365 Days.
a life changing event, give up something for 365 days
365 Writing Prompts, January 4
The morning I won the lottery, I went to work as usual. “Did you hear,” said Paulette, “someone in town won the lottery.”
“I’d better tell Dave to check the tickets,” I said. We played the office pool, that way we would all stick it to the man if we won. However, if the pot was big, I would go and buy my own ticket. I didn’t mind sharing.
“He already checked,” said Paulette, gathering her breakfast in the cafeteria and heading to cash out. We won five dollars.”
“Great.” I picked up my coffee, because that was all I could afford this morning. It was Thursday, it was pay week, I had five dollars in my bank account. Now less than four, with the coffee.
I had some granola bars at my desk. Maybe a couple of those would tide me over until lunch, which would consist of the soup and half sandwich special.
I went to work. I had left the lottery ticket on my refrigerator at home. It wasn’t until I got home and switched on the news to see that the news cameras had staked out the place I had bought my ticket. They weren’t saying what the winning number were, so I had to check online.
It was all a blur after that.
I told no one. I put the ticket in an envelope – in fact, many envelopes, because I kept opening the envelope to make sure it was there. I barely slept with it under my pillow.
I called in sick the next morning. I had to look up where the lottery headquarters were, and i drove down there first thing. There were more news vans camped out here. I held my purse close to my chest, and shook my head when they asked if I was the winner. Inside, I presented my ticket. I refused to let it go. They ended up getting people to come to the counter, because I wouldn’t let the ticket out of my sight.
“Do you have a lawyer?”
“No.”
“Do you have a bank account?”
I had brought a blank check. They would direct deposit it in a day or so. “Would you like to come with us while we make the announcement?”
“No. Don’t tell anyone I won.”
The man who was the lottery commissioner gave me a strange look. I signed papers, opting out of having my name publicized, and got a receipt and a voided check for my winnings, after taxes. Just under five hundred million dollars.
I went home, and ate my last can of cream of mushroom soup out of a can. I scrounged up some instant coffee and had frozen mini-pizza for dinner.
I made a list of all the bills I needed to pay. I made a list of all the places I was going to travel to. I made a list of all the things I was going to buy (a house in the woods or a condo, a new car). My three cats came and rubbed up against me, looking for some lovin’. I added “kitty condos” and “Purina One” to the list.
The lottery commission was true to its word, and didn’t breathe a peep about who won, saying that “they prefer to remain anonymous.” I kept checking my bank account every hour. And lo and behold, at 12:03 a.m., the money was suddenly there.
At 12:05 a.m., I was paying off bills. I slept the best night’s sleep I had in a long, long time.
