If the Shoe Fits
by Walter Adams

Opening:
Chris Samuel felt like a loser. He firmly believed he was one.

Chris’ luck would change if he could only hit the lotto. But of course he wasn’t the only one who pinned his dreams against impossible odds.

“I’ll have a cash option easy pick lotto,” Chris Samuel told the counter man at the King Kwik convenience store as he bought another losing lottery ticket.

“There you are, Mr. Samuel. Good luck,” the counter man said to him, knowing full well the luck of that particular ticket amounted to nothing raised to the ninth power of nothing. But he did like Chris Samuel and sincerely wished him luck. Hell, someone had to win; why not this going nowhere fast teacher in this going nowhere slowly town?

“Thanks, Mr. Hinojosa,” Chris answered. They knew each other’s names because of this bi-weekly wish unfulfilled dream ritual.

Every week Chris Samuel would buy, buy and hope. Every week, come Wednesday and Saturday, Samuel would lose, lose and buy again. The Texas Lottery Commission had a nasty habit of dealing Chris Samuel’s well-thought-out plans for the future a serious blow, each and every week, when he did not win.

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