Aside from the plates, I also brought home the antique dealer’s interesting story about how he was able to prevent an impending bankruptcy because he got hooked on gambling in the casino.
For two and a half years, he spent his days and nights playing and losing. That was twenty years ago. He lost a total of P7,800,000. P7.8 million today is huge, what more twenty years ago.
He said his first love was really gold and diamond jewelry. At that time, he already had 2,000 gms of gold and a lot of jewelry. Naubos daw. Aside from the P7.8M cash, he lost 88% of his real and personal properties to the casino.
I asked him how he was able to turn his back away from an impending gloom. He said one day while he was seated at the blackjack table, the male dealer, who already knew him asked why he goes to the casino every day.
Card dealer—-“Bakit lagi ka dito? Araw-araw nakikita kita”.
Antique collector—-“Gusto ko kasing manalo. Gusto kong mabawi yung mga pera ko.”
Card dealer—-“Gusto mong manalo?”
Antique collector—“Oo, gusto ko talagang manalo.”
Card dealer—–“Tuturuan kita kung gusto mo talagang makabawi.”
Antique dealer—“Sige nga, turuan mo ako.”
Card dealer—-“Kung gusto mong manalo, kung gusto mong makabawi
Antique dealer—-“Paano?”
Card dealer—-“Huwag ka ng pupunta dito.”
Antique dealer—-“Ha?”
Card dealer—–“Sabi mo gusto mong manalo. Huwag ka ng aapak dito, huwag ka ng babalik.”
For a few minutes, he just stared at the card dealer trying to process what he had just said. He sat there motionless and speechless, then he stood up and left. He never went back.
It’s been twenty years and he has never set foot again in any of the casinos, kahit kumain o manood man ng shows.
