Paradise Lost

THE BEGINNING

When I first really began to get serious about Poker playing I had huge ideals and dreams. Things were going well here in Las Vegas economically around 2003.

My love interest during this time , Sean, had won a substantial amount of money playing poker and in standard tax evading pattern had someone help him set up an account in the Bahamas to secure his money.


I had my real estate liscense, and we had agreed to buy a a condo partly an investment but thinking it would also bring us closer together living with each other.

We had talked seriously about having a future together.

With a diamond engagement Pendant He vowed that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

Money is no object when you are in love. I happily gave everything I made to him trusting that he would take care of us. Perhaps foolishly,,,or maybe not. To help with the purchase of the condominium I gifted him 9,999 dollars December 31 and then 9,999 January 1st to help him towards the purchase.
He eventually brought his own money back into the States through a local casino.. and then he bought the condo for cash.

I was able to use my Real Estate knowledge to bargain the best deal. The market was so booming turnover was so high,,that he suggested we sell the condo BEFORE we were EVER even moved in for a substantial profit. There was never a better time in Vegas to buy a home then this time. It was extremely profitible and allowed us the means for bigger dreams and so we had a new plan.

THE NEW DEAL

We were going to live our dreams in Costa Rica,, an island paradise. We would buy a business there, a restaurant/nightclub. We took a little trip and while I enjoyed the fine island tropical paradise, He went around doing business dealings.

I went sightseeing around Beautiful Costa Rica Island while Sean was dealing with business. I went topless sunbathing at Manuel Antonio beach sipping Pina Coladas in the warm tropical sun. A young local tour guide named Juan Julius saw me there and showed me some sights . He told me about all the adventures of the Island, and I looked forward to returning to swim with dolphins, do a little deep sea diving and snorkling. I could enjoy the Latin Nightlife, Salsa dancing and Latin beats. He was willing to show Sean and I the hottest places.

My plans were to have Sean take me sailing, fishing, and for a hobby i would work on photographing native wildlife in the local rainforest and volcanic lands. We could go horseback riding on the beaches, surfing and take romantic walks on the beach in the evenings after we ate at the machu pichu. We could have fresh seafood and sushi daily. The good life.

Most evenings I would spend my time playing poker. Life was going to be easier,,in this paradise of earth there was Everything you could imagine to enjoy there.

Walking through the neightborhood of Gringo Gulch in San Jose Costa Rica on my way To the Horseshoe Casino and Card Room, I was flipping through my English- Spanish dictionary. I was considered how imperitive it was that I absorb myself into the language of this new land since this would be my future home.

I was not completely lost as many of the local residents spoke English well enough for me to understand,but I thought it wise to study .

My spanish was rusty, but I had studied it for about 5 years in high school and in college. The important thing was that I had many important words memorized: "sube" to raise and "paga" to call . And in the event that a pot that rightfully was mine was pushed in another direction: "desculpe senor, el dinero del juego de poker es mio".

Dream Becomes Nightmare.

We had a business dinner with a friend of Seans. Mostly I just listened,,I thought he was better at handling money matters .Sean said "I need to get the money there", " His friend, Arturo who works for an online sportsbook there, was eager to help for a nominal fee. "I do this kind of stuff all the time, let me help you get the account set up". So all of these things came to pass and the money was finally in the bank.

Eventually Sean needed to pay for the business, so he tried to get a certified check written for the payment.

Turns out the account is frozen. So, after much back and forth, with the banking management, he came to me " I have discovered that I'm suspected of laundering money."

Turns out that Seans 'friend' WAS laundering money for people.And he used the same banks/process to get all the money into the country. And, giventhe standard tax evading pattern, Sean couldn't prove the money was his and not drug-related. So the Costa Rican government was going to keep it. The moneywas under arrest, even though Sean had not been charged with a crime.

OUR PARADISE WAS LOST.

All appeals and such were exhausted.So, now, Sean was poor.Terribly Poor.appeals?? Mostly administrative hearings.In the end he did learn how to say '****sucker' in Spanish. So he said it was not a total loss.

However it was Sad. Devastating.I was not as devastated as I had not lost as much as Sean. He was so depressed that I didn't hear from him for 3 weeks. That is, until I heard through an aquaintance that He had just purchased a fine house in the northwest side of Las Vegas and had been going out partying nightly on those nights he had texted me how devastated and crushed he was that he was broke. Strange indeed. Where did his newfound money come from? I never could figure it out. HOw all of this happened. I didn't want to try to figure it out. I learned How to say **** sucker in Spanish. I had to cut my relationship off from Sean.

" Hope is still a Spectre in a ruin bare" . ---H cooleridge

I promised myself that in the future I could not ever give My Love to someone who would Not Embrace it. Never again could I give My Affections to one whose affection was not returned. I would not let the evil deeds of others prevent me from loving again.
Better to Love with A guarded Heart then not to love at all.

Live and learn they say,,,but there are mistakes which are so terrible,,,that the lesson seems unnecessarily cruel.