Astor, the gambler

The alarm clock starts to ring a little earlier than usual. He wakes up in a bad mood and stretches his arm to reach the alarm’s button. He can not reach it. Gives another try and once again, fails. Only succeed at the third attempt. That would not be a good day.

At least, he wasn’t late, what was pretty rare. Keeping a calm pace, he gets to the work’s building and finds his lucky spot in the parking. In any other day he’d be pleased for parking there. Today it was different.

He enters the building hoping to find no friends in the way to his desk. The mission fails right in the beginning and he meets Mr. Smith, about to get into the lift. He greets him: — Good morning, Astor. Are you all right? You look like when you lose a bet. Have you lost one?

Astor answers: — Lost them all… But don’t you worry about it.

He drops on his floor and says: — Have a good day at work, Mr. Silva. When the door closes, he speaks to himself: — I’m sure I’ll need it.

He walks through the reception with a shy and rushy greeting. It doesn’t work. Claudia, all cheered up by the morning, answers: — Good day, Astor. What’s the bet for today?

Without standing, he says: — There’s no bet.

He reaches his office stall all by itself. The plan to arrive early was a good solution to find less people in the way. However, the next hours would be though. He turns on his laptop and checks the browser. Right away, a sit for bets pops up in the screen. Quickly, the closes the browser and focus on the job.

A little later, Perry, his neighbour in the office stall arrives. With a crumpled paper in his hand, he says: — Astor, do you want to bet that I hit the right recyclable bin?

Gathering all his strength, Astor ignores him completely and continues to stare at his screen. Not quite getting what’s going on, Perry pokes him: — Hey, Astor. I’m proposing a little bet.

Astor has to answer: — Perry, I’m sorry, but I’m running late to deliver my report. I must focus here.

Surprised by the answer, Perry says: — Never saw you refusing to bet. All right, this report must be pretty late.

So, Astor puts his headphone and continues to pretend to be focus. Actually, he is pretty focus on ignoring as much people as possible during the day. It’s a huge effort that by the end, will be certainly be rewarding.

Time for lunch and so far, so good. The headphones is a powerful ally and if he wears it the entire day, everything should be Ok. Turns out the lunch is also a challenge. Everybody decided to ask him to lunch today. He excuses himself and talks about his report over and over again.

Now, his belly is growling. At the moment the room is empty, he runs toward the vending machine in the lobby. There’s nobody there. Finally, some luck. He grabs a sandwich and turns to the direction of his spot when listen someone saying: — Astor, do you want to bet I eat the sandwich faster than you do?

Before the sentence to be over, Astor is already running to his desk, and leaves Hildebrand standing, thinking how much competitive is Astor. He didn’t even wait for the two of them to be seat together to start at the same time. This way, the bet was off the table.

Back to the safety his desk and headphone, Astor eats his sandwich peacefully. Almost half of the day has gone, he just must resist a little longer. Two hors later, Perry comes again: — Astor, it’s time to the Happy Hour scheduled with the clients. Shall we go?

Now, he’s forced to make up an excuse: — I’m sorry, Perry, it’s impossible to me.

Perry looks chocked and says: — How’s that so? This is also work! Besides it, you love Happy Hours with our client! There’s one more thing: haven’t seen you beting even once today. Are you sick or something?

Grateful for getting the perfect excuse as a gift and at the same time, angry to himself for not think it by himself before, Astor speaks: — You’re right, I don’t feel well since I woke up. It’s better me to make my way home. Have a good Happy Hour!

Despite his words, he can’t go home. It’s too risk, the odds of meeting the doorman or some other acquainted are too high. He considers every single alternative that could be, but ends up deciding to drive for 2 hours around the city. That’s the only way to succeed.

There are only 10 minutes left. He stops by the traffic light happy cause he knows he will make it. But he finds out to be next to the bar that Perry took the clients for the Happy Hour. One of the clients goes to the car’s window: — Astor, finally showed up! Just park and come to join us in a new bet. You’ll love it.

Without knowing what to do, he pretends to be so sick he can’t even speak. He points his own throat, move his mouth and starts making some noises just like a sick cat. His client, a little bit drunk by now stares him and suddenly starts to laugh: — Astor, you are quite a piece, aren’t you? Hahahaha.

The traffic light finally turns green. Astor make signs to say good bye to his client and drives to his therapy. It’s not a therapy session day, but he scheduled to show up at 6 pm. After a hard day he was almost getting what he wants. He parks his car and walks to the clinic.

All the way he realises the felling o accomplishment and overcoming follow him. A felling so familiar and which he loves so much. He opens the clinic’s door with a large smile on his face: Good evening, doctor.

The therapist looks at him and smiles back: — Good evening, Astor. You seems to be pretty confident, don’t you?

He answers: — Of course I do. Just won the hardest bet in my entire life. You though I couldn’t, but believe me: I didn’t bet not even once for the last 24 hours.

She asks: — Are you sure?

Astor, now a little less insecure says: — Of course I’m sure. We agreed you would trust my word with no need of any proof.

Once again the therapist smiles and say: — I have no doubt on your word, only on your judgment. You says that didn’t bet for the last 24 hours, but only did it to win our particular bet. Can you see it now? The truth is you bet all day long.

Now, Astor faces his defeat: — You are right, doctor. I’ll handle this obsession of mine and I’m going to start right now.

The therapist, finally with some hope asks: — Really, Astor?

Astor answers: — Of course. How much you want to bet?