Jack shivered in the chilly November wind. He pulled his tattered clothing tightly around his emaciated body but the thin rags offered no protection against the biting cold. His stomach growled hungrily and he tried to remember the last time he had eaten a proper meal.
Ever since the terrible car accident, Jack had had a series of misfortunes. First, he had lost his left arm in the accident. With his disability, his boss had fired him from his job as he had been too inefficient. The unemployed man tried to apply for new jobs, but to no avail. All of his applications were declined due to his disability. To make matters worse, Jack had been kicked out of his home as he could no longer afford to pay the rent. Alone and without a roof over his head, Jack resorted to begging. The money he got was only enough to buy him a hot meal once every few days.
It had been almost six months of living life in poverty. Every day, Jack would sit along an alleyway, hopefully holding out a tin can. In winter, fewer people ventured out onto the streets and he knew that what he collected would not be enough to sustain him. Jack looked up at the sky, with tears blurring his vision and prayed, “God, please help me!” It was his last hope.
The next day, Jack was awakened by the sound of someone shouting. Bleary-eyed, Jack squinted and tried to see who was making the noise. A stout man with a long beard and baseball cap was standing along the alleyway with a large box beside him. “Lottery tickets! Grand prize of 5 million dollars! Try your luck today! Only five dollars for a ticket!”
Jack slowly limped out of the darkness of the alleyway and sat at his usual corner. He took out his tin can from a secret hole, looked around and waited. He man turned and saw Jack. “Hey! Why don’t you buy a ticket?” Jack looked at him and replied in a raspy voice, “I would if I could.”
The man scrutinized Jack and took in his tousled hair and tattered clothes. No wonder he could not afford a ticket! Sighing deeply, he took a ticket from his box and put it in an envelope. When Jack was sleeping, he quietly placed it in his tin can.
By the time Jack awoke, the man was already long gone. He peered into his can and to his surprise, he saw a white envelope amidst the small coins. His heart thumped wildly as his eyes lit up. “There must be something good in there!” Jack’s shoulders slumped in disappointment as he pulled out the lottery ticket. “I could never win the money. With my luck, the chances are too slim!” Nevertheless, he absent-mindedly tucked the ticket away in his pocket.
Over the next few days, there was news about the lottery. Apparently, the winner of the five million dollars had not stepped forward to claim his prize. It was the talk of the town. Jack heard about the news but he had forgotten about his ticket. He was too busy dreaming of food and a warm bed. Then, the man selling lottery tickets returned.
“Hey!” Jack exclaimed, “were you the one who gave me that lottery ticket?”
“Yes, sir. I thought that you deserved a chance to turn your luck around.” The man hesitated before passing Jack a newspaper. “Look at this! The winner has still not collected his prize!”
Jack squinted at the article which featured the winner number. Could he be the winner? He fumbled in his pocket for the crumpled ticket and put it beside the newspaper. Looking back and forth between the paper and the ticket, Jack could not believe his eyes. The numbers tallied! Just like that, he had become a millionaire. A tear of joy trickled down his gaunt face. “Thank you, God,” he whispered.
Six months later, the tables had turned. Jack had become a wealthy millionaire with a huge mansion lavishly decorated with antique furniture and priceless art. As he sat on his front porch, savouring the delicious meal his chef had prepared, he reflected on how far he had come. He was ever so grateful for the ticket. It had been an unexpected blessing indeed.
Hope this helps.
