10/06/2022                                                                    Bagdad

The California trip was awesome. We decided to rent a Winnebago for the convenience of being able to cook our own meals and not having to worry about hotel bookings and check-out times. I was surprised how easy it was to maneuver our home on wheels, especially since we were driving in crazy traffic and new to the area. We rented smaller transportation after choosing a camping site that was central to the places we wanted to check out in the Los Angeles area. Two days later we went to San Diego and repeated the process. An extra day was added, and we crossed the border and toured Tijuana. I had a good ear for Spanish because of my knowledge of French and the similarities between the two languages. My issues were in speaking Spanish, the rolling r’s gave me fits. Nearly every shop and restaurant had several people who spoke fluent English and even the street vendors and those who had stalls in the Mercado knew enough pigeon-English to engage in haggling with customers over every purchase. Despite a whirlwind schedule and heavy itinerary, the trip was relaxing, and Suzy Q had the time of her life and brought home a Winnebago filled with memories. She would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, leaving us plenty of private time. The motorhome’s expansive windshield gave us a panoramic view of the desert landscape and caused the neon lights of San Diego and Los Angeles to shine brighter. The trip revealed some chips in our amour. At a few stops along the way for gas or to stretch our legs, we ran into people who objected to our relationship. Some went as far backing up their rude stares with comments.

“Nigga lover” and “Boy, watcha ya doing with that White girl?”, being the most popular. I ignored them but I could see the apprehension on Mel’s face and Suzy Q blurted out, “Mommy, are they talking about us?”

Mel looked at me, so I answered, “Don’t pay any attention to them Suzy. Some people are raised to believe that people are a certain way because of the color of their skin. If you ignore them, they will stop or go away. “

She seemed to accept the explanation, but I knew that Mel was upset over the comments. We agreed to table anymore conversation about the conversation until we got back home. Mel moved closer to her daughter and gave her a protective hug. I could feel the tension in the air and quickly changed the subject.

“Let’s change our order to take-out and see if we can find a park. We can have a picnic and maybe take a quick nap before heading home.”

With all our goals accomplished, the trip home went quickly and smoothly. After putting Suzy Q to bed, we retired to our room and Mel wanted to talk.

“I didn’t know people like that still existed. With all the advances in civil rights and equal rights legislation, I thought we were past that kind of behavior, especially in a crowded public place.”

“You would think so.”, I agreed. “Unfortunately, there is a long way to go before people can set aside racial prejudice, and accept people based on their character instead of the color of their skin. I think we are trending in the right direction, but it is going to take time. Plus, don’t believe the issue is one-sided. There are just as many racists on the other side that think all white people are against them. Neither side is right and until they can recognize that fact, the problem will never get fixed.”

“I understand Barron, it’s just that I was thinking of what might have happened if the situation had escalated. I would have never forgiven myself if anything had happened to my little angel.”

“That will never happen if I’m around.”, I assured her. We fell asleep in each other’s arms, but the seed had been planted, and it would grow rapidly. The next day we returned to work and found out that two members of our team had been caught falsifying a jackpot ticket. This brought the entire operation to a standstill as we waited to see if the incident was going to change slot department rules or procedures. The casino industry does not want any hint of cheating to reach the public, whether it is an inside job involving employees or an outside attempt by players. Business is dependent on patrons trusting that the casinos are free from any semblance of the games not giving customers a fair shake. Dishonest employees are dismissed on the spot and cheating customers are dealt with just as swiftly, sometimes with a few bumps and bruises, but nothing is permitted to make the news. The Circus-Circus believed it was an isolated incident, but the exposure made it too risky to try and continue. Work became a drag, and it was hard to finish a shift. Mel began to call off from work at an alarming rate and if the three of us went out together, she began to cling to Suzy Q and was startled by the smallest things. She almost withdrew from her classes before I convinced her to finish the semester. I went out for drinks one night after work and she jumped all over me when I came home. When I asked what the problem was, she accused me of cheating on her. I refused to get into an argument and tried to comfort her and she responded by saying she was taking Suzy to stay with her mom. She left the next morning and said she would be back in a week or two.

I received a letter from her six days later saying she had sold the condo and I had two weeks to be out. I tried calling and she refused to come to the phone. Her mother told me I should stop calling and I agreed to it. I missed them both and was angry that ignorant people were the cause of our separation.  I had experienced racism growing up and had worked with the NAACP because I believed in their non-violent response to the issue. While I was in college in Pittsburgh, I attended a few meetings of the Nation of Islam and the Black Power movement, but I believed that the United States provided the best opportunity for success. I began to drink too much and started hanging out at another stripper club, I had not returned to the place Mel took me to and didn’t even say the name. I started looking for another job to get away from more memories. The days turned in to weeks turned in to months, six months since my two girls had left me. They say, “unlucky in love means lucky in cards”; to add to my misery I began losing a lot of money playing blackjack. During my Air Force career, I probably won more money playing cards than I did with my service checks. What I didn’t realize, was that my winnings were the result of my always choosing to be the banker, which also made me the dealer. The bank has a built-in advantage of playing last. The entire table could bust before he must look at his hole card. Playing perfect strategy, regardless of the rest of the players actions, you have less than a 50 percent chance of winning the hand. So, I lost and chased and lost and………. Time for a change. I was cruising the strip one day and decided to put in some applications. I was tired of the jokes people made when I told them where I worked. Calling me a “clown”, was probably the kindest. The strip was glamorous and reeked of money. Two of the largest casinos were Caesar’s Palace and The Dunes. Caesars was the ultimate job, so I decided to try the Dunes first.

Timing is everything. I found the personnel office and was told the slot department was accepting applications for a swing shift position. I filled out the application and the lady working the desk started to shove throw it in a pile with others when she stopped short.

“You have excellent penmanship. This looks like it was typed or something.”, as she began reading the entire application.

She commented on my Air Force career, the fact I had attended college and my experience at the Circus-Circus.

“Can you stay for an interview?”

I nodded yes and she picked up the phone while motioning for me to take a seat. Thirty minutes later I walked out with a blue blazer as a new member of The Dunes Hotel and Casino.

To be continued……

Barron Broomfield