Emerging From The Woodwork

It's a secret fantasy that fills our mind when things aren't going as well as planned. When you have R100 till payday which happens to be four days away or when you have a particularly bad day at work or when an unexpected doctor's bill throws your entire month into disarray. This is when you find yourself making your imaginary budget in regards to the age old question of, What would I do if I won the lottery? Some even reason with the gods, praying that their prays will be answered if they swear to donate a portion to charity. Bargaining for something that is as unlikely to happen as a snow storm in a blistering Cape Town summer. However every now and then our hope is renewed by the announcement of a winner. That one person that stands out like a shining beacon, the "it could happen to you" symbol.


91 million rand was recently won by a deaf and mute cleaner in the Western Cape. A lotto winner story really doesn't get any better than that, the ultimate rags to riches story. But this story is starting to get ugly, people are emerging from the woodwork. Distant relatives, old friends and even strangers are hitting this guy up for some cash. This is why in my lotto fantasy, I remain anonymous, don't get me wrong I would be spending a lot of money on my family but it would be my choice and not a sob story from a person I haven't seen in years.

There's an excitement, a buzz that has been created and I think it's effects will ensure that the lines for the lotto queue grow even more irritating than they are already. I'm not an avid buyer, in fact, if the line is too long, I move on. But this has triggered a morbid fascination in me and makes me want to stand in that queue, makes me want to be in the running at least. Money, the root of all evil? or the answers to our prayers? I think a bit of both really, if you stay grounded, remember that in this life there are more important things than a slip of paper, however that slip of paper can be the difference between doing it the hard way or the easy way. Congratulations to the winner and I hope that 91 million rand was everything you had hoped for and more, but stay grounded friend and never let your past be forgotten because it's whats going to help shape your rich future.