This story is not mystical or out of the realm of reality, but it is fun and very true. I was almost rich with one pull of the handle and $3 EC.
In 1998, I was in Baseterre, St. Kitts, Lesser West Indies. I had two friends with me that had lived life like I did at that time and we happened to be on the same track. We wandered along the beach on one very typical 100 degree sunny hot as hell day on the ancient volcanic sands. It was so hot we sought any sort of retreat. So we found ourselves wandering into the Private Exclusive Jack Tarr Resort and Beach. It was a fully exclusive resort and very Private! With exactly $20 EC in my pocket, a free piece bread and a shot of rum sounded great, if I could pull it off!
We silently wandered into the giant beach tent. Trying to look as in place as possible (but looking back on it we obviously did not belong). I did mange to pull off a free hot dog and a free rum and coke; yet the local girl behind the bar smiled and said, "this one is on me, but you need to leave" (wink wink). So after quickly eating I rejoined my friends and we headed off the beach through the resort to get to the main road to hitch or catch a ride back into town.
As soon as we hit the main lobby of the resort there were security guards walking through (for those not familiar with "Real Carib Islands"...the guards are usually locally hired rough ones with shouldered assault rifles in jack boots...like military style). We were freaked out and we dodged into a bright room to our left as if we were a guests knowing the place. Little did I/we know, but I/we darted straight into the casino!
Wearing my sweet dirty ass tank top and cutoff shorts and a beaten backpack, I knew we were toast if I didn't do something. So I walked over to a coin machine and inserted my last bill; $20 EC. I received back a heartbreaking (20) $1 EC casino chips... Stamped by the Resort for use THERE only! Now I was in the house, literally.
I so felt like every camera and person was staring at me thinking I was some sort of criminal. So I went over to a slot machine and my stupid friends followed like they were lost and dumb. I put $3 in and lost, I put $3 more in and lost, then $3 more (it seemed like a minute of time past during those losses). I walked to another machine that was kinda front and center. It had a massive digital sign way above it promoting that these 6 or whatever amount of machines below were part of a built up jackpot system. The prize for red, white, and blue "777" (not even frickin joking was around $500,000 bucks)!
So I said "what the hell, here goes my money". I put $3 in the machine and Not Even JOKING... center line "RED 7, WHITE 7, BLUE 7"! The machine shook and started to ring an alarm and flash wildly. It was flashing above the machine "WINNER, JACKPOT, WINNER, JACKPOT". We all started looking at each other with red faces and started to jump and high five each other. The thing that happened next is 100% Not A Lie! Within 4 seconds of winning, the power in the room flashed off and quickly back on (kinda like when lightening strikes near a house and the power goes out for 1-2 seconds). We stared at the machine and the last BLUE 7 rolled fast backwards and posted a fruit. All of the flashing lights were now off and it was silent as the Rocky Mountains in winter. I was so shocked, pissed, scared, confused, and lost for words! I looked around and no one was there except my two friends. No employees, no guards, no patrons, no nothing. As we haphazardly and confused walked out to the lobby as casino employee passed and I said, "Hey I won. What happened?" I was completely ignored. I even saw a security guard and went up to him and said the same thing; he said, "I can't help you". The front desk was empty! No one seemed on duty.
So we left out the front entrance. We walked a 1/4 mile down the driveway and never saw an employee or a guard. We ended up walking 6 or more miles back into town with a bewilderment of not even speaking. Almost....
