Back to Square One

Does money really drive love to the fullest?

‘AHH! Gross!’ Cody said as he spat out half of a dead locust with body fluids drizzling down his chin.

‘You might as well embrace it,’ his wife said while she bit into the head of another one, spat it out and swallowed the body.

‘No thank you,’ he replied, ‘I’m not a caveman or a jungle baby, unlike you Leah!’

‘Thank you, I love your kind gesture,’ she said, sarcastically.

‘I’m just sick of living in this crappy situation day and night.’

‘What’d you expect Cody? We made the mistake of being alcoholics and gamblers. We took the wrong path and unfortunately, we’re also learning the hard way.’

‘We’ve been married for four years, I think we blew most of our savings on the wedding.’

‘We only spent six grand on that in a single day. I’d say we blew forty to sixty dollars a day on bottles. That multiplied by our relationship period is about forty-three thousand!’ said Leah. ‘Not to mention the instant scratch its, lottery tickets and TAB.’

‘Alright, don’t tell me things I already know,’ said Cody, ‘it’s both of our fault, not just mine. It’s also a pity our friends and family won’t support us, they think we’re trash.’

‘Well, we’re definitely living in a thing that disposes trash as soon as possible,’ Leah said.

‘That’s a lame joke Leah.’

‘It was your idea to live in a loo,’ she replied, ‘I wanted to find an abandoned ruin instead.’

‘At least this place has doors. Besides, it’s on the edge of town in case we need to go to hospital, which we’ll probably have to one day. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet.’

With nothing but a toilet for a bed, insects and small animals for food and contaminated water, the married couple grew more depressed and apart as the days went on. They had been in this awful situation for two years now.

‘What is it Cody?’ Leah asked while huddling into his arms and trying to stay warm on this cold night. For Cody was sitting upright, scratching his head and humming.

‘I have an idea. We could walk down to the nearest lottery store and get a ticket. I know we’re taking our chances, but I’m sick of this living predicament.’

‘How are we going to do that? We’ve no money for a start.’

‘Just listen,’ Cody said abruptly, ‘we could wait for a customer to walk in and hopefully they buy one for themselves, then nab it. Come on! Let’s do it tomorrow.’

‘So, you want to commit a crime?’ Leah asked.

‘We shouldn’t get caught as according to everyone we know, we’ve disappeared off the face of the Earth, who’d know where we live?’ Cody said.

‘Don’t tell me you want to live in the old days again Cody. Honestly, I think I’d rather be homeless.’

‘Leah, when an idea springs to mind, we have to give it a try. We might not win a million but imagine what we could do with a thousand.’

‘Alright, but we shouldn’t get our hopes up,’ she said, reluctantly.

At dawn, they got off the toilet seat and stepped outside onto a footpath.

‘From what I can remember, this is the shortcut to town,’ Cody said, ‘it’s been more than a year since we’ve been there, but I’m ninety-nine percent certain.’

Thirty minutes later, they reached the heart of town. As it was early, there was no one else in sight. On the left side of the road was a convenience store.

‘That’s an OTR store, they’ll sell lotteries,’ said Leah.

‘Ok, we’ll walk in and pretend to be browsing. Hopefully a customer will purchase a ticket, so we can make our move.’

‘Maybe we should’ve waited an hour or so, look at how dead it is.’

‘Someone’s bound to walk in,’ said Cody, ‘we’ll just be patient.’

‘Standing around waiting will be suspicious.’

‘Then we’ll go around the back and wait some more.’

Cody went into the store with Leah hesitantly behind him.

‘Good morning, how are you today?’ the console operator asked.

‘Good thanks, just browsing for now,’ said Cody as he pretended to be scanning newspapers.

An elderly man with a frame walked in.

‘Morning sir, how are you?’

‘Good morning, I’d like a maxi for Saturday please. Hopefully I get lucky this time, I won’t bet on it though.’

As the ticket was being printed, Leah approached the counter and said, ‘Sorry, but what’s today?’

‘Friday,’ the attendant said.

As the customer payed the bill, Leah observed his actions very closely as he took the ticket and pocketed it in the left side of his jeans.

As the customer was about to leave, she walked up to him.

‘Excuse me sir, can you help me with something?’

‘Hi, what’s that?’ he asked.

As quick as lightning, she sprung her hand into his left pocket reached into his pocket and grabbed the ticket.

‘Now!’ Cody yelled, and they bolted out the door.

‘Oi! Don’t even think about it you dishevelled mutt! Get back here now!’ the customer yelled as he pushed his frame trying to catch up with them.

‘I think we lost him,’ said Leah, catching her breath.

‘Let’s hide behind that bush.’

They looked at the ticket which had fifty games.

‘What’s the plan now Cody?’

‘Wait until tomorrow, then we’ll go into that other store on the other side of town,’ Cody said while looking at the ticket. ‘We’ll wait after eight p.m. as that’s the draw time, get our ticket checked and I pray it’s a winner. Obviously, it’s chance to win, but anything’s possible. That old guy didn’t have a wallet, did he?’

‘I don’t know,’ Leah replied, ‘I assumed our main priority was to grab the ticket.’

‘Yeah, but if he had money in there, we could’ve bought a couple of pick me ups to add to our success.’

‘Who cares Cody? Aren’t you glad I got the ticket without any hiccups?’

‘Yeah, I am,’ he replied.

That night, Cody and Leah slept behind the bush.

Next evening, they went to the other OTR store.

‘Fingers crossed babe,’ Cody said as their ticket was fed through a machine.

It made a noise.

‘Oh my god, that means we’ve won something!’

‘N …no way! You … you just won twenty!’ the attendant stuttered as he looked at the lottery screen that was hidden from Cody and Leah’s view.

‘Give us a receipt! How much have we won?’ Cody yelled excitedly.

Finding strength in his fingers from the shock, he printed a receipt. Cody snatched it.

After reading the first line, he too, stuttered like the attendant did, as it said they had won twenty million.

Leah snatched it from him and read for herself.

‘Oh my God!’

They embraced in a tight hug and went outside, feeling over the moon.

Cody and Leah bought a colossal mansion with marble staircases and elevators. Cody bought big golden thrones, a massive spa and much more. Leah had told him she only wanted a standard home, but Cody was becoming greedy with their new wealth. After applying for personal loans which were all approved, he bought a Ferrari and a private jet. Although he didn’t know how to fly.

After three months, Leah knew their relationship was straining. Mainly because Cody seemed to be more in love with his investments than with her.

‘Listen Cody, being rich definitely beats being homeless, but this is getting out of control. You’ve become way too greedy! Instead of spending all this money, can’t we at least save it for more efficient things?’

‘Like what?’ Cody said.

‘We should be financing for a holiday overseas, like a cruise or even a trip around the world. That’s much better than blowing it on things we don’t need. A better idea is also giving some of this to homeless people.’

‘No way, my idea, my choice. I’m thinking of employing a cook, a maid and a gardener tomorrow, I’m tired of walking up and down those stairs and taking the elevators.’

Leah looked like she was about to cry.

‘Ah come on, kill the tears darling If you don’t love me anymore, get out! Go back to the toilet, I’ll find a richer and hotter mistress to take care of me. I’m living life to the fullest!’ Cody said arrogantly.

Finally fed up with his corrupted personality, Leah said, ‘fine then, good riddance! Just take my advice, you’ll learn the hard way Cody, money can’t win over consequences.’

She walked through the tall gate away from the mansion, Cody stared out of the fifth floor’s window.

Sometime later while Cody was relaxing in the spa, he heard the postman’s bike and his mailbox open.

Inside were several envelopes.

Opening the electricity bill, he gasped because it was just under four hundred and eighty thousand dollars.

Checking his bank account, Cody saw that he had just over three hundred thousand.

‘Surely not! I can’t have nearly spent it all already!’

He opened the other envelopes. They were all late monthly repayments.

Cody could not believe how in debt he was. All the excitement about being rich had made him lose track.

After paying what he could afford for the bill, he had minimal funds for his loan repayments, the only option was to sell his investments.

By the time his debts were paid, Cody also had to sell the mansion as he was no longer financially stable.

‘Well, I was lucky to win the jackpot, maybe I should try my luck on the pokies,’ he said aloud to himself.

Walking down to the nearest hotel, Cody bought several tequila shots which he downed speedily. Then, desperate to win big, he gambled all his remaining money, but no luck. He was back from where he started.

‘Oh! What have I done to myself?’ Cody said while looking at the casino screen which said No credit remaining.

Depressed and drunk, he staggered out of the bar feeling bad about what he said to Leah. Cody decided to walk to the toilet, hoping that she might be there.

It took longer this time as he was tipsy.

Leah was asleep on the toilet seat.

‘Leah, wake up.’

‘Cody?’ She said sleepily, ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Well, I just wanted to say, you can’t always win, even if you win big. I wanted to come back and give us another chance.’

Leah thought about this for a moment.

‘I have to admit, I always loved you, even being homeless. When we became rich, I was much happier than I had been in a long time, but you just turned money hungry. And I was dragged into it. I’m sorry, but it’s over between us.’

Cody began crying, ‘Oh babe, you were right and I did learn the hard way. Please don’t go!’

‘Sorry,’ said Leah. ‘After what has happened we just can’t be a couple anymore. Goodbye Cody, now that you’re back I have to find refuge somewhere else.’

Just as she was leaving, Cody stood between her and the door and tried to kiss her.

‘No! Good riddance kid,’ Leah yelled and slapped his face.

‘Please, I just want to bid you farewell. What did you call me?’

‘Kid. That’s what you are. Being selfish, not taking responsibility and wanting everything for yourself. So, I have to be your mother and tell you what’s right. Don’t spend what you can save. Use wisely when a chance like that comes up.’

Cody fell on his knees.

‘Good riddance and thanks for being a waste of space in my life,’ and with that, she departed.

Wishing he knew how to show that he truly cared for this wife, he was also aware that he was in no position of being redeemed.

For the next few days, Cody continued with the homeless life, hoping that maybe again he would get lucky. If that time ever came, he decided to take Leah’s advice, given that he lost her the previous time.