Story Time

From Luck To Dust

When I woke up that morning with a wave of luck sweeping over me like the first day of Spring, I couldn't believe him when he said that I'd die that day because of joy. I just couldn't believe that something so miraculous and euphoric could turn into something so morbid and dark.

I awoke to the sound of my alarm blaring. I turned it off, my eyes still closed, and rolled into a sitting position. My husband, Charlie, was still asleep beside me; I smiled at him for a moment. Then, I got up and went to the bathroom to start getting ready for the day. As soon as I turned on the shower, hot water streamed through, which was rare and satisfying. I took a nice shower, dried off and put on a salmon t-shirt and a pair of knee-length black shorts. I brushed my hair into a ponytail and was ready to face the day.

I walked out of the bathroom and noticed that my husband was no longer in the bed. To my surprise, he was in the kitchen making breakfast. Again, rare and satisfying. I walked up to him, gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, "Good morning."

"Morning," he replied. "I made your favorite."

We ate pancakes together whilst Charlie read the news on his phone.

"Oh wow, there was an accident last night on Davis Street. It was a hit and run, one guy dead and another in critical condition," he said.

"Oh my gosh, that's terrible. Do they have any suspects?" I asked.

"Yeah but you know how it is. They never get the right guy and the whole thing just gets forgotten after a while."

I nodded in agreement, and sighed at the fact that that was the reality of the city we lived in.

"So, are you ready for your appointment today?" Charlie asked.

We had been married for seven years and trying to have kids for five, but it never worked out. Twice I miscarried, and one child was stillborn. I went to dozens of specialists and they concluded that I had a fertility problem and would most likely be unable to conceive a child. For years it hurt me that I might never be able to have a child, and I thought Charlie would hate me because of it, but he'd been as loving as when we first started dating.

"Yeah, I think so, but I don't want to get my hopes up." I replied.

"I understand. But I believe God will bless us with a miracle," he said.

He gave me a hug, and got ready for work. I decided it was the perfect time to get on with the day. That day I wanted to exercise a little so I took my bicycle out.

A few blocks down, there was a man sitting on the sidewalk, his skin and clothes caked with dirt and withered. He held a sign that read, 'I'll Tell Your Future For $1", written almost illegibly, and a large McDonald's cup sat beside him. I decided it wouldn't hurt to give this man, who was obviously homeless, a dollar and listen to some lie about what my future held. I stopped my bike and walked up to him.

"Good morning," I said.

"Good morning, ma'am," he replied.

"Are you like a psychic or something like that?" I asked.

"Something like that," he laughed.

"Well can you tell my future?" I smiled.

His expression changed. Once smiling, the man's face was now stone cold. "Oh," he said. "I don't think you want to hear that."

"Try me," I replied, shocking even myself with my bravado. On a normal day, I would have just kept walking after he said that. But there was something in me that day that made me feel the need to hear more.