A Tale of Great Fortune

An unselfish wish is true magic

When I opened the door, the sun blinking back from the chrome trim of the cars in the street all but blinded me. At first, I didn't even see the neatly dressed man standing at the bottom of my steps, looking up at me.

"Oh! I didn't see you there!" He continued to look at me placidly. After a few moments, I prompted, "Can I help you?"

An elderly man of oriental descent, he wore a modest black suit and a dark fedora on his head. He lifted his hat slowly, looked up at me, and nodded. He put the fedora back on, covering a hairstyle so severe that the marks of the comb looked like they were permanent.

I raised an eyebrow, silently prompting him to continue.

"You wished into a very special a fortune cookie last night—'For once, you control your own destiny.' You now have that one opportunity to control your destiny." The strange old man grinned. "One 'wish,' if you like."

I've always wished on fortune cookies. It was something my dad and I did since I was very young. My father: that's what I had wished for. My best friend, my dad, who was disappearing into Alzheimer's, taking bits and pieces of my heart with him every day.

I didn't have to think; I told the strange man: "Then you already know what I wished for."

He smiled, lifted his hat again, and disappeared into the foot traffic outside my building like smoke.

Had I hallucinated that? Too many long hours with Dad in the patient lounge? I collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep immediately.

When I woke up, it was morning, and I found out that sometimes wishes do come true. The hospital called.

My father had died in his sleep.



(Word Count: 299)