Lucky Numbers: The Ticket |
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Nick was standing outside of Speedie's. Lloyd, Ryan and Cameron weren't going to call him a punk. Nick straightened his back to walk a little taller. Looking around to make sure no one would see him, He took a deep breath and he pulled the door open of the tight little corner store and walked in. The store was quiet except for the local radio station playing pop music in the background. Nick made his way to the back of the store where he could see Cecil coming out from behind a dingy curtain.
"You back?" asked Cecil as Nick walked up to the counter.
"Yeah, I forgot to pick up a soda for my Pops."
"You don't have no soda in your hand," said Cecil.
Cecil wasn't too bright. He could count money and watch the store for a while, but Nick knew that if you got Cecil really worked up, you could get away with just about anything.
Nick looked down at his hands. "No. No. Nope, I don't."
He shifted his weight uneasily. "Let me just go and pick that up." He walked over to the cooler, slid back the lid and pulled out a cola. Walking mechanically, he returned to the counter and placed the soda down.
"And now I have a soda," he announced matter-of factly. "Yeah, " he continued, "and let me have one of those Power Millions tickets, while you're at it." That was it. He was all in and it was all or nothing from here.
"Uh-uh! No way! You're too young to buy one of those!
"Wh...what?" questioned Nick wildly. "Cecil. Cecil, Cecil, Cecil, Cecil," said Nick in quick repetition.
"Man, I'll be 17 tomorrow. That's almost grown, you know."
"It don't matter," said Cecil, "you have to be 18 to buy one of those. It says so in the rules. Look right here," he said pointing to the Power Millions sign and tapping three times. "See? Must be 18 to play. So no 18, no ticket."
"Cecil, I knew I couldn't get one past you. See the ticket is actually for my..."
Nick froze. He didn't know whether to say the ticket was for his Mother or his Father. He knew he didn't have much time to choose either. Cecil was getting antsy.
"...it's...it's for my Mother," he choked out. A fat knot had swollen up in his neck.
"What?" insisted Cecil.
"My mother," he blurted out.
"You know my Moms has been sick and me and my Dad have been working like dogs to get this money together. Yeah, and you know, with this lottery money I can get a lot of stuff. You know, for my Moms."
"I just saw your Father yesterday and he didn't say nothin' about your Mama being sick," said Cecil.
"Well you know," said Nick looking around and whispering, " I don't think they like to talk about it."
"What can be so wrong with your Mama?" asked Cecil.
Nick leaned over the counter. As he leaned forward, Cecil leaned back.
"Don't back up!" said Nick in a sharp whisper. "Come here."
Cecil leaned forward. "See they don't talk about it because it's some major girl stuff." Cecil jerked back. Nick put on the full court press. "You know, girl problems..." Cecil jerked back shaking his head in disgust.
"Don't tell me know more!" he said turning to the ticket machine.
What numbers do your Daddy want? asked Cecil.
Nick took another deep breath.
Let's see, what I waaaa...I mean, what he wants!
Copyright 2015 Gillespie Publications
"You back?" asked Cecil as Nick walked up to the counter.
"Yeah, I forgot to pick up a soda for my Pops."
"You don't have no soda in your hand," said Cecil.
Cecil wasn't too bright. He could count money and watch the store for a while, but Nick knew that if you got Cecil really worked up, you could get away with just about anything.
Nick looked down at his hands. "No. No. Nope, I don't."
He shifted his weight uneasily. "Let me just go and pick that up." He walked over to the cooler, slid back the lid and pulled out a cola. Walking mechanically, he returned to the counter and placed the soda down.
"And now I have a soda," he announced matter-of factly. "Yeah, " he continued, "and let me have one of those Power Millions tickets, while you're at it." That was it. He was all in and it was all or nothing from here.
"Uh-uh! No way! You're too young to buy one of those!
"Wh...what?" questioned Nick wildly. "Cecil. Cecil, Cecil, Cecil, Cecil," said Nick in quick repetition.
"Man, I'll be 17 tomorrow. That's almost grown, you know."
"It don't matter," said Cecil, "you have to be 18 to buy one of those. It says so in the rules. Look right here," he said pointing to the Power Millions sign and tapping three times. "See? Must be 18 to play. So no 18, no ticket."
"Cecil, I knew I couldn't get one past you. See the ticket is actually for my..."
Nick froze. He didn't know whether to say the ticket was for his Mother or his Father. He knew he didn't have much time to choose either. Cecil was getting antsy.
"...it's...it's for my Mother," he choked out. A fat knot had swollen up in his neck.
"What?" insisted Cecil.
"My mother," he blurted out.
"You know my Moms has been sick and me and my Dad have been working like dogs to get this money together. Yeah, and you know, with this lottery money I can get a lot of stuff. You know, for my Moms."
"I just saw your Father yesterday and he didn't say nothin' about your Mama being sick," said Cecil.
"Well you know," said Nick looking around and whispering, " I don't think they like to talk about it."
"What can be so wrong with your Mama?" asked Cecil.
Nick leaned over the counter. As he leaned forward, Cecil leaned back.
"Don't back up!" said Nick in a sharp whisper. "Come here."
Cecil leaned forward. "See they don't talk about it because it's some major girl stuff." Cecil jerked back. Nick put on the full court press. "You know, girl problems..." Cecil jerked back shaking his head in disgust.
"Don't tell me know more!" he said turning to the ticket machine.
What numbers do your Daddy want? asked Cecil.
Nick took another deep breath.
Let's see, what I waaaa...I mean, what he wants!
Copyright 2015 Gillespie Publications