The Lucky Break

The young Russian, who had ended up on the shores of Algarve, was drunk, poor and miserable. He offered people to help unload trolleys into cars, few wanted him to do so as he was a big man and looked threatening. Cold shoulders of contempt, yes he did noticed it ok and every arrow of rejection found its mark. He approached me I gave him enough money to buy a litre of wine. A litre of wine would bring some relief he would be able to sleep for a few hours, but knew he would wake up at dawn, feel wretched and ashamed full of hopelessness and thinking how to escape this misery that only drink could assuage for a few hours. Once I was drunk, skint and far from home, I went into a church for warmth, found a big money note on the floor I put it in the collection box and cursed. Hell it I could not take the note back it would look like a theft. I don’t know what I feared the most stealing or being caught stealing. The day after I got a job, no it didn’t make me religious, but it made me appreciate the element of luck in life.