Chapter 18 Lucky
The hum of the lottery sub-office in City Gee was a low, constant drone, a blend of hushed conversations, the rustle of paper, and the occasional triumphant ding from a scratch-card machine. Sunlight, filtered through grimy windows, cast long, dusty shafts across the linoleum floor. Rick Lane, at seventeen, exuded an unusual calm for a teenager, a subtle aura of knowing that belied his youthful appearance. Beside him, Jenny Kane, vibrant and full of youthful optimism, hummed a tuneless melody, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on her denim overalls. Leo Cane, older by four years and a university senior, bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, his eyes alight with an infectious, boyish enthusiasm.
"Ready for another shot at destiny, Rick?" Leo grinned, pulling out a pen he'd borrowed earlier. "My lucky pen, remember?"
Rick chuckled, a sound that seemed a little too rich, too knowing for a seventeen-year-old. "Yeah, let's do this… Jenny will think that we are throwing money, anyway."
He leaned closer to Leo and said in a low tone. "We are going to do 6-digits. So be ready."
Jenny turned, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, I wouldn't say throwing it away. It's… entertainment! A cheap thrill, wouldn't you say? Besides," she linked an arm through Rick's, "it's sweet of you to indulge Leo's… optimistic tendencies." She squeezed his arm playfully.
Rick's gaze softened as he looked at Jenny, a fleeting shadow of a future that both thrilled and pained him crossing his eyes once again. Jenny. My Jenny. The woman who would eventually become my wife, the mother of my son, before… He did not continue musing. He pushed the thought away, focusing on the present, on her bright, innocent smile. She wants to start a bakery with Joana. A bakery. God, if only she knew how much I'd leverage to make that happen for her, how many restaurants I'd build in the future to make sure her dream came true, even if I have to go back to the past to ensure it.
"Well, it's all in good fun, right?" Rick said, pulling a 20.00 Poh coin from his pocket and flipping it. "A little flutter doesn't hurt. And who knows? Maybe Lady Luck is finally smiling on us with this new 6-digit game."
Leo's eyes widened. He leaned to Rick and whispered. "The big one! Three hundred thousand Poh, isn't it? Imagine that! We've made a decent sum with the 3-digit games already, enough for me to pay for my sister's operation and a few months of my rent, but three hundred thousand..." He whistled, genuinely impressed. "That's life-changing money."
Rick nodded, but inwardly, he scoffed. Three hundred thousand Poh? A pittance. I have over 12,000.00 in my account already, accumulated from "lucky" 3-digit wins over the past month. A mere fraction of what I'll build in my original timeline. This isn't about the money for me, not really. It's about setting things in motion, subtly altering the past to secure a better future for Jenny… for us. He thought of Erk, his younger brother, who in his original timeline had also struggled for years in his small business before Rick's restaurant chain took off. And Mark and Sarah. My son and his pregnant wife. This is for them too. A legacy built on foresight, not just hard work.
They approached the counter. The air was thick with the faint scent of stale paper and anticipation. Leo took the blank 6-digit lottery slip and gave it to Rick. Rick looked at the grid, his hand went inside his pocket, and he took out a crumpled paper. He then began marking the numbers on the slip. He has already written the winning numbers for this particular week, this particular game, from the information on the net about the past.
"Alright, I'm done," Rick said with a smile and handed the paper to Leo, who was waiting on the side. Leo could not help but feel a bit giddy while holding the slip. He dared not look at the numbers for fear of interfering with Rick's calculations. He truly believed that Rick just calculated and predicted these winning numbers. If Rick said that he saw it in the future, Leo would think that he might be going crazy.
After Leo put his name and signature, he handed it to the booth.
Rick takes out the second slip and gives it to Leo. "Try your luck too."
Leo was a bit stunned, but then he took the paper and looked at it seriously.
Leo's brow furrowed in concentration. "Hmm, let's see. My birthday, 8. And… uh… the number of times I've almost failed my calculus exam this semester, 3. That's three digits. What about the rest?"
Jenny giggled. "You're not serious, Leo! That's a terrible strategy."
Rick smiled, pretending to consider. "Good start, Leo. But let's add a few more. How about 9, for the number of successful dates I've had with Jenny?" He winked at Jenny, who playfully swatted his arm.
"Oh, Rick, stop that!" she blushed, but her smile was wide. "Don't flatter yourself too much."
"And 2, because… well, because it's a prime number, and primes are always lucky, right?" Rick added, his pen hovering over the slip. He was deliberately picking numbers that sounded plausible for a teenager, while subtly aligning them with the historical winning sequence. "And for the last one… how about 3 and 5? My age when I finally owned that first restaurant." He paused, looking at Jenny. "The one I'll dedicate to your dreams, Jenny."
Jenny's eyes softened, and she leaned into him. "You're sweet, Rick. A restaurant for my bakery dreams, huh? Sounds like a plan!"
Rick's heart gave a familiar pang. She has no idea how true that is.
He carefully marked the numbers: 8, 3, 9, 2, 3, and 5. It was a random number that they had just thought of, but Rick's heart skipped a beat. His jaw almost dropped when he recalled a particular set of numbers. This was the winning number combination for the 1 million-plus grand prize for the 6-digit.
What he bet on in the first slip was only the 1st prize. It was the safest bet, and they can claim it in the sub-office in City Gee. But if they won the grand prize, then they would have to go to the capital city. He suddenly hesitated as he did not expect this to happen.
But he still has to hand the slip to Leo. However, he wanted to warn him later.
"Your turn, lucky man," Rick said, trying to control his emotions. "Your signature on the back."
Leo, beaming with excitement, took the slip. "This is it! I can feel it in my bones. Thanks, Rick, truly. You've brought me so much good fortune already." He scribbled his name, 'Leo Cane,' on the designated line, his hand trembling slightly with anticipation. Rick preferred that Leo submit the tickets, as it created a paper trail that would naturally lead back to Leo, as he is the only adult of the three.
The transaction was quick. Leo handed over the coin, the clerk punched in the numbers, and another small, white ticket emerged from the machine. Leo carefully folded it and tucked it into his wallet, a treasure. Jenny, still amused, just shook her head. "You two are incorrigible."
As they stepped out into the bustling street, the city's sounds enveloped them – the distant rumble of trams, the chatter of pedestrians, the cries of street vendors. The sun was higher now, casting a warm glow on the weathered buildings.
"Mall next?" Rick asked, looking at Jenny. "I promised you that book you wanted."
Jenny's face lit up. "The historical fiction! Oh, yes! I've been dying to read it."
Leo clapped his hands together. "Perfect! I need to check out the new arrivals at 'Sole Dynasty' anyway. Heard they got those limited edition 'Skyrunners' in."
The City Bee Mall was a labyrinth of sights, sounds, and smells. The polished floors reflected the soft glow of ornate light fixtures, and the air, cooled by industrial-sized fans, carried a medley of perfumes, fresh coffee, and the faint scent of new clothes. They drifted past boutiques displaying extravagant dresses, electronics stores blaring the latest pop songs, and quaint gift shops.
"I need to go to the men's room." Rick suddenly said as they went by a corner.
"Me too…" Jenny seconded.
Leo did not want to, but Rick suddenly dragged him.
When the two are in the corridor, Rick suddenly whispers something to Leo, which makes the young man's knee wobble.
"Are… Are you… Sure?" he asked, showing disbelief on his face.
"You know me, right? When am I not sure?" Rick patted Leo's shoulder.
"I must warn you, though. Take good care of your ticket and don't let anyone know about it." Rick reminded him.
Leo suddenly felt his wallet becoming heavy. It was as if it were full of lead. He would not help but put his hand in his back pocket and feel if his wallet was still there.
Leo suddenly shifted his wallet and put it in his front pocket. His actions made Rick chuckle.
"Relax… just take it easy, okay?"