Rebecca tasted the Bolognaise sauce, just how she liked it, an hour to simmer and it would be ready. It was her main go to, cheap and easy to make. A big batch could feed the family for a week. She looked for a spot to put down the stirrer, the bench was covered in unwashed dishes. She moved some unopened letters and put the stirrer down in their place. She put the letters on top of the cluttered dining table. She looked at the pile of junk, why was she the only one who bloody well did anything round here. She was sure Shane hadn’t even looked for a job like he promised, and his pride wouldn’t let him go back to the clubhouse.
She made her way to the lounge. She stepped over Hunter’s dog asleep on a pile of clothes. Her son had changed so much over the last couple of years. He had been such a good kid. All the young ones at the clubhouse were the same. There was something wrong with the next generation.
Her husband Shane and Rob, her little brother, slouched on the couch watching last week’s football game. The floor around them littered with beer cans. She’d already seen this game and they’d lost. Kerrie her youngest, huddled up in a chair, glued to her laptop.
“What’s for dinner?” Shane asked not turning from the footy.
“Spag bol,” she said, a tinge of annoyance at the question, she picked up the remote and switched to the news.
“I was watchin’ that,” Shane said.
“Yeah, what gives?” Rob said.
“It was a s*** house game anyway,” she moved some dirty plates off a lounge chair to the floor and sat down. “I’ve got something on, you can switch back after I’m done.” She laid out her Powerball tickets on her lap.
“It’s the damn Powerball isn’t it?” Shane asked.
She said nothing and continued to set up her tickets, she didn’t feel like getting into this old argument.
Kerrie looked up from her laptop. “The odds are like one in a hundred million mum.”
“It’s only $1.70 a ticket,” Rebecca said.
“That’s if you only buy one,” Kerrie said.
“I thought I told you to stop wasting our money on it woman,” Shane said.
She looked Shane in the eyes, “It’s not “our” money unless you actually make some of it, you even called Centrelink yet?”
Shane looked away and didn’t say anything.
“If you can’t bloody well find another job, the least you can do is get off your fat arse and get on the dole,” Rebecca said.
Rob opened a beer and laughed, she turned on him, “don’t you laugh, I haven’t forgotten that you said you’d only be here two weeks, you’re bloody lucky I don’t kick you out on the street where ya belong.”
She turned back to the news.
“Three more boats full of asylum seekers have arrived off Christmas Island, the government has yet to make a comment on the turn back policies’ failure,” Jonathan Walsman the news presenter said. He’d been on the news as long as she could remember.
“Why don’t they f*** off back to their own country,” Shane said, “we’ve already got enough problems here, don’t need their s*** too.”
“Dad they’re only looking for a better life,” Kerrie said, “I doubt you would do any different if you were in their situation.”
“Here we go,” Rebecca sighed and turned up the TV.
“Riots continue in Indonesia as the government takes strong measures to regain control after the second day of lawlessness,” the news reporter continued.
“Things are getting really crazy over there,” Kerrie said, “I found a leaked video of the military straight up shooting protesters,”
“This is why I don’t watch the news. It’s all negative,” Rebecca said, “can’t they just report on something good for once?”
“Were now going to take you to the prime ministers address from earlier today,” the reporter said.
“The good news is that so far we have it under control,” the prime minister said “We’re asking for the cooperation of all Australians in the coming weeks, so far we only have suspected cases. If you are sick, stay at home, if you or anyone you know is showing symptoms call the Muaro virus hotline. I know together as Australians we are up to this challenge.”
“This bloke’s such a wanker,” Rob said.
“I was at the supermarket earlier, there were a lot of people sneezing and coughing,” Kerrie said, “I don’t know if I believe they have it under control.”
“You know I was talkin’ to this bloke the other day, he was sayin’ the Americans made it and they released it on purpose,” Shane said.
The Powerball logo flashed across the screen, “shh the Powerball’s coming up.” Rebecca removed the lid from her highlighter and readied the notepad to jot the numbers as they came.
“There’s a silver lining in amongst all this bad news. No one picked up the division one number’s in the $80 million dollar draw, so it sends tonight’s jackpot skyrocketing to a whopping 100 million dollars,” the lottery woman said.
“Nah mate, it was the Chinese, I read it online,” Rob said.
“Shut up will ya?” Rebecca said. They ignored her and kept on talking, she tuned them out.She felt the rush as the balls started to spin, her heart beat faster. This was why she bought the tickets, that little rush she got once a week. She checked her numbers, her lucky numbers. She couldn’t hear the TV but the numbers were coming up on the screen anyway.
“30,” came up on the screen.
She highlighted all the 30’s that came up, she had become very practised at her little routine. She could keep up as the balls dropped, it was something she was proud of.
“6, 8.”
Two of her tickets had all 3 numbers, if she got the Powerball they’d cover most of the cost of the tickets. She might even treat herself to a few more tickets than usual next week.
“3, 34.”
She checked her ticket against the TV, those were her numbers.
“27.”
That was hers too. Her palms were clammy.
“22.”
All seven. Just the Powerball left. Her breath stopped she never thought she’d actually win anything. “Come on, lucky number seven.”
The Powerball machine spun, a ball dropped, it rolled down the tube, it was seven.
Her hand shook as she rechecked her numbers.
“I won,” she said.
“What?” Shane said getting up and came over, “no way let us see.”
She showed him the ticket. His face lit up with that silly grin of his. She reached out and hugged him.”Guess what that means,” tears welled in her eyes. “We’re all going to Disney Land.”
