Dreamers

She sat outside the casino waiting for her ride to the airport and watched. Watched all the hopeful gamblers shuffle past towards their dreams of riches, fame and fortune and life changing winnings. People who perhaps shouldn’t be here, who couldn’t afford to be here, who perhaps had other priorities, but their desperation made them believe that today would be the day. Today! They would win and they would win big.

She always thought casinos were tragic places. Sad places. All that glitz and glam on the surface but a quick scratch would reveal a sad desperation and total loneliness. Every now and then a beautiful couple would venture in … her way too beautiful sipping on her Moët … him way too fat, obviously rich, an unlikely match, or perhaps not. They would both get out of it what they desired. He .. the trophy wife …. her dripping in jewels and wearing the latest Louboutins. She could see the attraction.

Today though … It must be senior citizens day .. the buses kept coming … the clientele shuffling past her in zombie fashion heading for the cool interior. Walking sticks, zimmer frames … a few more jaunty souls helping them along. Chatting gaily as they entered the coolness. At least the aircon was as free as their dreams, but it seemed a fools compromise.

Smokers were congregating around her now, their money gone, their dreams crushed, carelessly flicking their ashes and butts, no care, no responsibility. She was repulsed, but then stopped herself … she was particularly judgemental today she thought but it had been a long few days and she was tired and impatient now to start her journey home.

She’d thoroughly enjoyed being here over the last few days at her company’s leadership conference. Honoured to attend and she’d tried to make the most of it, moving and shaking and networking amongst her esteemed colleagues. She was seen as an extrovert but she was anything but. She found this activity exhausting and completely outside her comfort zone but knew it was a necessity to fake it to make it. And now as quickly as it had come it was over. She needed the quiet alone time to recharge and to reenergise.

Her ride pulled up and she was greeted by an overly enthusiastic driver who loaded her bag and helped her inside. Homeward bound at last … tired but buoyant and looking forward to seeing her babies and her man. She took one last look at the decadence, the hopeful dreamers, the lounge lizards aiming high, the very obvious escorts and their clients.

She buckled her seatbelt and smiled. She wouldn’t trade her life for any of it.