The Cosmic Casino

Walking head down steadfast through the gaudy neon lights  flashing and glowing in all the artificial colors of the rainbow scattering in the heavy rains across the wet ground spilling a kaleidoscopic dance of abstract forms. The bustle of humanity in and out of the cosmic casino seems to part around him as he strides purposefully into the lobby. Once across the threshold, he wipes his brow of rain.  He had never been much distracted by the pretty colored lights and fanciful bobbles of this world and perhaps never less so than here and now. He immediately goes to the Roulette Wheel inserting himself at the front. He looks the croupier in the eye, nodding at the wheel while reaching into his pocket pulling out a large, rumpled mass of bills – all of the money he could hock, beg, borrow of steal. Truly, everything he had in this life save that sanctity that is his own soul.

Around the edges of the wheel instead of numbers are words, “Career”, “Leisure”, “Sport”, “Talent”, “Knowledge”, “Power” … and so on but for him there is only one word on the wheel with any meaning at all and that word is, “Love”. Without a second's hesitation, he drops a tortured wad of cash onto “Love” and looks up at the croupier, nodding up and down once, affirmatively.

“Everything on Love to win,” says the croupier dispassionately.

“Everything on Love,” he confirms.

The croupier spins the wheel.