Scratch Off Winners (Part 1)
A December afternoon. Light rain fell as I walked to my neighborhood convenience store to purchase a condiment.
Christmas was two weeks away. I was feeling good about it. Must have been having Elmer the maniacal husky sharing the holidays with me for the first time.
Before I entered, I noticed two bicycles rigged up in homeless survival mode leaning against a wall. The ingenuous improvisations rendered to these bicycles to survive homelessness in America never ceases to astonish me. No two are the same. Some border on works of art fashioned by the artist refugees from our shattered culture.
I waited in line behind a man and woman in their 30s or 40s. The man had long red hair, glam metal hair. The woman had short hair the color of a rainbow. They were in no way addled. Presumably they were the owners of the bicycles. I'd never seen them before.
Their transaction was taking forever. I detected the reason: redeeming four winning scratch off tickets and the clerk unlocking the safe to produce 80 bucks.
No need to become impatient. I utilized the time to eavesdrop on the homeless couple's conversation as they split the winnings. It was quite loud and animated. They told themselves to refrain from buying cigarettes or malt liquor or more tickets. She was more adamant than he. Take the money and ride away.
They shuffled out of the store. I bought my condiment and left.
The couple was readying their bicycles for transport, adjusting loads, strapping possessions down. They embraced and smiled. They said “Merry Christmas!”
Where would they go?
Where would they spend the night?
What would they spend the 80 bucks on? Something special, something pedestrian, something frivolous, something dangerous?
Would they squirrel away the dough?
I watched them ride away.