of some sort. I didn’t take it. Instead, I stared at it like it might bite.
“It’s okay. Go to that yellow building across they street. It’s worth $10. Present it at the window on the second floor. It’s free money.”
I knew Aruba wasn’t immune to scamsters, but the man’s smile was disarming. Peeking out from his raincoat was a name badge that said, “Ramon.”
I pivoted my head in the direction he’d indicated and saw the yellow building. It bore the name Wind Creek Casino. At last I understood. I was being enticed to play slot machines. The casino across the street was betting on the strategy of giving away money to make money. I wasn’t going to disappoint them.
“I’m here with some family members,” I said. “If I bring them back with me, will they all get the same deal?”
“Absolutely. But the coupon you’re holding, that’s the lucky one. One love.”
One love. What a lovely notion. I splashed through more puddles on my way back to the ship, but only half as many as before. The sun’s magic was working, but Ramon had had a sunny effect on me too. His greeting stayed with me. The steel band players at the entrance to the cruise port terminal further lifted my spirits.
I returned to Ramon with family in tow. As Ramon had explained to me, we were all $10 richer by the time we sat down in front of our respective slot machines. But I knew the catch. The casino money can’t be cashed in until it’s played. The casino’s hope is that as soon as you lose the money they’ve given you, you’ll throw some of your own money down the rabbit hole. I banged on the start button and started to play.
The first thing that caught my eye was my starting balance. The casino had started me off with $15, not $10. I played quickly in case someone asked for the money back. Within 10 minutes or so, I’d doubled my money. When Donna asked how I was doing, I pointed at my balance. She was stunned. No one else in the group had made the free money last more than a few minutes. Twenty minutes later I doubled my money again.
Long story short, my day at the casino ended this way: The free money, which the casino had given me in the hope that I would donate my own money to their cause, had multiplied itself tenfold. As I walked back to the cruise ship, I saw Ramon again. Almost all the water had disappeared from the streets and he’d shed the raincoat. But Ramon hadn’t shed his smile. He reached for my hand and shook it.
“You won, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but how did you know?”
“Because I’m Lucky Ramon.”
It wasn’t the answer I was looking for, but it fit everything else I knew about Aruba, a fantasy island where the sun reigns and good things happen to those travelers looking for the good in all things.
#Iamnotnormallyluckyexceptinlove
