Written by Joe Janes
11/14/09
300 of 365
Cast:
Dean, 70s
Esther, 4os
(Lights up on Esther behind the counter at a convenience store. Dean enters.)
ESTHER
Hey, Dean.
DEAN
Goody good morning to you, Esther.
ESTHER
Goody good noon to you, Dean.
(Dean looks at his watch.)
DEAN
Where does the day go?
(He looks at her for an answer. After a pause, she shrugs.)
ESTHER
Coffee and the lotto?
DEAN
Yep. The usual, barkeep.
(Esther pours him a cup of coffee and is about to get him a lotto ticket.)
ESTHER
Dean, what are you going to do if you win?
DEAN
If I win? You mean, when I win.
ESTHER
Not to be a balloon buster, Dean, but you’ve been playing the same numbers everyday for years and you’ve never won anything.
DEAN
Every dog has his day. And some day, this dog will have his day. Woof!
ESTHER
Dean, I’m just saying. All the money you spend on the lottery, you could have just bought something by now.
DEAN
Save it and spend it? Winning’s more fun.
ESTHER
Yes, it is. If you win.
(She hands him the coffee.)
DEAN
I play for fun.
ESTHER
How can never winning be any fun? I think you have some kind of addiction or something. You’re a gambler.
DEAN
It’s only a buck.
ESTHER
A buck a day. For over a decade. That’s…four or five thousand dollars.
DEAN
But if I win, it could be millions.
ESTHER
What would happen if you didn’t play today? Just take your coffee and walk away.
(Dean looks very concerned.)
DEAN
I’ve played for so long. Just the laws of the universe dictate that my numbers are close to coming up. I can’t stop playing. The day I don’t put down a buck is the day my numbers come up. I don’t want my numbers coming up and me holding my wiener instead of a winning ticket.
ESTHER
Tell you what. You keep your dollar, don’t buy the ticket and, if it wins, I’ll pay you a million dollars.
DEAN
You don’t have a million dollars.
ESTHER
Neither of us do and neither of us ever will throwing good money down the lottery drain.
DEAN
You don’t know that. Somebody has to win. There’s always a winner. May as well be me, Esther. May as well be me. Now, you give me my ticket.
ESTHER
Okay, Dean. Okay. (She punches in his numbers into the machine.) Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Here. One dollar.
(She hands it to him and he gives her a dollar.)
DEAN
I’m going to buy a new truck. A real nice one. With multiple cup holders. And I’ll take my dog Barney to the marsh and let him run around. He’s getting’ up there and deserves to run around and chase some rabbits. If there’s anything left, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll buy you a truck, too.
(He exits. Esther punches numbers into the machine and takes the ticket. She throws a dollar into a cash drawer.)
ESTHER
Somebody has to win.
(Blackout)
