Flight of the 2 Dollar Bill

by Brandon Anderson (United States of America)

Making a local connection USA

Getting hitched in Las Vegas is everyone’s dream, right? Well, maybe not. It wasn’t necessarily a dream of mine either; however, it happened. On May 10, 2019, my wife Kassandra and I jumped the broom at The Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. No RSVP, no guest list, no hassle. It was just the two of us being happy and committing ourselves to each other. After the wedding, we decided to head out to the main strip on Las Vegas Boulevard. We always had a simple satisfaction for walking in public, drinks in our hands, lights all around, and gentlemen offering us brothel invitations at every corner. We stayed at an off-strip resort called The Tuscany, which we still visit quite often for it’s peace and quiet, and affordable pricing. To get to the strip, we decided to take an Uber (always the best way to get around in Las Vegas) since we didn’t rent a car and didn’t want to walk too far. As our driver Omar arrived, we grabbed our belongings and hopped into his Hyundai Sonata for a fun night on the town. Little did we know, the fun was right in front of us. After the initial pleasantries, Omar asked, “What are you two doing in Las Vegas?” My wife and I replied simultaneously, “We just got married!” with a new sense of jubilation. The look on his face was one of pure happiness as he told us how excited he was for the both of us. Normally when I tell a random person my good news, I don’t always get the sense that their response is genuine; however, with Omar, it felt as if I had made a new friend through this wholesome interaction. On the way to our destination, we had many laughs and told stories of other times in Vegas. It was as if we were all good friends and were catching up after years apart. The conversation and lights flashing all around us made for an unexpectedly amazing experience. As Omar slowed down to drop us off at the Bellagio casino, he announced “Before you leave, I have something for you!” He proceeded to reach into his right rear pants pocket. As he unfolded his brown and wrinkled billfold, he proceeded to unveil a unusually crispy $2 bill. “I want you to have this,” he said. “It has always brought me luck, and I hope it does the same for you.” With extreme gratitude, we replied, “Thank you!” We exchanges a few more pleasantries as we regrettably parted ways. I had never felt so full of happiness and mindfulness than I had in that moment. The combination of just getting married, and having such a real and pure interaction with a stranger was so thrilling. The best part about this night was the fact that it was only beginning. I always take $200 to use on the blackjack tables on any of my Vegas trips, and did the same on this one. As we walked into the Bellagio, I found the table with the least amount of people and sat down. Then, I kissed my wife before she headed off to the slot machines. I handed my money to the table attendant who exchanged them for chips, and the game was on. After about 20 minutes of betting the minimum, I started feeling confident enough to increase my bets on random hands that I felt might be winners. When it was all said and done, my wife and I racket up $1200 between blackjack and the slot machines. It was such a cool feeling to walk out of a major casino, with THEIR money. We resisted the urge to continue betting and left with a pretty cool wedding gift! To this day, I still can’t help but think of that $2 bill. The well wishes and positive energy from Omar was just what we needed to take down the casinos and start our life together with an extra $1000. That connection is one that we will never forget. With all the sadness in this world, hopefully this story will give someone a little hope, that really needs it.