The Day I Won The Lottery

Let's step into the way back machine and set it for 1999, September. I moved to Bellingham, Washington and needed a place to live. I found a house that had six bedrooms and only 5 guys living in it, so I moved in. Erek and B.J. have become my best friends over the last ten years. Paco was an Mexican illegal, fish processor and part-time DJ. Roman was from the Czech Republic and worked construction. Ian is still around Bellingham last I heard working for whatever phone company owns that call centre on Bakerview. Wow, what a fun trip in the way back machine...ahhh...ten years have passed. Let's step back into the future.

I was headed to Koh Phi Phil for my vacation during our term break. I went to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)and met my friends June and Adrian there. We waited and then they called the flight for Krabi, Thailand. June and Adrian boarded but I don't like lines so I just waited for the queue to diminish. As the last few people went out the gate onto the tarmac (not a jetway boarding) I got up and started out. I handed in my boarding pass and walked towards the plane and the tall, metal boarding steps. Suddenly, I heard "Travis, Travis!"

I turned around to see a white guy standing next to me saying my name and holding his hand out for me to shake it. He had a huge grin on his face and obviously knew who I was. I, on the other hand, drew a blank. I searched the recesses of my mind for who this guy could be as I pumped his hand and thought, "He obviously knows who I am." Then, the penny dropped. "ROMAN" I exclaimed. It seems that Roman had moved back to the Czech Republic, become a police man, then he and some friends decided to travel Malaysia and Thailand. Lo and behold, he saw me at the airport. I gave him my number and told him to call me and we caught up as best we could before I had to get onboard my flight. He never did call me and is back home now. As I took my seat, I thought, "I bet the odds of me running into him like that are lower than most odds when you play the lottery. You know, it's kind of like I just won the lottery."