Chapter 5 Luck Can Be Bought Or Taken Away

• 4 years ago...
• After graduating from college things got a little more difficult, finding a job was not easy, I graduated with excellent grades I was the best average of the place but my lack of experience was a big obstacle for me, nothing encouraging for companies therefore the job was always won by someone who did have it.
• Getting a job became a difficult mission that lasted several months, after 3 months my parents kicked me out of the house, if before they thought I was a burden to focus on my studies now even more, although I do not know why they thought that of me, they did not put any money for my education, I had a full scholarship that cost me a lot to get and keep, but there is no point in thinking about the past.
• I got a job as a waitress, clearly it was not what I wanted, my desire was to be able to practice my career, I would have liked to be a great architect, but for my bad luck and the way my reality was going, it would remain just what it was, a simple dream.
• A woman rented me a room in her house, I spent almost a week sleeping in cheap hotel rooms while I was raising money to rent a place, one night a woman found me sleeping on a park bench, that time the hotel where I used to stay ran out of available rooms.
• She was so kind to me, so nice and selfless, she took me to her house, she fed me and gave me a roof over my head, no one had ever treated me that way, it even felt strange to receive without wanting anything in return.
• - Valeria... What a surprise friend!
• I was leaving my shift at the cafeteria when I ran into Cristina with three girls, apparently they were coming back from the mall, they had bags everywhere, they all gave me a haughty look, I was wearing my waitress uniform; I hadn't heard from her in months, she never bothered to answer my calls and messages when I asked her for help.
• - Hi Cristina how are you... I haven't heard from you in a while, how have you been?
• - Very well, too bad I can't say the same about you.... - she gave me a look from head to toe while smiling in a strange way.
• - It's just a bad streak, some luck will come," I told her smiling but that only made her start laughing.
• - Oh Valeria, always so dreamy," she put her hand on my shoulder and then looked around, "You can't get luck out of nowhere, you can't earn it, you can buy it or take it away.
• I looked at her strangely, I had no idea what she was referring to or the true meaning that those words really had; suddenly I heard the screeching of tires, it was a motorcycle that stopped on the other side of the street, a man who was walking was intercepted; a man who was on the back of the motorcycle got off and detonated a gun against the man who was walking down the street.
• Shouts started to be heard, after the detonations the people around ran away, that included Cristina and the girls that came with her, the guys on the motorcycle left, everything happened so fast.
• The other man was lying on the ground, on the asphalt there was a slight pool of blood, I looked around, there was no one there everyone had left, but I would not.
• I started to cross the street quickly while I took out my cell phone, I called for an ambulance giving the address of the place, when I arrived at the man's side he was still conscious in his face there was a gesture of pain and his eyes were filled with astonishment when he saw me.
• - Calm down sir, the ambulance is on its way.
• He had two bullet impacts in his side, with my hands I put pressure trying to control the bleeding, the man seemed weaker and weaker, his breathing was calmer and even his heartbeat was softer.
• - Please hold on, don't give up....
• I told him and tears began to escape from my eyes running down my pale cheeks, when he heard me he opened his eyes, I could not identify the meaning of his look, I had never been looked at that way; soon after the sound of the ambulance became louder and louder.
• My heart was beating at an accelerated pace, the seconds began to feel longer, I did not know that man, I did not know who he was, but I really wished he would not die, I had no luck or money to buy it and I did not know how to get it but if I had even a little bit of it in me I would give it to him so he could get out of this alive.
• ......
• I was in the waiting room of the hospital for several hours, I am not sure how many I did not keep track of them, I did not know the name of that gentleman, I was not even a relative of his, but I needed to know if he was okay.
• During the time I was in the place I saw several people going in and out worried about their loved ones, but I did not know if any of them were related to him.
• In the corridor I saw a stretcher-bearer who had taken the man inside when we arrived at the hospital, I was quick to stand up and speak to him.
• - Excuse me," he stopped, looked at me and approached me.
• - Yes?
• - Sorry to bother you, but the man who arrived several hours ago with bullet wounds, how is he?
• - Or are you the one who came with him in the ambulance, are you a relative or acquaintance?
• - No, I am not family or acquaintance in fact I already told the nurses and officers who questioned me about what happened, if you can't give me details of his condition I understand but it would be enough to know if he survived.
• He seemed to notice my concern, I fiddled with my hands, twirling an old ring on my finger that I have been wearing for as long as I can remember; he smiled kindly and nodded his head.
• - The man is stable, thanks to you by the way, he is now asleep because of the sedatives we gave him, but if it wasn't for you putting pressure on the wound he would have bled to death soon after, you saved him.
• I was speechless, for the first time in my life I felt satisfied and proud of myself, I smiled at the man and thanked him for the information, and then I turned around and left the hospital...