"Carlos, why don't you sit down?" Mike said while still seated in his leather chair.
Carlos grabbed a chair and stretched his leg a bit after making himself comfortable.
"I've got bad news. We'll have to let you go.", Mike said.
Carlos didn't respond. He just stared at Mike, trying to make sense of what he heard.
After a few second's struggle with his breath, Carlos opened his mouth.
"But my machine is selling very well. Look at the people who are waiting in line to buy stuff. I had to restock the machine five times yesterday. Five times. It's crazy. You should thank me, not fire me!"
Mike looked down at the papers on his table and said, "Sorry, Carlos. Your vending machine is doing great. But perhaps too great for your good."
Mike continued, "The management has plans to revamp the surrounding area to have more space for all its visitors. They also think that we must assign someone younger to take care of the machine. Someone who can restock it more than five times a day."
"Someone nicer to all the people who come to buy," said Mike.
Carlos broke into tears.
Carlos went to say goodbye to Maria.
He carried a bag stuffed with all his belongings that he could gather from his table and cupboard. It was late in the night, and the cleaning staff scurried around cleaning the terminal for the next day.
There was Maria, as beautiful as always.
He wiped a tiny smudge he saw on Maria with his sleeve. Although she was a superstar now, he felt pity for her — Ben wouldn't look after her as he did.
There was still a pack of cookies left in the machine. Carlos dropped a coin and took the cookies. He wanted to keep those cookies with him as a memory — Maria's memory.
And he walked away.
As he wiped the few drops of tear that appeared from nowhere in his eyes, he looked at the pack of cookies he just bought.
On one side of the package, it said, "Scratch to find out if you won 1,000,000 dollars!"
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The Vending Machine that sold Luck
Short StoryCarlos, the caretaker of a vending machine, realises that it's not an ordinary machine - it sells luck. What happens next? Will Carlos's life remain the same? Read about the emotional roller-coaster ride Carlos goes through.
