When Opportunity Calls...

Tim knew better than anyone that one moment could change your life forever. By age 30, he was worth millions. Tim was a whiz with money. He sold his little start up for $30 million and was quickly named CFO of the largest lending institution in the US. He married the girl of his dreams and they lived together in a palatial estate in Malibu. They had the villa in Tuscany, the loft in New York City and a fleet of cars and a private jet waiting to take them where ever they desired.

Tim’s wife stopped working after they married and had a major problem with shopping. She spent his money as fast as he could make it, but there was always plenty coming in and lots in the bank. He loved her, so he indulged her lavish tastes.

Tim thought he was immune to the layoffs going on around him. But he was wrong and six months ago, it was Tim’s head on the chopping block. He couldn’t bring himself to tell his wife. So every day, he packed up his briefcase, pulled one of his finest suits and headed out. For the first four months, Tim searched for work, applying for jobs well beneath him just so he could have money coming in and a purpose to his days. He lost hope last month when he was turned down for a sales gig…at the mall.

Tim now spent his days at the local aquarium. Staring at the barracudas, he tried to figure out the right words to tell his wife that he was a failure. They had no money. He had sold off their cars, the jet and their other properties. Their safe deposit box at the bank, once flush with cash and jewels, was empty. He had pawned his watches and most of his possessions. He still couldn’t keep them afloat. The bank was about to start foreclosure proceedings on their Malibu home. Tim wept for all that they had lost, all that he had cost them.

At the end of the day, when he would be expected home from work, Tim entered the gates of the long, winding driveway – surprised to find a large truck in front of the house. Two men were unloading box after box of his wife’s most recent purchases. When they were finally done, Tim’s wife was smiling broadly as she unwrapped what was the ugliest – and most expensive – painting he had ever seen. “Isn’t it lovely?” she asked. “I thought we could put it in your office.”

Tim would rather die than have that monstrosity hanging on his walls. “ENOUGH!” he screamed. “Don’t you ever stop shopping? We can’t afford this!” Shit! He thought immediately. He didn’t mean for it to come out that way. But now that he confessed, the words couldn’t leave his mouth fast enough. It all came out in a jumble, his termination, his inability to find work, the imminent loss of their home. He apologized, profusely, and Tim was not a man who ever apologized for his actions.

His wife was silent for a moment, stunned by Tim’s confession. As she walked toward him, Tim opened his arms, expecting the comfort and support of his mate. Instead, she drew back her hand and slapped him across the face. Then she packed a bag and left without a word.

Tim was stunned. He never expected her to leave him. He thought she would be there, that they would find a way out of this together. Tim felt as if his world was crumbling around him. He climbed into bed, sank into the plush mattress, pulled the covers over his head and slept.

Time seemed to stop as Tim stayed in that bed. He had no idea how long he lay there, not eating, not moving, not paying the ever-growing mountain of bills. He tried to call his wife, but she never answered the calls. The last time he tried his cell, the line was dead. The damn telephone company finally made good on its threats to disconnect the service.

Tim didn’t know how to get himself out of this mess. He was literally worth more dead than alive right now. The thought had popped into his head, but he began to obsess over it. He had ruined them, but if he weren’t around, the insurance company would at least give his wife something…

A telephone started ringing somewhere in the house. Tim looked at the cell on his nightstand. It was lifeless, another victim of his stupid financial blunders. He dragged himself out of bed and began racing around the house, trying to follow the noise. He went from room to room, searching for the source of the ringing. Tim's search brought him to a little used portion of the house. His wife always loved the formal dining rooms and fancy ballroom over here.

The ringing led him into a small room, decorated in frilly lace and a shocking amount of pink. Definitely his wife’s room, the place she would retreat to when she wanted to be alone. Being in her private space, he missed her so badly he could hardly breathe. Tim looked down on the hideous pink sofa and found a tiny phone, one he had never seen before.

He grabbed the thing, pressed it to his ear. Before he could say hello, a gruff voice on the other end spoke. “It’s about time you got your ass out of bed! Now get your shit together and write this down.” The voice gave him a series of numbers.

Tim tried to question who was on the line, what the numbers meant. The only response was a cryptic, “You want to turn this around? You play those fucking numbers. I know you only have $10 in your wallet. Go down to the damn liquor store and lay down the ten. Do it now you loser. You have one hour. This is your last chance.”

The phone went dead. Tim stared at the numbers and tried to place the voice. It almost sounded like himself when he would growl out orders at his subordinates. Impossible, the thought to himself.

Still, Tim pulled on his jeans and stumbled outdoors for the first time in ages. He had no car, the last one having been repossessed earlier in the month. He ran down to the store, drawing stares from everyone he passed. He didn’t need a mirror to tell him how disheveled he looked. Tim walked to the counter of the liquor store and laid down his $10 and his picks. The cashier rang him up and handed him the ticket. Jim stuffed it in his pocket and returned home.

Affixed to his front door was the notice he had been dreading. The sheriff’s sale was coming up. He had lost his job, his wife, his last dollar and now he was about to lose his home. Tim would have cried if he had any tears left. He had nothing. Tim slumped down on the porch, head in his hands and wondered where the hell he had gone so wrong.

He was still there in the morning, stiff and cold, when the paper hit his porch. Strange, Tim thought. His subscription had been canceled months ago for non-payment. Who cares? He eagerly tore into the paper, bypassing the business and financial sections he used to spend hours pouring over. It took forever to Tim to find the section he was looking for. Maybe it wasn’t in the paper?

THERE!

Tim removed the crumpled ticket from his pocket and pressed it against the paper. He rubbed his eyes, twice, to clear them. Tim shook his head, making sure that was clear too.

Every one of the numbers matched up. He held the winning ticket. The ONLY winning ticket according to the article. Tim screamed…

Twenty seven million dollars was more than enough money to buy him a fresh start. And this time, he was going to make it count.


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