TheBanyanTree: Karma

[Roger Pye]

Back over 20 years ago I had a relationship with a woman who had a lot 
of problems and seemed to have had all her life. The relationship was 
very bad for me, to the point where I almost became suicidal. 
Fortunately I the Light of reason came to me at the last minute and 
showed me another way out of the mess. Not that this is is part of the 
story, just background to it, you understand. Early in the relationship 
she negotiated a loan for $20,000 to buy a car and put me down as 
guarantor. When she welshed on the deal I was stuck with the repayments. 
I suppose if I had whinged to the credit union hard enough I could have 
got out of it but I didn't because it seemed to me she had enough 
troubles. Instead, for the next six years until I left the air force I 
dutifully made the repayments every fortnight, and from the lump sum I 
received for my service I paid out the remaining $10,000.

Three years later I effectively went broke in the middle of the 
recession our government said Australia had to have. My woodworking 
business couldn't handle the competition, I owed money all around and 
the repayments took so much of my pension I couldn't afford the rent on 
my premises or where I lived. Early in July in 1993 I went into my bank 
to deposit the cheque from what I figured would be my last woodworking 
job. It was around $150 and I knew I had about $100 in the account, 
there would be enough there to feed me for a little while. I asked the 
teller to give me the balance, she glanced at the screen and told me I 
was overdrawn a hundred dollars! It turned out a cheque I had written 13 
months before had just been presented!  I walked out of the bank, 
stunned. In my pocket I had a $20 note, all I possessed until the next 
pension payment two weeks away and that wouldn't go far.

It was a beautiful day, sun shining bright and warm even though it was 
the middle of winter. As I walked down the street I began searching for 
a way to avoid thinking of my situation. I remembered I had come into 
town with the intention of depositing the cheque and then going to my 
(sports) club to spend the $20 on the pokies. Well, I thought, what the 
hell, it's a beaut day, that's EXACTLY what I'm going to do!

In those halcyon days poker machines took 5 or 10 cents, we weren't into 
dollars the way they are today. I got 20 bucks worth of tens and did the 
rounds, one or two in this machine or that, making a bit here and losing 
it there. Maybe 45 minutes after I started I was down to four dollars; I 
was playing one machine whilst next to it was one of the new-fangled 
machines which allowed you to play five lines at a time and paid a 
jackpot if 5 aztec heads came up on one of the bought lines. State of 
the art, then!  I put a ten in the machine in front of me and another in 
the aztec, pressed the buttons, nothing from either, did it again then 
again. I was watching the jackpot machine after the third coin and saw 
three aztecs come up on the centre (paid) line. Two reels were still 
spinning as I thought 'That's 10 bucks!' Then the 4th came up followed 
by the 5th!!

I couldn't believe it! Almost without thinking I scooped the remaining 
cash from the other machine and chucked it in the tray of the jackpot 
one which was going crazy playing music and lights flashing on and off 
and people gathering around.  Then I strolled round to the Cashier's 
window. Trying to keep calm I said "$10,000 jackpot on Number 233" or 
whatever the machine was. She just stared at me. "You're kidding, that 
hasn't gone off for over three years!" She checked the screen. "Yes, 
March 20th 1990. How would you like the money, I have to tell the manager?"

I took a thousand, cash, the remainder to be collected the next day, and 
called my sons to come and help me celebrate. When the club opened next 
morning I was waiting; 30 minutes later I walked out with $5,000 in one 
pocket and $4,000 in another and went to deposit it like I was walking 
on eggshells.

The life I lived then was very different to now and if anyone had ever 
asked me what karma meant I wouldn't have known what to say. But I know 
now. 20th March 1990 was the day I left the air force and the day I paid 
out the credit union loan. When I needed the dollars the most and 
expected it the least, the money came back to me. That's Karma, no 
question in my mind. You play fair with the Universe and it'll play fair 
with you!

woodcat