Chapter 3
On Tuesday, Tony had no lectures in college so he went to the supermarket again in order to fill up the fridge. He was about to pay when he remembered the little scratch card from his last shopping trip, with a smile and a shrug he drew it out of his back pocket. Born as a winner in every kind of sports didn't mean being a winner in lottery games and other gambling. That experience was made clear to him when he had played poker against his buddies and… Angela. The first time she was involved in a poker night she had won until she went to bed. Beginner's luck. He took a quarter from his change and started to rub the scratch-off panel.
"Wish me luck, Sheila," he said to the woman behind the counter, squinting at her nameplate.
"You don't look like that you need it," the fiery red haired woman smiled at him adoringly.
Tony rubbed again and with every rub a number appeared. After scratching the whole card a completely unbelievable number was revealed. 1 Million! Tony's heart started pounding heavily.
1 Million! He couldn't believe it. He examined the card again and again. Sheila looked at him in shock after she noticed the multi digit number on his card.
"Mr. Micelli, you're a winner, you really have won a million dollars." She shook her head in disbelief and jumped restlessly up and down looking alternately in Tony's face and the scratch card.
"It's a joke, right?" Tony could hardly believe his luck. He started sweating and trembling, "is it a trick or what?"
"Come with me, I'll take you to the manager." Sheila was almost unable to shove him to the manager's office because Tony was just as knocked out as if he had been in the boxing ring and his opponent punched him on the nose.
When Tony came home, it was already late afternoon. The manager had talked to him for hours, clarifying all the bureaucratic things and the money was already on the way. It would take a few days until it would be posted to his bank account and Tony still didn't believe it. When he woke up in the morning he was housekeeper, ok, a well-paid housekeeper, and half a day later he was a millionaire!
His thoughts were racing. "I have to pull myself together," he told himself. The kids and Angela would be home soon. Mechanically, he started cooking, but his thoughts kept racing, "what will I do with so much money? I can do whatever I want. I can do things I always wanted to do .I can buy a new car. A sports car. A red Fiat spider like I almost got when I was the "Machismo Man". I can give Sam the opportunity to go to a private school and a good college. I can buy my own house. Stop, a house? What would I do with that? My home is here. Will it still be my home when Angela hears what happened? A millionaire as a housekeeper and college student? Could I stay being a housekeeper? What would she say?" So many questions and he couldn't stop his woolly thoughts. Dinner was prepared and he sat down on the chair. Unable to move, he stayed there in the same position for almost an hour where Angela found him after coming home from work.
She looked at him in surprise. It was not like him, sitting on a chair, lost in daydreams. She could almost smell the changed nature in the air.
"Hi Tony, what's going on?"
"Hi Angela," he said calmly. What to do know? Should he tell her right now or should he wait for the rest of the family? He decided to wait on dropping the bombshell. It granted him a short delay and the opportunity to avoid the inevitable event. Contrary to his expectations, Mona, Jonathan and Samantha came rushing into the kitchen through the backdoor. He saved himself from answering Angela's question and jumped from the chair.
"Dad, what's for dinner? I'm starving."
"Spaghetti Bolognese." Tony answered and started filling the plates. The kids began eating and blabbing at the same time. It escaped everyone's but Angela's notice that Tony was reserved and didn't say much. This concerned Angela, but she didn't want to say anything in front of the children. . Mona's antennas were on high alert, she wondered about the two adults who seemingly relapsed into their old habit of speechlessness when it came to important things. After finishing dinner the kids wanted to leave the kitchen but Tony held them back.
"Dad, I want to call Bonnie, she got the new Michael Jackson album and she wants to play it for me," Sam bleated.
"Over the phone? That means the line will be busy for two hours or what?" Jonathan asked her and shook his head.
"Stop it, both of you," Tony intervened and ended the upcoming fight right from the beginning. "There is something I have to tell …" he paused nervously then continued speaking after everyone was quiet, "I went to the supermarket today and I had a lottery ticket… I don't know how to say… I never thought it possible… "Tony spluttered, sweat pouring from his forehead.
"Tony, you're scaring us, tell us what happened," Angela frowned.
"Yes Tony, you're talking in riddles. Spit it out and let us get on with our lives," Mona notified the other family members, "I have a date."
"Ok, I'll try… what I'm trying to say is… an incredible luck…"
"Toooony, go on. You're stretching my patience," Mona was visibly bugged.
"If you always interrupt me I won't go on."
"Please say what you have to say. We won't interrupt you again." Angela darted diabolic glances to every single person in the room, her mother in particular.
"I won a million dollars," Tony shouted out quickly, relieved that the words were finally out.
A dead silence spread over the kitchen. For a moment, none of them said a word but the silence was short-lived and seconds later chaos erupted with everyone screaming in confusion.
"Dad, when can I go shopping, I need new clothes. Will you buy me a car when I get my license?"
"Tony, we need a big party! We can invite the entire population of Fairfield plus the new guy down the street who rented the house from the Millers. He looks sooo good," Mona gave her suggestion.
"And you can get season tickets for the Mets," Jonathan said dryly, obviously the one who kept his feet on the ground.
They were all laughing and forging plans… except Angela. She was the only one who seemed reasonable and carefully considered. She didn't begrudge Tony his prize, in fact she was happy for him. Secretly, she wished that he would become more secure about everything in his live, in particular their so-called relationship. Maybe he would be less reluctant when he recognized that he was no longer dependent on his job. Although, this could backfire. A bad idea went through Angela's head, "what would happen if it's vice versa? What if he decides that he doesn't need this job anymore? Would he stay or would he go? Either way, how would they handle it?" The intrusive thoughts were stillgnawing at her.
"Angela?" Tony interrupted her thoughtful mood, "maybe now is a better time for the champagne we left in the fridge last weekend?"
She looked to him and managed a smile, "that is the best reason for champagne I ever heard."
Angela went over to the fridge and took out the ice cold bottle. Tony fetched the champagne glasses and popped the cork. For the children he mixed a little champagne with a lot of orange juice.
"To what shall we toast?" Angela asked, "Tony, you should propose a toast." They locked eyes. A second. A second longer. A second too long.
What is she really thinking? Has she already recognized how their life could change with a sudden windfall like this? "My life is great, I don't want to change anything," Tony finally spoke out trying to give her a kind of promise without admitting anything.
"So how about 'nothing should change'?" Mona wasn't sure if that sober line would be the right thing to toast to but as she wanted to get through the formalities and on to the drinking, she didn't care.
"Nothing should change," Tony said and the family clinked glasses.
Angela secretly wished that nothing would change. It l had taken them both a long way to reach the point they were at; there could be more for them to reach. She visualized a life with Tony as her… hm, as what? Her partner, her lover, her husband? When Angela took a walk through the worlds of fantasy and dreams, he was everything.
The evening went on with talking about dreams, fancy wishes and the unachievable goals that came into sight with a million. Tony and Angela were left behind in the kitchen when Mona and the children decided to go to bed. He cleaned the table and Angela gazed at him abstractly.
"Tony, what will you do now?
"I'm so confused, I can't think of a thing; I guess I'll sleep a few nights on it."
"That's the best thing to do. Don't rush it, Tony. If you need any help I'll give you the number of my financial adviser. I have to talk to him tomorrow anyway for other reasons, you know we've talked about last week."
"What?" Tony murmured distracted.
"Never mind, I'm going to bed now. It's late. Good night, Tony."
"Night, Angela."