Chapter 10

      She had decided to go for broke and hit another convenience store for wine and try the alcohol poisoning thing again. She was still groggy but staggered into a store right by the hospital. The owner didn’t know Sam and did not appreciate her business.

      The owner was a tall heavy set balding white man “Hey you, drunk, get the hell out of my store!”

      Sam turned and with a very sobering voice, “I just want to buy something, I have cash.”

      The owner looked at her for a second and said, “Okay, but make it quick.”

      Sam gathered some chips, a bottle of wine, and headed for the register.

      As she was checking out, she asked the owner for last night’s lotto numbers. The owner looked at her with disgust but gave her a slip with the winning lotto numbers on it just to get her money and then get her out of there.

      Sam took the lotto slip, her wine and chips and left the store in preparation for the walk back to the Water Gardens to get drunk once again.

      She stepped outside and stood there for a second looking around for the best place to go. Her thought process didn’t go anywhere, and she just began walking in a direction she believed was towards the downtown area. After walking for a short time, the effect of all the alcohol she consumed began to take its toll. She stopped for a second and then decided she needed a place to sit down for a few minutes and rest. She was right next to an abandon building just south of the downtown area. She staggered over to some stairs that used to be the entrance to the building and sat down. It was a busy street, so Sam just sat there watching the cars and people go by, nobody saying anything to her, or even acknowledging her. She sat there for a moment and then leaned her head back on a rail. She was feeling a little better and was thinking about opening the bottle of wine right there and drinking it. As she glanced down at the bag with wine and chips in it, she noticed the lotto slip in her hand. She subconsciously glanced at it and prepared to crumple it up and throw it away. She hesitated her crumple for a second as several of the numbers caught her eye. They were familiar numbers. Sam recognized the numbers the little girl gave her. She had played them the first time, and nothing came up. This is the second time, and she thinks some of the numbers hit. Her heart jumped as he looked at several of the numbers thinking that if she just gets a few of those numbers right she could get maybe a hundred dollars, what a windfall. She now began focusing on each number of the ticket. The numbers were six, nine, thirty three, thirty five, thirty six, forty eight.

      Sam is now re reading the numbers trying to comprehend the fact that the six numbers the little girl gave her are the winning jackpot numbers. How could this be. The six numbers must be worth millions. Suddenly a shot of adrenalin rushed through her body as she read the numbers again. She began taking very big deep breaths.

      She started whispering to herself, “My God, Oh my God. This can’t be happening to me.”

      Her heart was pounding, and she felt like screaming out loud. She didn’t though, she realized where she was and began looking around at people. Her world had just been turned upside down but no one on the street noticed. They were still driving and walking by just as they were a moment ago.  

      Sam’s mind was racing. She didn’t even know how much the lotto jackpot was. The smallest jackpot is four million dollars. She then began digging through her wallet looking for the actual ticket she purchased from Delvin’s store. She sifted around in her secret spot up around her chest and pulled out the magic ticket. She just stared at it for a minute. She then held the ticket she purchased up to the ticket with the winning numbers. Everything matched!

      Coley stood up on the stairs and yelled, “It’s over, it’s all over! It is really over! I’ve won! Thank you, God!”

      A feeling of exhaustion settled over her and she just sat back down on the stairs with a big smile on her face. Instead of gulping the wine she relaxed and sipped the wine for a while knowing she could soon afford anything she wanted.