Jackpot

The driver turned on the siren of the ambulance and drove as fast as he could.

The silence inside of the vehicle was deadly. Nobody said a word. They were very concerned about the accident.

A doctor and a nurse took care of them: a man with a bad cut on his forehead and a woman lying on the stretcher with one swollen eye, like a red balloon. All her body looked in pain.

She did not know what was going on. She felt as if she was losing her marbles. So she started to remember what had happened from the moment she woke up.

I had my breakfast, I showered.

I got dressed.

Oh! I can’t see anything with my right eye. It’s so painful. What’s the matter with me?

I must try to remember what had happened, again

I got dressed, I showered… No, the other way around…

I went to the garage.

I unlocked the door of the garage.

I got into my car.

Ouch, ouch! My back…Again

I locked the garage door.

I was driving to work.

I was happy thinking of being rich. Why?...

Ah! Yes, today is 22^nd December the day of the National Lottery biggest prize. Ok…I have a lottery ticket.

Ouch! My eye… Am I going to be blind? I hope not!...

I took the narrow road as usual, where barely two cars can cross at the same time.

This country road is quicker and more pleasant.

I am sure I saw the traffic signpost indicating 40 km/hour at the beginning of the road.

All my body is in pain. When will it stop?...

I slowed down as always.

Bloody van! Oh nooooooo! I’m going to be killed!

Suddenly, I could not believe what was happening:

A VAN ZIGZAGGING IN FRONT OF ME!

In a second the van has crashed into my car with a big bang!

Ouch, ouch!

Blackness!!!

The van dragged my car 11 metres.

Brightness!!

Thank God, I was alive!

I was trapped in my car.

The left side of the car was stuck on the edge of the road.

The front right-hand side door was squashed by the van.

The back door was locked with the child lock.

I was in a panic.

Ouch, ouch! My back, my knee… It’s awful

I could not get out.

I unfastened the seat belt.

I jumped into the back.

“Open the car! Please!

Please, please, open the car!

Open it! Open it! Please!”

I screamed out while knocking desperately on the window.

Oh, God! My head…headache is horrible!

At long last the creepy van driver unlocked the door at the back.

I wobbled along until I could lie on the edge of the field beside the road.

The van driver was wound up.

“I aaam sorry, sooo sorry. It was the wheel of my van” he stammered

Ouch, ouch! “Call the police” I answered immediately.

I could not move. I was in real pain. Somehow I managed to phone my husband on my mobile.

There was nobody in the area at that time of the morning.

The police came out without delay, in less than 10 minutes.

They checked the scene.

“You could have been killed. Thank goodness you were driving slowly” They told me.

In a flash it came into my mind: “Oh! My God, I am alive. At once I have won the jackpot with my life even before the lottery has been announced on TV.”

Then my husband arrived at the place of the accident. He told me I had won the lottery.

Did he tell me my lottery ticket was prized of or have I imagined this? Did my number come up today? Damn! I can’t make up my mind, I’m in such pain. Ouch, ouch! My back…ouch my eye…my head…

The driver stopped and turned off the siren of the ambulance. The stretcher bearers took the man and the woman to the emergency room as quickly as they could.

Mª JOSÉ ROIG FABRA

DUBLÍN 8/ 12/ 2017