Lucky Coincidence
Margaret had a dog, a husband, and a neighbor named Alfred Bennett. In the evenings, Margaret would walk her dog, and Alfred would walk himself. They strolled around the block, engaging in conversation.
“You don’t look well, Alfred,” remarked the compassionate Margaret. “Like a plant that hasn’t been watered for weeks. All because you’re not married. You weren’t married yesterday, nor are you today… I’m afraid I’ll see you single again tomorrow.”
“Oh, you’ll see it, alright!” the neighbor nodded weakly, lost in his thoughts. “I might consider bringing a woman home, but the right moment just hasn’t come along.”
“You’re waiting for some extraordinary chance!” Margaret said while managing her dog. “But waiting like that, dear, you could end up waiting forever. I have a lovely cousin who’s quite eligible…”
“Let’s skip the lovely cousin,” Alfred answered with a sigh. “I’m sure your relative is wonderful, but happiness can’t be forced.”
They circled the block a second time. The dog was content, the neighbor was gloomy, and Margaret found their dialogue amusing.
“Why don’t you take the initiative, Alfred?” she asked. “Why don’t the usual methods of ‘meet-fall-in-love’ appeal to you?”
“Because history shows that the best things happen by accident!” argued the well-read neighbor. “Look at history. Columbus accidentally discovered America. Chemist Plunkett invented Teflon by accident. Physicist Roentgen discovered radiation by accident…”
“…and Alfred Bennett accidentally got married?” Margaret laughed. “Bravo! You’d be a fine addition to that prestigious list.”
“Marrying the first woman just to fill a void doesn’t take much wit,” grumbled the stubborn neighbor. “But that’s not my way. Chance must play the leading role!”
“Breathe, Alfred!” encouraged Margaret. “Take deep breaths while you’re outdoors. It’s a pity to look at you, pale and with red eyes… My husband is married to me, and that’s why he’s so rosy and cheerful.”
The neighbor obediently breathed deeply. Light from the house’s windows cast yellow and pink squares under their feet, reflecting the curtain colors.
“We’re having a nice walk! And my cousin…” Margaret hinted again.
“No cousins!” Alfred waved his hands. “Forget about her! I’m certain meeting someone through an introduction won’t work. There won’t be any chance, no surprise. Nothing will stir inside me, and I won’t find myself saying, ‘Wow, what a stroke of luck!’”
“She would argue with you,” Margaret replied. “But we’ll leave her alone since you insist. Breathe, Alfred, just breathe.”
“You scoff at ‘lucky coincidences,’ but what about you?” Alfred pressed on. “Remember, you weren’t looking for a husband, were you? Nor was he looking for you. Yet, you ended up meeting unexpectedly, falling in love, and getting married. Am I right?”
Alfred hit the nail on the head, and Margaret had no comeback.
“Yes, Jack and I met by chance,” she confessed while fiddling with the leash. “Quite absurdly, in fact. Did I ever tell you? I was twenty and went to the town ice rink…”
“Let me guess!” the neighbor interrupted. “Your future husband was there too, and you bumped into each other on the ice, maybe even ended up in a tumble together, and became friends afterward?”
“Alas, dear analyst, it was different!” Margaret said. “I went to the rink, but Jack did not…”
“That’s strange,” Alfred noted. “So where did you meet him?”
“After the rink,” Margaret explained. “I missed the bus and was walking home with my skates slung over my shoulder. Cutting through an alley, I slipped near Jack’s car, landed awkwardly on the pavement, bruised myself, and my skates slid right under his wheel.”
Alfred snapped his fingers; the scene was coming together perfectly.
“See, all those random and fortunate circumstances came together!” he exclaimed. “You could have skipped the rink that day, right?…”
“I didn’t want to go,” admitted Margaret. “But I had an argument with my previous boyfriend, the evening was ruined, and I wanted to take my mind off things and be alone.”
“There you go!” Alfred triumphed. “So many random factors. You might not have fought with your friend. Might not have gone to the rink. You could have caught the bus, so you wouldn’t have had to walk… Ultimately, you could have avoided the fall and walked past the unfamiliar Jack, disappearing into the darkness…”
“You’re right,” Margaret agreed. “But it happened the way it did. I landed, cried out, my skates flew away, and Jack…”
“…rushed to help, shouting, ‘Are you alright?’” Alfred guessed.
“No. He came over and asked, ‘Miss, did you just ditch your skates?’ I told him, ‘Not funny, silly!’ And he retorted, ‘Takes one to know one!’ And that’s how we ended up together.”
It was all Alfred needed to hear. Margaret and Jack’s marriage was undeniable proof of the power of happy accidents over boring deliberation.
“Fate brings together the ones it deems fit!” Alfred proclaimed. “You know, neighbor, I’m working on my own formula for meeting women.”
“Is that why you spent another night glued to the computer?” Margaret chastised. “No wonder you’re pale as a ghost. I could understand if you were online dating, but you’re on another mission.”
“Online dating?” Alfred snorted dismissively. “Such childishness. I once saw a girl with intriguing features. Her face seemed full of tenderness and mystery, and in her smile, there was a hint of unrequited sorrow.”
“How romantic!” Margaret praised. “If I were single, I’d fall at your feet, dog and all. But I can’t. But my pleasant cousin…”
“No cousins!” Alfred declared firmly. “So, I saw this enchanting lady online and wrote her: ‘It felt like being by the sea, where the waves rarely meet city travelers…’”
“And how did she respond?”
“That angel replied to me akin to Jane Eyre’s wit: ‘Are you for real or just a total dolt?’ And I realized it wasn’t meant to be.”
Margaret laughed, joined by the dog’s melodic howling.
“I have a mathematical mind!” Alfred pointed out with a wag of his finger. “Working late into the night, I’m calculating the probability of meeting a woman I’ll love by chance. Progress is slow, but it’ll happen one day. An accidental meeting, an unexpected twist, an unforeseen beginning of something significant…”
“I truly hope your lucky coincidence finds you soon!” Margaret conveyed sincerely.
And they parted ways. Margaret went home to feed her kids, dog, and husband, while Alfred went back to ponder over his formula for spontaneous love.
***
That evening, Alfred also stepped out for a breath of fresh air. Margaret and her dog weren’t at the entrance, but a girl was cycling by. Distracted, her wheel went into a pothole, causing her to fall with a shriek right at Alfred’s feet.
Perhaps he was a bore, but a cold-hearted man he was not. He rushed to assist the fallen cyclist. The girl had cornflower-blue eyes, golden hair, and shapely legs.
“Careful!” said Alfred, helping her up. “Why fall on the hard pavement? It’ll ruin your bike…”
“I didn’t mean to,” grimaced the blue-eyed girl, clutching her knee. “I hadn’t planned on cycling through here! Don’t just stand there like a bump on a log, lend me your arm! Oh, I’m feeling dizzy… Nice to meet you: I’m Ariadne!”
Alfred tended to the injured girl on a nearby bench before fixing her bicycle. It seemed Alfred was overjoyed by the unexpected newcomer. She neatly fit into his theory of chance encounters.
Margaret discreetly watched them from behind the curtain. She knew that her cousin Ariadne had torn two skirts and gotten five bruises while perfecting the art of falling off her bike at just the right moment…
