Lotto Luck with the Man on the Moon

It was an act of destiny, a fools accident, a stroke of luck,
really. I never meant to win. I did it on a fluke. I was buying a pack
of Blotto Gum, and the clerk thought I said, Lotto, Son?

I am an Alien, an underage Alien at that! Thirteen in Earth years.
Can't remember how I got here, but I do remember life before earth. I
want to go back but wouldn't know the first thing I'd have to do to get
there.

I live in a foster home and my foster parents are playing with a light
deck.

I couldn't possibly trust my foster parents to collect my newfound
fortune. What is social security number anyway? Twenty million dollars,
WOW, I know I'll be going to college! Maybe I could become an expert on
the Solar System, a great scientist or astrologer and discover how to
get back to the moon.

I need to find someone I can trust to cash in this ticket and put this
money aside until I am old enough to use it wisely. I may have to
reveal my alien status but, I will be extra careful about who I share
that information with. I only have a year to do it because that's how
long this ticket is valid. And so the search is on. Where shall I
start??..?

Martin thought about talking to his guidance counselor at school, but
he would just send Martin to therapy and then expel him from school
once he told his story. And he can't bring this to his foster parents
because they will keep the money and will be pissed off once they
realize they are housing an Alien. Or, they would try to make money on
the fact that he is an Alien, big time exploitation! The New York
Times, the Globe, who knows.

At the Public Library there is this very serious looking woman behind
the checkout desk. We have seen each other on many days, although we
have never spoken, she knows me by sight. So, I am thinking to myself,
she looks well read, honest and doesn't seem to be a criminal type. I
would guess she is an open-minded person, reading all these books.
Maybe she knows about UFO's and such, life on the moon.

Her name badge reads "Hilda Broome" and she looks mean. I approach her
with the question; What books do you have on Aliens? As she directs me
to the section, I casually ask her if she believes in them. Her answer
was a big flat NO! " Rubbish, read Shakespeare why don't you". I knew I
wouldn't be using my library card that day or Hilda Broome for that
matter.

What if I could find somebody who didn't know me. I wouldn't have to
tell them the Alien part. I could just say I am a lucky runaway who
needs some help. For your assistance I would gladly pay. So, I roam the
park for some candidates. Do I want desperate person or do I want dopey
person? Perhaps a pet owner, someone walking a dog. These are usually
good natured people, someone I could trust. Too risky, all of these,
?..I need to think??.think, think.

A Priest, that's it! Not only are they honest, but they are not allowed
to tell your secrets. I must be sure to have this talk in one of those
boxes in the back of the church.

As he hides the winning ticket in his notebook, he contemplates his
approach for tomorrow's confessional conversation. The day has arrived,
Saturday, 4:00, time to get to the church. He had asked his friend Joey
Russo the confessional prayer procedure, said he wanted to convert,
Joey bought the story.

Bless me Father for I have sinned???..I am new to this Catholic stuff
and would like to join. I have never been to confession but I know what
it's for and hope you will listen. I do get to eat wafers tomorrow if I
do good, right?

Anyway, here goes??

I lied to my foster parents and skipped school. I bought a lottery
ticket that day and won twenty million dollars. I can not tell them
about this because they will know I played hooky and lied, and not only
punish me, but they will use the money for their drinking and gambling
and that would be a shame.

Father, I want to ask you a favor because I hearing you're a trusting
smart guy, would cash in this ticket for me? You could keep some money
as a donation for your Church, whadda ya say?

Dear Son, while God will forgive you for lying, I cannot be a part of
an additional lie. I suggest you be honest with your parents and hope
for the best. Good luck and I hope to see you at Mass on Sunday.

With that, he is feeling hopeless. Along he goes down the street
thinking, "This is becoming a very distracting problem for me. Too much
pressure for a kid, especially an alien kid.

He decides he was not meant for this new found fortune, and will just
give it away, no strings attached. Now he has to figure out who he will
give it too.

A homeless person, a charity, it has to be something good,
something
really good. Finally, he decides, Lucy. He will give it to Lucy.

Lucy is twenty- five and lives next door to him. She is not pretty, has
no friends and is very lonely. When he first arrived at his foster
home, he remembers being lonely too. Lucy was the only person who gave
him any attention. They used to sit on the stoop and talk. She would
listen to him complain about the bullies in school and he would listen
to her complain about how the girls at the phone company snubbed her
and the men ignored her. They had a common bond, both were victims of
cruelties, this poor young alien boy and this older wallflower girl. Of
course, Lucy didn't know he was from the Moon.

He decides he will be her hero and change her life by giving her this
money, and he is sure she will share some of it with him for college.
Lucy's birthday is coming up, so he will buy her a birthday card and
put the ticket inside the card.

The day has arrived, her birthday, November, Friday the 13th. She is
twenty-five. He marches up to her house, rings the bell and waits. And
waits. Finally, Lucy's mother answers the door and she advises Martin
that Lucy has the flu. He can see her for a few minutes if he wants
to.

Poor Lucy lying there looking so pathetic, wrapped up in flannels up to
her neck, smelling of Vicks. She usually looks bad, but not this bad,
WOW. Time to act, so I whip out the card and hand it to her as I stand
over her big four poster. She thanks me while she sniffles, manages to
rip it open and the ticket falls out onto the blanket.

"What's this? A lottery ticket, you should have saved your money, I
never win anything, but thanks." NO, NO, you don't understand, you
already won Twenty Million Dollars! Her eyes got big as saucers and she
says "REALLY?" But she did not believe him. She humored him, and being
polite, she took the ticket and put it in her night table draw.

"Yes, it's yours, from me to you as I have no use for it. Go and change
your life and remember your strange little friend next door. Do
something good with this gift.

And with that, he left. He did not see or hear from her ever
again,
Until???????..Fifteen years later.

Lucy is now forty and is now a very beautiful and wealthy woman. Years
after she left her mothers house, she tried to track Martin, but to no
avail. She had wanted to share the money with him, but he had also
moved and no one knew where.

It 's the eve of Lucy's 40th Birthday, Friday, November 12th and Lucy
is attending a fund raising gala for the University of Art, Science and
Astrology. She is one of the honored guests, being a generous major
contributor for many years. There is a panel of guest speakers, and one
of the guest speakers who is introduced is a Professor Martin Mooner.
Could it be? Could this be the same Martin after all these years? The
age seems about right, but he is now a handsome, articulate professor.
Nothing like the nerd she remembered.

When the speeches are over and everyone gathers for cocktails, Lucy
saunters over to where he is standing. She is now face to face with
him. A quizzical expression crosses his face as he asks, "Do I know
you?"

She responds, "I am Lucy and you are the boy that saved me from a
painful and dreary life! It will be fifteen years ago tomorrow that you
gave me that wonderful gift that led me to freedom and discovery. At
first, I thought you were playing a joke on me, and instead it was the
beginning of a new journey.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I am forever grateful.

You turned out to be quite a young handsome, intelligent man without
any of my help. I see you did it all on your own, without the aid of
your winning lotto. Very admirable indeed!

Why, if I were ten years younger, I'd fly to the MOON with you!

Did she somehow know?