Earl sips hot coffee from a Styrofoam cup while watching a television suspended in the corner of the Lyme general store.

–Jesum, someone’s got that winnin’ ticket and they’re not claiming it.

Carol is watching too but from behind the counter while she counts the twenties in the register.

-Earl, don’t you buy those tickets?

-Yeah, but there’s no way its mine. I checked.

The door opens and Edna round and full under a red hunting jacket, breezes in through the door.

-Cold out there. Really coming down.

-Hey Edna, you buy any of those tickets?

-What tickets?

-You know, those lottery tickets.

-No, I don’t got time for that sorta thing. I got babies to feed, although I think Morton does from time to time.

Edna rummages through the various piles of fruits and vegetables haphazardly stacked in a greasy turf-lined cooler.

-Carol, you got any potatoes that don’t got these green shoots coming off them?

-Maybe in back. I’ll go check.

Earl shifts his weight from one leg to the other. 

-I wonder how hard it’d be to fake a lottery ticket?

-Earl git your mind outta the gutter and git a job.

-It be a lot easier to just win that ticket. Damn this coffee’s hot today. Carol. Carol, this coffee is hot today. Jesum. 

Edna rolls her eyes and moves on to stacking boxes of cereal in the crooks of her arms.

-Can you be a gentleman and pass me one a those baskets so I can give my arms a bit of a rest?

-What kinda machinery think you need to make one of those things? Probably just a computer and a printer. I could drive to West Leb and try one a those big printing places. Make the barcode and everything.

-Earl, a basket. Now.

-Sorry, here.

Edna disappears, making her way to the back of the store, checking the dusty shelves over.

-Carol, I’m borrowin’ a pen and a napkin here. Gotta write these numbers down.

-No problem Earl, go right ahead.

Carol is at the back of the store weighing two potatoes, one in each hand with her eyes closed. 

-Edna I got some potatoes; some good ones.

-Thanks Carol, I’ll be right there.

Edna rummages through dented cans of beans and Campbell’s soup before sizing up the potatoes Carol has put aside for her.

 -These potatoes look good. Nice and dirty. Whose farm they from?

-Oh, these are from the Bailey’s farm. They dropped off some fresh eggs too. You should grab ‘em before they gone.

-Great. ‘Cause I plan on making a cake with my youngest. It’s her birthday tomorrow and she wants to help. I swear with seven little mouths to feed and only twelve months in the year, it always seems as if someone’s turning a new age.

-Must be crazy with all those babies around. I only got myself two and that’s enough. How’s Morton?

-He’s okay. Working hard. You know the same thing. Digging holes. Filling holes. He’s a good man.

-Yeah, I haven’t seen him in here for a long while.

-He’s been busy, real busy.

-Do he and Earl ever go drinking anymore?

-No. He pretty much stopped that when our youngest was born. We were almost bankrupt from his behavior.

-It’s too bad sometimes I don’t know where these men get their ideas.

-I ‘gree, leaving it all to us. I was washing, cleaning, cooking, everything, taking care of those kids and still working a part timer on the side.

-You still doing that?

-No. I gave it up when he started working and not spending it on booze.

-That’s good.

-Yeah. But now my oldest is getting ready to hit puberty.

-Which one is that?

-Randal.

The women smile at each other and nod in sympathy towards one another.

-You ready to pay?

-Yeah, I’ll be right up. Gonna get me a dozen eggs or so.

-Okay.

Carol walks to the front of the store and finds Earl standing under the television watching a commercial for Shredded Wheat.

-Carol you eat that stuff?

-What stuff?

-Shredded Wheat?

-No. You?

-No.

-What were they talking about before that commercial break?

-Other news. But they say if the person don’t claim it by today noontime, its gonna be done. Over with.

-They positive someone got the numbers?

-Yeah, they say someone’s got the numbers. I guess they keep track of the numbers now by computer.

-You’d think that’d open up plenty of possibilities for stealing.

-Or riggin’. You know someone on the inside, they designin’ a fake ticket?

-Hmm, you think that’s possible?

-Sure, riggin’ is what I think. Its what I’d do.

Edna bustles towards the front of the store and pauses momentarily to look at the television.

-They got such crap on these days. I’m ready Carol whenever you are.

With that Edna begins piling the boxes and bags, containers, cartons and bottles on the counter.

-Boy, seven sure is a lot too feed.

-You telling me. Then they need shoes and pants. That’s a whole ‘nother ballgame.

-Thank God for hand me downs.

-Yeah, I agree. Thank God for hand me downs.

-Total’s $63.78

-Jezz, here’s a check. I hope Morton’s paycheck has cleared.

-It’s okay; I won’t cash it ‘til tomorrow anyway.

-Oh good, it should clear by then.

-You need help getting those out to your truck?

-Yeah, that would be nice.

-Hey, Earl, help Edna carry these out to her truck.

Earl takes a big sip of his coffee and puts it down on the counter.

-That coffee sure is hot today. You do something different to it?

-No Earl. Help Edna.

-Oh sure. Let’s go.

-Bye Carol.

-Good luck with the birthday party. Say hi to Morton for me.

-I will.

Earl stands just inside the door of a large printing, photocopying, and shipping store in West Leb. He holds the same cup of coffee in his hand. It has grown cold but he sips at it now and again.

-Do you need some assistance, sir?

A stooped and pimply young man about the age of seventeen stares at Earl.

-No.            

-You sure? You’re just standing there.

-Yeah.

-Okay.

-Wait. You got a program where I can, um; I mean you got a computer I can use and a printer?

-Yep. Follow me.

Earl lopes, head bobbing, behind the skinny teenager and then stops suddenly.

-Morton. Morton Wilson what in God’s name are you doing down here?

-Hi Earl.

-Jesum crow you was the last man I expected to see sitting at a computer?

-I’m fixing something.

-Fixing something?

-Yeah.

-You care to explain? I mean you don’t have to, but the way you’re looking it looks like you’re fixing something good.

-Yeah I’ll tell you. But you gotta come over here ‘cause I don’t want anyone eves dropping. And you gotta promise not to tell Edna.

-Sure thing, buddy.

-You know about that ticket?

-Course.