“Shit!” I exclaimed as I saw a black cat walk before me so I clenched to my four leaf clover keychain
I try to surround myself with good luck since I was
first rejected in high school and failed an exam afterwards. I wish upon every
shooting star, bought a four clover leaf keychain and have a horseshoe hanging at
my belt buckle which looks weird but I’ll take what I can get. I also wear red
underwear to which Michael, a friend of mine, said is going too far.
It was the afternoon after the midterms where I see to
it that everything is in place. I smiled at everyone even if some are creeped
out by it. I used the lavender scent my dad gave me and a lot of people are
complaining about it considering the classrooms are air-conditioned. It feels great, especially I know that the
universe is conspiring with me. It worked for the most part as I have not
failed since my grandmother advice to do these kinds of things. Some of them
costs a fortune like the horseshoe but if it means that universe is working for
me I’m all for it.
Getting the courage from my luck charms, I finally
built up the courage to confess to my crush, Marisol. After confirming that I
passed the midterms earlier that day I asked Marisol to meet me by the bench in
the park and later that day there she was, everything that the universe and God
created by hand as if perfection had a form. Too sacred to be held by a common
man but with all the luck charm I have I am willing to give it a shot.
My heart was pounding along with the lucky chimes that
were hanging from my bag.
“Cling”
Marisol winced as I walk toward her probably annoyed
by my chimes at my bag so I held on to them so they would not make a sound. I
could fall at that moment then I saw rainbow over her head then I mustered up
the courage to confess.
“Sorry, I’m not ready for something like that; we can
still be friends though”
It was painful. Every word she says aches inside. I
loosened my grasped on my chimes and let them cling with the wind. She left
immediately after saying that. It was my first rejection since and it hurts
like hell especially when you thought that maybe luck is on your side.
Michael was sympathizing with me saying “She doesn’t
deserve you, move on.” And other generic stuff we say to our friends when their
hearts are crushed. We went to the student lounge as he treated me ice cream
and hotdogs. I thanked him and just ate my sorrow away. Eating too fast, I
choked on the bread and was hastily looking for water around me and Michael
panicked also while scolding me. He got ice tea on a passing girl and gave it
to me. As I gulped it down, I thanked the girl and she went away.
“Be careful, you can’t move on if you’re dead”
“Might as well be”
“Shut up sad boy”
He gave me a bowl of chips as he insults me continuously.
“Don’t you have newsletter job?
“We still need some shots and Ben is still butting
heads with the photographer so not much work is done”
I asked him to come over to my dorm later that night
to clean some stuff and play videogames. He agreed.
Cleaning my dorm I threw away the good luck charms in
a single box. No sadness was felt as they were really uncomfortable and
bothersome to maintain: polishing the horseshoe, maintaining the chimes,
keeping up with feng shui, and many more. I feel terrified though as they
helped me a lot and maybe luck will get upset if I do such. Asking Michael about
this he said “Give yourself some credit; it was you who answered the test
papers you passed and not those lucky charms anyway. Everything was on you
since then; you just associated your success to these items.”
He also suggested that maybe instead of forcing good luck;
I should just avoid bad luck which seemed easy enough. So I agreed and we
played video games all night and won every fighting game and lost every
shooting game.
“See? That’s not luck; we’re just playing to our
strengths”
The days after that played as usual, I try to pave my
way without relying on luck. And much to my surprise I still get the same
results and even higher at times. However, there was one time I stepped on a
mirror before the exam and barely passed, much to my dread.
After that I started using my four clover keychain
again to which Michael said is fine since it is not bothersome like the chimes
or the horseshoe.
Seeing Marisol time to time still hurt even though I
am slowly accepting the fact that she will never like me back, even saying onetime
“I hope you get that certain someone for you” which means that she is not that
certain someone for me. It would be an easier pill to swallow if she does not
explain every single time why we would have not work either way. I haven’t
opened this up to Michael but it is slightly getting on my nerves but a part of
me still really loves her and hopes for a change of heart.
Deep with the thought of Marisol, I am subconsciously talking
my thoughts aloud only to be disrupted by a black cat passing by. It startled
me and made me jumped by the bench but I suddenly calmed down as it points its
head on my can of tune on which I would eat for dinner later. I always liked
cats but it’s the first time in years I pet a black cat due to the bad luck and
stuff that I keep avoiding the past few years.
Hesitant, I will admit, but once it started to rub it’s
head by my legs I could not resist its charm. On its neck I saw his name:
Hector.
“Hector there you are!”
A nearby voice behind me appeared and jumped as she
saw the cat. It’s a slim tall lady, even taller than me by 3 inches, jumped as
she saw Hector. She was wearing a red scarf, long sleeve with short shorts,
which is odd because I can’t tell if she’s freezing or feeling hot.
“Thank you” she said as she smile at me and kissed
Hector’s forehead
She looked familiar but I can’t seem to piece it out.
“Hey you’re the guy who choked on bread last week! I
offered you my ice tea, it was 15 pesos”
Then I suddenly remembered her and without thinking I grabbed
a twenty peso bill inside my wallet and offered it to her.
She laughed.
“It’s fine, thank you for getting Hector, I was really
scared I lost him forever. I was looking for him then I gave up and sat on that
bench”
It came to me.
“Uhm, how much did you hear from my monologue?”
“Everything”
“Okay. Do you mind stabbing me with those scissors?”
She laughed again and hid behind Hector, grabbed his
paw and made a small voice
“Thank you for saving me” as she plays with the paw of
Hector
“We haven’t properly introduced yet huh, I’m Rebecca”
“Sebastian”
I was about to reach her hand when I unconsciously shook
Hector’s hand.
I guess black cats are good luck after all
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