make your wish?

when i was a little kid in school, someone sometime told me that we should cross our fingers and make a wish when we see a red mail van(wonder why the emphasis on "red", aren't they always red?). after crossing fingers and making a wish we ought not say a word and should wait for a black car to pass. on seeing a black car we could uncross our fingers and are allowed to talk. its said our wish would be granted.
as strange as the whole ritual is, i would see a red mail van and follow it religiously.i would cross all my fingers... two two pairs on each hand and make 4 wishes. :O
somehow was always in desperate need of good marks, some test or the other always being round the corner or just gotten over! or someone presentation or performance or SOMETHING was always there to wish for.
somehow ever since i started working i haven't really seen too many "red mail vans". i really don't remember seeing any in my one and a half years in Mysore and a little over one year in Bangalore.
but in the last two weeks i have seen "red mail vans" every now and then and have somehow been tempted to cross my fingers and make a wish.
maybe these times when all you can do is wait and watch and hope things turn your way, are the times when you are subconsciously on the look out for the "red mail van"...