Page 112 - Where the Dream Ends ebook

Marc Erdrich

“Hey!” Joey interrupted. “Aren’t you the one who’s always
saying, ‘You get on a plane, the odds are fifty-fifty you’ll make
it or you won’t.’” Joey spoke in a mock Jewish accent that al-
ways made Larry laugh, because he didn’t know anyone who
was Jewish who spoke that way. “Besides,” Joey went on, “how
many people are there who haven’t checked their tickets yet?
There’s a good chance you’re the winner. Let me see it.”

Larry sorted through the pile of papers on the counter until
he found the ticket, folded in half. If Joey hadn’t been there,
it probably would have been tossed in the garbage, or lost in
the wash. Joey unfolded the ticket and stared at it as only an
experienced lottery buyer could,

“This is it,” Joey said, confidently. “This is the winning tick-
et.”

“Great! When do we collect?” Larry asked, playing along.
“Do you have the newspaper,” Joey asked, ignoring him.

“Today’s?”

“No, no. It would have been in yesterday’s.”

“Gone,” Larry said.

“Maybe Angie still has it,” Joey said, brushing the ticket
aside and going to the phone at the end of the counter. “How’d
you pick the numbers?” he asked, dialing.
“Oh, that was interesting,” Larry said. “After this girl…
woman… young woman… I don’t know, whatever she was…
convinced me to buy a ticket, I said, ‘Okay, what do I have to
do?’ and she told me I had to pick seven numbers. I thought,
How am I going to do that?’ I’m standing on the grocery line,

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