Chapter 1 Lottery
“Thank you for the bread.” She looked at the bakery vendor and smiled. She was ever so grateful for the bread, with it she would be able to feed her mother. Her face was spotted with dirt from all the work she did to sustain her small family.
Victoria lives in Winona, Minnesota. Her mother was sick with a rare sickness that left her bedridden. Leaving Victoria to care for her mother and Victoria’s child Elena. Victoria’s father was a very successful man, but when he refused to share the money that they desperately needed her mother kicked him out.
She had to try her best not to eat the bread before she even got home, her mouth watered and she almost tripped because she was just staring at the bread. The very thing she nearly tripped on was a sign that read:
“Lottery”
“Go to the Town Square and Grab A Ticket for only 3$”
Her hands reached into her pockets and felt around. She pulled out a one-dollar bill. “Dang it, two dollars short.” She sighed in frustration. This could help her family so much but of course, as always, she couldn’t afford it. She sorrowfully walked home to their small house. Their too small house, that could barely fit the three of them. “Ma?” She called her mother.
“Here Victoria!” Her voice rasped. “Elena is sleeping, don’t wake her.” Victoria handed her mom the bread but she turned it away. “Eat it yourself, dear.” Victoria sighed but obeyed her mother willingly, chomping into the large loaf of bread.
“You sure Ma? It’s delicious!’ She said through a mouthful of food.
“You eat all you can, you need it more than me.” Her mother said while her teeth chattered.
“I’m so sorry Ma, I don’t get paid ’till Friday. Then we can have the heat back on”. Minnesota’s Harsh winter feels impossible to get through. Victoria thought. Her mother seemed like she was freezing from the inside out. “Plus Ma it’s 1933 you’re only 48! You have lived this long, no point in giving up now!” Victoria said enthusiastically.
“What would I do without you, Vicky?” Her mother sighed.
“Not, what I’m doing for you right now! Come on eat the soup, our next free meal is tomorrow” She felt her stomach growl in hunger but didn’t comment. Her mother needed to eat more than she did, even after the bread, she was hungry. She kissed her mother and daughter on the forehead. “ I’m headed to dinner with Erma, I’ll be home by 8!” she said in a hurry.
She took out her key and locked the door, she hopped into her car and drove to the dinner. When she got out her friends were waiting at the entrance of the building smiling. Erma was an average height woman who was not poor nor rich, while Eva was tall but only because she almost always wore heels, she was wealthier than the other two but never boasted about her wealth to her friends.
“So ladies, what will we have for supper tonight? I was thinking Chicken divan casserole and some Whiskey” Erma said smugly. Everyone knew that Erma got drunk very easily but let her because they also knew she had fun doing it!
“Perfect, I’m going to get a side of biscuits with it,” Eva said.
Victoria frowned, “Guys, I have a baby I can’t go drinking liquor as you guys can. I’ll just get Coke or something.” She said, she was sad but she was a mother. She was nineteen and way more mature than she was before.
They just shrugged and walked into the dinner. Victoria looked up and while she was tilting her head she spotted a dull pink piece of paper hidden in a small pile of snow. She bent down carefully to pick it up. She gently brushed the snow off. The paper read:
“Lottery ticket scratch-off”
“On Thursday, May 24th tune into radio station 430 to hear the results!”
Both shocked and excited, she stuffed it in her pocket for safekeeping and went to eat with her friends. Someone must have dropped it, she thought. “Hey, um ladies I’m not feeling well. May I pass this dinner?” she asked desperate to take a better look at the ticket. They looked very disappointed but nodded.
“Of course. We won’t want to force you to be here if you are unwell. Go on now.” Erma said in a calm and gentle tone. Victoria nodded and bolted out of the building, she pulled out the paper and swiped more snow off of it. “Yes, I am too blessed for my own good.” she chuckled and looked at the sky. “Please please be a winning ticket,” she begged. Her family needed this more than they needed a warm house, or any house at all.
She made it home and busted through the door. Elena was in her crib and Victoria sat in the chair next to her. “Come on Elena, give me good luck.” She breathed and scratched off the latex and put it gently on her nightstand on top of her book and slept to the sound of the falling rain outside.
When she awoke the next day she ripped off her blankets and jumped up to take care of Elena but she wasn’t there. She ran into the living room. To her relief, her mother was rocking her. “Morning ma,” she kissed her mother on the cheek. “I better be making breakfast for us all, pancakes?” She asked.
Her mother spoke with her calm gentle voice, “Oh yes, always.” She chuckled still holding little Elena. “You know, I heard of a lottery. It’s a shame we can’t enter.”
Victoria smiled, “Wait here,” she said while she got up and got her ticket. She got back to the living room and waved the ticket around. Her mother’s eyes looked surprised, “How?” she asked.
“Just found it on the ground at the dinner.” Victoria shrugged and walked off to turn on the radio before beginning breakfast. While she worked on the meal, she listened closely waiting for the lottery winnings to start. All of a sudden it started. She tried to listen while still working on breakfast, “Hello Ladies and Gentleman, My name is Thomas Brisk and I am your lottery ticket announcer for the month. Let’s get started!”
“Our first number is three, Second is nine, third is five and the last is zero. If you got the winning numbers bring your ticket down to the town hall and give it to a worker at the stands. That’s all y’all, have a good day!”
“MA I WON!” Victoria screeched. She screamed, she screamed so loud she made Elena cry. “Aw, I’m sorry my dear, I will be back Ma. Watch Elena for me!” Victoria said while racing out the door. She got into her car and bolted to the town square, “I won, I won.” She panted.
The worker looked slightly startled but nodded, “Can you show me your ticket please?” She asked. Victoria pulled out her ticket and handed it to the worker. “Mhm, three...nine...five...zero.” she looked at her paper with the winning numbers for the month and looked back at Victoria. “Looks like you won ma’am. Here is your prize.” She handed ut she wasn’t there. She ran into the living room. To her relief, her mother was rocking her. “Morning ma,” she kissed her mother on the cheek. “I better be making breakfast for us all, pancakes?” She asked.
Her mother spoke with her calm gentle voice, “Oh yes, always.” She chuckled still holding little Elena. “You know, I heard of a lottery. It’s a shame we can’t enter.”
Victoria smiled, “Wait here,” she said while she got up and got her ticket. She got back to the living room and waved the ticket around. Her mother’s eyes looked surprised, “How?” she asked.
“Just found it on the ground at the dinner.” Victoria shrugged and walked off to turn on the radio before beginning breakfast. While she worked on the meal, she listened closely waiting for the lottery winnings to start. All of a sudden it started. She tried to listen while still working on breakfast, “Hello Ladies and Gentleman, My name is Thomas Brisk and I am your lottery ticket announcer for the month. Let’s get started!”
“Our first number is three, Second is nine, third is five and the last is zero. If you got the winning numbers bring your ticket down to the town hall and give it to a worker at the stands. That’s all y’all, have a good day!”
“MA I WON!” Victoria screeched. She screamed, she screamed so loud she made Elena cry. “Aw, I’m sorry my dear, I will be back Ma. Watch Elena for me!” Victoria said while racing out the door. She bolted to the town square, “I won, I won.” She panted.
The worker looked slightly startled but nodded, “Can you show me your ticket please?” She asked. Victoria pulled out her ticket and handed it to the worker. “Mhm, three...nine...five...zero.” she looked at her paper with the winning numbers for the month and looked back at Victoria. “Looks like you won ma’am. Here is your prize.” She ut she wasn’t there. She ran into the living room. To her relief, her mother was rocking her. “Morning ma,” she kissed her mother on the cheek. “I better be making breakfast for us all, pancakes?” She asked.
Her mother spoke with her calm gentle voice, “Oh yes, always.” She chuckled still holding little Elena. “You know, I heard of a lottery. It’s a shame we can’t enter.”
Victoria smiled, “Wait here,” she said while she got up and got her ticket. She got back to the living room and waved the ticket around. Her mother’s eyes looked surprised, “How?” she asked.
“Just found it on the ground at the dinner.” Victoria shrugged and walked off to turn on the radio before beginning breakfast. While she worked on the meal, she listened closely waiting for the lottery winnings to start. All of a sudden it started. She tried to listen while still working on breakfast, “Hello Ladies and Gentleman, My name is Thomas Brisk and I am your lottery ticket announcer for the month. Let’s get started!”
“Our first number is three, Second is nine, third is five and the last is zero. If you got the winning numbers bring your ticket down to the town hall and give it to a worker at the stands. That’s all y’all, have a good day!”
“MA I WON!” Victoria screeched. She screamed, she screamed so loud she made Elena cry. “Aw, I’m sorry my dear, I will be back Ma. Watch Elena for me!” Victoria said while racing out the door. She bolted to the town square, “I won, I won.” She panted.
The worker looked slightly startled but nodded, “Can you show me your ticket please?” She asked. Victoria pulled out her ticket and handed it to the worker. “Mhm, three...nine...five...zero.” she looked at her paper with the winning numbers for the month and looked back at Victoria. “Looks like you won ma’am. Here is your prize.” She handed Victoria the cash and watched her as she drove away back to her house.
