RED

After working all day I got home and started loading my suitcases
and getting my stuff together to drive to Las Vegas. It was around 5:30
in the afternoon when I got on my way. I got as far as the town of
Baker from Los Angeles and started having trouble with my car. It felt
like the tire was going low; it was pulling to the left real bad so I
pulled into this gas station. The attendant said he would look at it
after he took care of a couple of his customers. He said it would be
about two or three minutes. As I was waiting for him, I sat in my car
leaning back relaxing with my feet up on the door window. I was looking
at my shirt all ironed and creased and my shoes all shiny saying to
myself, I'm ready to go, what's keeping this guy? Vegas is waiting. I
was wishing the attendant would speed up a little bit, I was anxious to
go. I am sitting there waiting, looking over the top of my shiny shoes
and I see this short stocky red headed guy coming towards me. As he was
coming closer he was walking at a real fast pace, holding his right
pants leg up just a little bit with his hand, like if one of his pants
leg was two long, as he came up to me he said, excuse me, are you going
to Las Vegas? Yes I am, I'm waiting for the attendant to fix my tire,
looks like it has a nail in it. As soon as this guy looked down at my
tire he said, hell I can fix that if you give me a ride to Vegas. I can
fix it in a minute or so, if that's ok with you.
Sure if you can fix it, I'll give you a ride. The guy looked like he
had been walking for a while and he looked tired and he was an older
man and a little dusty but he seemed ok. As he was fixing the tire he
said, if you would give me a ride all the way into downtown Vegas, I'll
bring you a lot of good luck. I said, oh you will. We'll see how much
luck you have when we get there.
It seemed like in just a few seconds as he grabbed a hold of the tire
it was fixed. How did you fix that so quickly? That was real fast work.
He said, it's magic and then he laughed. Go wash up so we can get on
the road.
When he came out of the men's rest room I notice he had on a different
shirt.
I don't know how he changed; he had no suitcase with him. I didn't want
to embarrass him by asking where he got the shirt, maybe someone left
it in the bathroom and it was clean and he just decided to take it. I
didn't want to embarrass him by asking him about it; I just let it go
by. As we got on our way,
I asked him, what is your name? This may surprise you, he said with a
smile on his face, my name is Red, and as I looked over at him he had
red hair and we both started laughing, I said that is a good one, my
name is Norm and as we shook hands he said, we will have a lot of fun
when we get there.
Do you know anything about gambling Norm? No I don't. I go to Vegas
just to get away and relax and play a few slot machines. Red said, I
would teach you,
I always win lots of money when I am in Vegas. As I looked over at him
I couldn't believe the way he was dressed and looked. I thought to
myself, we will see. I don't think he has any money at all and he's is
just putting me on.
As we were getting closer to the Nevada border, I see this sign. Its
says gas station and coffee shop, let's stop in there and get some
coffee, we still have 40 mi to go. So we stopped and had some coffee
and we talked for a short while, and then I went to pay. He said, I'll
get this one and as he fumbled a round he could not find any money, I
have some money here somewhere.
That's ok I got it. As we were getting into the car I asked him if he
had any money for food. He looked at me and said yes, I have lots of
money.
I thought the guy was a little strange but he seemed ok and we were
getting along pretty good. We laughed and told little kids jokes to
pass the time.
Red said, did you ever hear this one, why wouldn't the skeleton cross
the road, I don't no, why, he had no guts. We both laughed real hard. I
said why did the chicken stop in the middle of the road, why, to lay it
on the line. We were telling these corny jokes back-and-forth and we
were having a lot of fun. Here's one A woman was telling her friend; "
it is I who made my husband a millionaire."
And what was he before you married him?" Asked the friend.
The woman replied, "A billionaire " we were both laughing quite a bit
as we got closer to Vegas. Red said, I have one more, this guy goes to
the doctor the doctor says he needs a urine specimen a stool specimen
and a sperm specimen, so he left him his underwear and went home.
I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe and he was laughing
too.
I said, we only have a few miles to go. As soon as we get there we will
check in and get something to eat. We were in downtown Vegas and as we
pulled in front of the casino to check in, I got out of the car and
there were a lot of cars and people all over checking in and leaving
and just standing around.
As I looked around, I glanced at this taxi and I said, Red that looks
like you in that cab and when I turned back Red was gone. I could not
believe it; he jumped in a taxi without saying anything. That's the
thanks I get for giving him a ride and trying to be a nice guy. He
couldn't even say thanks.
Well live and learn as my dad used to say. I checked in, and got to my
room.
I laid down for a while then took a shower and dressed and then went
down to the casino to watch the action and see what was going on. I was
walking through the casino and I saw Red standing by the cashier's
window, it was kind of funny as I watched him it seem like the cashier
didn't even see him in front of her. I don't know maybe too much
driving and I am starting to imagine things. He turned and started
walking towards me, his hands had money in them and I noticed right
away that he had on different clothes I couldn't imagine where he got
the clothes and money. He had no luggage or any thing with him.
The first thing I asked him was where did you go? Where did you
disappear to when we pulled up outside. I saw you in a taxi. He smiled
and said that was not I, it was someone who looked like me. He had this
big grin on his face.
I just let it go, I didn't say anymore about it. I kept telling myself
I need to watch this guy he is strange. We walked around the casino. He
asked me if I wanted to try my luck at the roulette table. I told you
in the car, I don't know how gamble. He looked down at the floor and
then slowly raised his head and said, just do like I tell you, it is
easy and we will win lots of money. You just put money on the number I
tell you. I looked at his hands and they were filled with more money
than he had a little while ago. I don't know where he was getting all
this money, I didn't see him doing any gambling at all, and I shook my
head and said, all right let's go try it. How much do you have with
you, enough for both of us to make some money? I asked him very
quietly, where did you get the money?
I have a special account at this casino as he smiled. I look towards
the cashier to see if anything strange was going on over there. I
thought that maybe he had stolen the money from the cashier where I
seen him earlier. Everything seemed fine so I leaned to my side and
asked him what is your last name? It's a secret, I tell no one my last
name? I was ready to walk away from him when he told me that, but for
some reason I could not. It seemed like I was attached to him. He did
some strange things and talked strange and I don't know where he got
all those clothes and the money but maybe he does have a special
account, but he seemed harmless and he was a pretty nice guy. Red let's
go get a drink, ok he said, and then let's go play roulette. Norm I
will give you $500 to play with and when you win I will be around the
casino and you can pay me back.
I told you on the way here I was not a gambler, and I sure don't no how
to play roulette. It's easy, I will show you how, It's fun and you will
make some money. All right I'll give it a try if we are going to play
with your money. Yes we are, and you are going to be real happy. With a
big smile on his face he patted me on the back and said let's go. This
is how we are going to play this game; you take this money and play it
on number #14, all of it? Yes it is $500 that is the limit here, play
it all on #14 and when it wins, collect your money, and then bet 500 on
the same number again. Are you sure about this? Yes. You want to bet
all this at once? Yes don't worry, the number will come up twice, and
you will win a lot of money. What makes you so sure that #14 will come
up? Trust me I know this table. So I reached over and put five one
hundred dollar bills on #14 and everyone was looking at me and
whispering back-and-forth and one guy said, that's a big bet hope you
win, me to. As the dealer was getting ready to spin the wheel, everyone
at the table was putting money on #14. The dealer spun the wheel and I
saw Red walking away from the table, I yelled out to him, come here
Red, where are you going? He kept walking away.
Just then the people started shouting and I looked down at the table
and almost passed out, the dealer was marking #14, and it won. I
couldn't believe it, I fell back against the chair and the crowd
grabbed me. Everyone was jumping up and down and screaming and yelling
we won. I was looking all over for Red in the crowd; I couldn't see him
anywhere. As I stood there all dumbfounded the dealer was paying me
what I had won.
How much did I win? $17,500 wow I didn't know what was going on, he was
paying me all in black chips. I was so excited I thought I was going
out of my mind. I kept looking around for Red. I looked back at the
table, everyone was making bets again and the dealer spun the wheel. I
kept looking at the stacks of black chips that I had in front of me.
The dealer and I looked at each other at the same time like I was doing
something wrong. I said to myself, "oh no" I forgot to bet the #14
again like Red said. The dealer slowly looked up at me and said, you
won again. How could I win, I didn't bet.
I didn't know what was going on, the woman sitting next to me said,
your original bet, you never took it off #14, it came up a again, so
you won.
When I saw what she meant, I started jumping all over and yelling I
won. I kept looking for Red and I couldn't see him anywhere. After a
short while, I collected all my money and went looking thru out the
hotel, I couldn't find him, and it was like he disappeared. I stayed a
few more days, then packed up and was checking out when I thought I saw
him sitting in a chair. When I turned around to tell the clerk I would
be back in a second, I looked around and he was gone.
I must have imagined seeing him. I checked out and as I was walking out
of the front of the casino to get in my car, I saw this taxi pass me by
and Red was in the backseat and he waved at me. I made up my mind I was
going to find out what was going on so I yelled out to the taxi, pull
over to the side I need to talk to your passenger. The taxi pulled
over, as we both got out the driver said what are you talking about, I
have no one in my cab, I'd just seen Red in your cab a few seconds ago.
I don't know who Red is but I have not had a passenger for about five
minutes. I'm sure I seen him in the back seat of your cab, well you're
wrong he said and as I looked, I knew he was right, there was no one
there.
I told him I was very sorry, I made a mistake. I felt like I was losing
my mind with this guy Red, who was he? Or was it me just imagining all
of this. I don't know but as I headed home from Vegas I had over
$34,000 in my pocket. I was a pretty happy guy winning all that money.
All the way back to California I looked for him, I thought I might see
him on the road hitch hiking and I even stopped back in the town of
Baker. I was always looking for him but never saw him again. It was one
of the strangest things that ever happened to me in my life.
I felt bad that I didn't know more about him.
Now that I think about it, I am not sure, if he was even real.
But I had $34,000 in my pocket, and that was real.

A short story by Norman Clifford
3-14-02