#16
Grandma liked to play bingo in the nursing home. Last week, she won two lottery scratch cards. She kept one for me.
Here, I kept it for you. Go ahead, scratch it off.
I never win at these. I said.
Today’s your lucky day. I can feel it.
I made a point of visiting on Thursdays. I knew it was chicken and noodle day and I could usually persuade Mandy the nurse to give me some to take home. It reminded me of high school and my grandma’s house at Thanksgiving. Noodles drying all over the kitchen. The smell of poultry broth. Celery.
I scratched off the card.
So? So? Did you win something?
Five dollars! I actually won five dollars!
Don’t spend it all in one place! Now wheel me around there to the TV so I can watch the end of Jeopardy.
Grandma liked to watch Jeopardy. Not because of the questions, but because of the host, Alex Trebek. He’s so handsome, she says.
I said good-bye to her and walked over to see Mandy. She had a Styro
foam container ready to go.
Extra roll in there for you, just how you like it.
What can I say?
How about thanks?
Thanks.
Mandy stops me just as I’m about to leave.
Hey, next Thursday I’m off early. Let’s go out.
Sure, I said.
I knew just what to do with the five dollars.