Valerie Luck

"Luck never goes out of style."

Pixabay by Kyra_Starr

That is the phrase that every morning a young university student repeats constantly before starting her daily errands. And for her, luck has been present from the first moment she was born, since her father won the lottery that very day, and in honor of that, the name "Valerie Luck" was born. An only child with a beautiful appearance, Valerie is a very skilled girl in mathematics and numbers, which has also led her to immerse herself in the world of betting.

Throughout her adolescence Valerie has developed a passion for card games, roulette and anything that involves gambling. In class, she used to compete with her classmates to see who could get the highest grade on a paper or exam, and between wins and losses this reckless girl continued to feed her penchant for gambling and competitiveness.

Valerie considered herself a "lucky girl," but her reality reflected the opposite. She never had anything to share or enjoy because all her money was left to gamble. In addition, Valerie only lived with her mother who had to pay for expensive medical treatment, and to top it off, both she and her mother were about to be homeless because of a bet her father lost and had to run away, leaving Valerie and her mother with such a debt.

In the afternoons Valerie worked in a coffee shop, which was her only source of income, which, to tell the truth, was not enough to cover her mother's and her home's expenses, both of them feeling more and more pressured by the medical treatment and the possible loss of the house. One evening, Valerie left work late and decided to walk home, questioning the luck, which did not seem to be on her side. Walking a little crestfallen, the girl began to talk to herself in tears and whispers, when suddenly a silver coin rolled towards her feet.

-Oh! Thank you so much for getting my coin. For a moment I thought I had lost it.

And right in front of Valerie a woman with a hat and a strange appearance appeared with slender elegance. In her hands she carried some playing cards, some envelopes and dice, and her voice seemed to hold a charming secret.

Pixabay by AdinaVoicu

-My name is Chloe. Madame Chloe to you," and with an act of greeting she addressed Valerie directly.

-I don't usually trust strangers," Valerie hesitated as she looked at the girl.

-You don't have to. You just have to talk to me," Chloe assured her.

And without so much to think about, Valerie took the opportunity to unburden her sorrows to the strange woman.

-Do you believe in luck?- asked Valerie.

-I don't need to believe in something I already know- answered Chloe.

And taking out again the coin she had lost a few moments ago, Madame Chloe added:

-Here is this coin. Aim at what you most desire and do it with determination. Then you will succeed. Bet on what you most desire, and then you can come back and return the coin to me.

To Valerie that was nonsense. While she wasn't afraid to gamble, she was counting on nothing but the payoff from her work. Betting it all meant two things: being able to pay for her mother's treatment or being left with nothing for the next fortnight. After so much thought Valerie decided to take a chance, and in a game of roulette she put her money and the hope of being able to help her mother.

-Red 23! Red 23!

That was what the table manager announced as Valerie jumped up and down with joy as she emerged victorious.

On the way home, the lucky girl could not believe it, because not only did she have the money to pay for her mother's treatment, but she also had enough money left over for her other expenses. The joy and euphoria for the victory was evident on Valerie's face, until she got home when her mother told her some bad news. Apparently, they had to vacate the house in less than a week because the man to whom her father owed her had taken over the purchase of the house.

From happiness to frustration Valerie's countenance changed, and that strange feeling of bad luck overwhelmed her again. She spent the whole night without sleeping, until a fleeting idea came to her mind.

-I must talk to Madame Chloe again.

And so the next night Valerie walked down the same street and the same place, finding the mysterious woman sitting on the bench in the square.

-One bet and one more night," was Valerie's request to Chloe with full feeling.

-Only if you promise to be my true friend can you do it. But remember, whatever you ask for, you must do it with great determination.

Pixabay by PIRO4D

So Valerie said goodbye to Chloe with a tender embrace, sure of herself as to a lucky bet. She set aside the money for her mother's treatment, and the rest, which was a large amount, she invested in a new gamble. A new date before the same roulette wheel that had recently given her a taste of the sweetness of triumph.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, and as the roulette wheel began to spin, Valerie pleaded from her heart:

-I don't want to lose my house! I don't want to lose my house!

And then there was a deep silence broken by the head of the table:

-Black 22! Black 22!

And a shout of joy was heard from a man who had bet everything. Valerie could not believe it, for even with all her desire and determination she could not win. Frustrated and bitter, she began to cry, with a rage and helplessness that led her to meet Chloe once again.

-You cheated me! You cheated me! I couldn't win," said Valerie.

-Losing is also winning, my friend," smiled Madame Chloe.

But Valerie took it as an act of mockery. With annoyance, she took the coin, and with these words she threw it to the ground:

-Now my determination is never to see you again-.

Valerie left the park, and walked all night through the city with a wandering sadness that didn't fit in her heart. With no money and now no home, her future was not encouraging. The light of a new dawn seemed to be the premise of a terrible reality, so with total resignation she returned home. Her mother upon seeing her arrive vented her concern for her, and then with a smile and hug she told her with much emotion:

-We are not going to lose the house. We are not going to lose it.

-What are you talking about, Mom? What do you mean?" asked Valerie in amazement.

-It turns out that the man your father owed last night gambled and won a fortune. This morning he called me, and told me that the house will remain ours. That we should look at it as a gift of luck.

Valerie could not believe it, and between tears and hugs full of joy she remembered Madame Chloe's words. Anxious, she waited until nightfall to meet her, but the search was unsuccessful. Valerie regretted that she had wished never to see Chloe again, and it seems that she did so with such determination that it came true.
Saddened and overwhelmed, she decided to return home, until she received an invitation from a mysterious voice in the distance:

-Do you have time for a game of Black Jack?

It was Madame Chloe with a set of cards in her hand.

That was a beautiful flash in Valerie's heart, who ran to Chloe to give her a tight hug.

-For a moment I thought I would never see you again, for in my rage and grief it was what I asked for," declared Valerie.

But with a tender smile plastered on her face Chloe replied:

-Your promise to be my friend was greater than your pain-.

And so Valerie and Chloe struck up a beautiful friendship in which night after night they used to share and enjoy each other over a good game of cards.

Pixabay by jlaso

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THE END