Forty Shades of Green

Richter had never been the superstitious type, but when he spotted a four leaf clover glistening in the morning dew on St. Patrick’s Day, he felt a twinge of excitement. He crouched down and plucked it from the earth, its emerald green leaves shimmering in the sunlight. He recalled his grandfather’s words from years ago: “A four leaf clover brings good luck; but only for 24 hours. Make the most of it, lad.”

Chuckling to himself, he slipped the clover into his pocket and carried on his way to work. Little did he know, his day was about to take an extraordinary turn.

Not five minutes later, as he strolled past an old brick building, something caught his eye; a crisp $100 bill lying on the sidewalk. He looked around, expecting someone to be frantically searching for it, but the street was empty. He bent down, picked it up, and checked for any sign of an owner. When no one claimed it, he grinned and tucked it into his wallet. That’s some quick luck, he thought.

His shift at the factory was smooth sailing. No equipment malfunctions, no extra assignments dumped on him, and even his boss, usually gruff and impatient, complimented his work ethic. It was the kind of day that made the long hours bearable.

As he was heading home that evening, his phone rang. It was his bank.

“Mr. Richter, we wanted to inform you of a clerical error on our end,” the representative explained. “It appears there was a mistake with your account, and you’re owed $1,000. The funds should be available immediately as an apology for the inconvenience.”

Richter nearly dropped his phone. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, sir. We sincerely apologize for the mix up.”

He hung up, dumbfounded. One hundred bucks on the street, a perfect shift at work, and now a thousand dollar windfall? Maybe his grandfather had been onto something all along.

The rest of the day followed the same charmed pattern; free coffee from a friendly barista, hitting every green light on the drive home, and even winning a small raffle at the grocery store for a month’s worth of free snacks. The neon sign outside the store, glowing a lime green hue, seemed to pulse in approval of his lucky streak.

By the time the sun set, Richter was riding high, feeling invincible. That night, his buddy Harold called him up, eager to place a bet on the big football game on the sports channel. Feeling emboldened by his incredible streak, Richter confidently wagered $25 on his team. With my luck, how could I lose?

But as the clock struck midnight, marking the end of his 24 hour lucky streak, the tides turned. His team fumbled in the last minute, costing them the game.

Harold let out a victorious laugh over the phone. “Tough break, buddy. That’ll be 25 bucks.”

Richter sighed, shaking his head as he dug into his wallet. His olive green leather wallet, which had felt like a treasure chest all day, suddenly seemed a little lighter. Well, it was fun while it lasted. He glanced at the four leaf clover before tucking it away in his drawer, already wondering when he’d find another.