Anita Silva's Last Days. Part Seven

It was still light out for a while as we headed to Alturas to pick up some money from Ruby that Anita needed to borrow in order to have some money with her in case she needed it for the flight to Portland, OR. When we get back we will have to start checking into flight schedules for Portland, OR.

By the time we arrived in Alturas it was almost dusk, as we pulled into Ruby’s house driveway. I was hoping this wasn’t going to take too long, as I needed to go the bathroom, even though I went before we left the coffee and soda we had been drinking on the way caught up with my bladder.

Anita over the years would make long trips to Alturas to pick up Ruby and take her to Klamath Falls, OR and then back to Alturas all in one day. But Anita would go down the day before and spend the night at another friends house. Which at the moment their names escape me. Anita would stay at Ruby’s but from what Anita explained to me Ruby had some delicate cats that Ruby said would get upset if a stranger were to stay the night there. Got me, but that is what Anita explained to me Ruby would say as to her reason why she did not want Anita to stay at Ruby’s house when they would make this trip together. Ruby worked at the Four Corners Market as a cashier, but it was cheaper, like the for the rest of us to shop in Klamath Falls, OR. I used to do the same thing when Mom and I lived in Alturas. Everybody does it, to save money.

Anita would stop by her house on the way up to Klamath Falls, OR to let the dogs out and then when Ruby and Anita would finish their shopping and on the way back to Alturas, CA Anita would stop again to let the dogs out before taking Ruby back home to Alturas, CA before Anita would get back home to Tulelake, CA on her return trip home.

Anita came out finally and jumped into the car and started it up and we were on our way back home as soon as we could because that storm Ruby talked about was heading our way. As we got further down the road instead of heading left out back towards the four-way stop sign and our way home. Anita turned right as she said that Ruby gave her a check but also gave her twenty dollars cash. So Anita wanted to try her luck at Desert Rose Casino. So we turned right and headed to the Desert Rose Casino. So Anita wanted to see if maybe she could win the slots.

I discovered soon, as this was the first time I had been with Anita, to not only the Desert Rose Casino. but any Casino. As Anita loved the slots. And she kept saying for the longest time that she wanted to go Kla-Mo-Ya Casino She would always say, "I want to go to KlaMoYa, let's go, let's go." (We never did)

Anita wanted to give me half of the twenty to try my luck, but I told her, “no thanks” that I would just watch her. We had been there for a couple hours now and Anita had moved from slot machine to slot machine to try her luck on other machines. She would cash out on one and move to the next.

Anita had been winning and she had not lost yet as she was on a roll and determined to win. There had been a few people that she ran across that she knew from when she used to live in Alturas, CA. I kept mentioning to Anita, "we need to go, the weather is coming in and there may be a snowstorm before we get back home, Anita."

“In a few minutes we will go, just one more machine.” “OK, you are the one driving and remember how you are always complaining about your head lights at night being dim, and that you have to use your brights, instead.

She hit $30.00 and was ahead by $10.00. I said Anita “let's go, cash out”. “Not yet,” she said. “Just a couple more tries”. “Whatever”, I said. Then, she went to another machine and instead of losing the money she was gaining even more, as now it was up to about $60.00. “I said, “Anita, let’s go. Cash out”. “Just one more, she said” Now she had a little over $100.00. I said, “Let’s go, cash out Anita." "OK”, she said.

Anita cashed out. I said to her, while we are here, and you have the extra money, you might want to go ahead and pick up a carton of cigarettes. “No.,” she said. “It’s cheaper, than buying it by the pack from Ross’s or Jocks, when we get back home. “OK”, she said. "That's what I did too. I bought me a carton while we were down here", I said. "I don't see why not."

So Anita bought a carton cigarettes and $70.00 to go home with. I said I have your winnings now and I will keep them, so you don’t go back and try to lose it. I said, "it is better that you can walk out a winner, instead of a loser." And she agreed, but then she said, “Let me have the ten." I said, “No, OK, it’s your money." But I am keeping the $60.00 until we get back home, that way you will go home with a carton of cigarettes and sixty bucks in your pocket towards you trip to Portland, OR.

Well, she lost the ten dollars fast and was I ever glad, because I kept telling her about the weather. We get outside and sure enough, it is starting to snow. “I told you”, I said. “I know,” she said. (We both laugh)

We got on the road and just before we made the climb out of Canby, CA and turning right to head home to Tulelake, CA. The snow was really coming down now and visibility was bad. To the point, I had to keep Anita in the middle of the road, as she would drift too far right, and then too far left. That’s how bad it was. Well, it slowed down our progress, that’s for sure of reserving a flight ASAP to Portland, OR so she could go be with Shannon.

It was going to take us hours to get home now at 25 or 30 miles per hour. She then says, “I should have listened to you." I said, “that’s alright, we only live once.” I hope Shannon never finds out I was in the casino gambling while she is waiting for me to get up there to Portland. “From what Ray tells me is they may be able to operate and if she gets through the operation, she might pull through this yet. It is just not right that my daughter should go before I do. It isn’t fair, Jim," she said. (She started to cry, while still kept her eyes on the road ahead of us)

Well, after all of the scary driving in a snow storm, that I will never forget, we finally make it back home, safe and sound?

Go to Anita Silva's Last Days. Part Eight

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