Lottery 1
Lucy returned from her lunch with her brother and saw the flashing light on her answering machine. The playback was garbled, but she could make out her irate boss firing her for missing work again. She picked up the ticket and looked at it while the message played in the background.
She could cash it and she’d never have to work again.
She looked up the lottery website, and navigated to the rules. It was possible to redeem the ticket anonymously. She glanced at the ticket and made her mind up. She got dressed and jumped on the subway to the Lottery Commission building downtown.
She had to wait in a thirty minute que to talk to a representative. Then after presenting her ticket she had to sign several legal documents.
The office building was cold to the point she needed a coat when she first came in, but now she was sweating. Several different people spoke to her about the ticket’s authenticity. She was asked several times where it was purchased.
Lucy could only reply she couldn’t remember where she bought it.
After three hours of what seemed like off and on interrogation, a lottery official came into the room. He agreed to take her case into consideration, but she would not be receiving any money at this time.
Lucy was sent home with a “don’t call us we’ll call you”.
As Mrs. Slark left the “Stop and Save” she finished her conversation with Andrew. “I’m sorry I wasn’t the winner though. I had wanted to take a cruise.” She waved politely as the sliding door closed behind her.
The only person who had not checked in now was Willy.
Andrew tried to focus on his book but he was unable to. Willy was a good friend. He was over friendly in a way that might have gotten him jumped. Andrew looked at his laptop and the phone beside it.
It was late at night, not many customers come in. Willy typed “Emergency, Hospital” into the search engine. He picked up the phone and began to dial the first number he saw.
The phone rang at Lucy’s apartment at seven am. She was barely able to understand what the caller was saying. Come to blah blah, Downtown. Your ticket has been approved.” Lucy thought for a moment, then realized.
She’d just won a half Billion dollars.
Lucy dropped the phone, all thoughts in her mind ceased. She looked at her small apartment, her small life. It was all over now. She would never have to live like this again.
No more sugar in the pantry and little else. No more sour milk because she couldn’t afford to buy the kind with the further expiration date. No more anything like this.
Then she realized she didn’t want to do this alone.
She grabbed the phone off the floor and dialed her brother.
The two headed off to the Lottery Commission Building, and collected her winnings. Anonymously.