The true story of a subsistence family winning lotto
The old adage: Everything is money but money is not everything Do true in this expose

The simple but happy life
Father, aged 73 and son and daughter in law lived in the backland of Hubu, east bank Essequibo. Fishing and farming their occupation. A modest unpainted shack. No electricity. No running water, toiletry and sanitation done outside, even cooking on a mud ‘fire side’. But they were happy.

Parika Market
Pooraan, the son and his wife Nalini would come to the Parika market every Saturday to buy and sell. She will return alone with basis food stuff while he would repair to the local bar called parliament. He would have a good time and on his way home he would have a ‘’flatty’’ of rum in his back pocket and in the shirt pocket.

Eyes on the lotto Jackpot
A six pick lotto ticket on this trip the profit was good and lotto stood at 25 million. He bought 2 tickets. Back home, he, his wife and father would stuff themselves on curried chicken and rice and rum.

A carefree living
If the weather is good, the senior Pooran would fall asleep in the outdoor hammock. And Pooran and his wife would just lie on the floor, enjoying the wild breeze. Sometimes night catches them still asleep. A care free abandon. No neighbours, no wild animals. Just the songs of the feathered choristers in the canopy. Now and then the distance sound of a howler monkey. A little’’ paradise’’ carved out in the jungle. Sometime sunshine will awaken them. And off to the farm where the lush stream provide the elixir of life water.
Sometimes they even make ‘’ bush cook ‘’ with no contact with the outside world, not even a radio, those tickets will have to be checked out the next Saturday.

Checking out the ticket
And on this market day, Pooran saw the jackpot plummet to 4 million. He said to his wife ‘’ eh eh somebody win. Give me dem ticket’’. Nalini snapped me ain’t bring dem –you nag on win leh the shopkeeper give the winning numbers. His house was a bit dark. He found the numbers matched one of his tickets. His blood flushed.he dashed into the open and checked the ticket again he can’t believe his eyes. On top of his voice he screamed ‘’ Nalini! Papa, come quick!.

Winning the lotto jackpot
They rushed over. He grabbed them and and start dancing. ‘’ wha happen to you bai, you drink too much!’’ ‘’and me go drink mo!’’ He handed her the ticket. ;;ah we all millionaires!’’
Millionairer
Nalini eyes bulged .Her heart thumped faster she check out the numbers with trembling hands. ‘’ oh my God, its true, we win “.

The dream life
She began to dance and sing. “papa, join us we rich. We go live in town. You go drive in car. No more old clothes and bare foot. Ah we go go way from this mud and bush.

Un-happy father
The old man was not very happy. He grew up a farmer. He lived his life- style. Work, eat, drink ans sleep. He ain’t fancy no town life.
The next day Pooran and Nalini journeyed to town by a special taxi. And they spent the night at a secluded hotel. That night they dined on a lavish Chinese meal. They wre so happy. They couldn’t sleep.

The Cheque
Promptly at 8am they visited the lotto office and got their cheque for 1\4 of 100 million dallars yes- straight to the bank.Though he couldn’t drive he brought a car-cash and hired a driver. He scooted for a house and found one in Nandy Park. He bought it.
Fancy Residence
It was a posh residence-3 bedroom,with concete yard and car port. They funished it well. To fridge, stove and even a stero set. No tv at that time was widely owned. And of Course the populare microwave.

Extra vagant shopping
Nalini, went on a shopping spree and bought all she fancied, house-hold and personal. Pooran spent much of his money to boost his “ ride’s” Image especially the stero system, even tinting his glass windows. And he pursued the adverse y way to gain a driver’s licence.

Luxury car
He then went for his father. He took new clothes. A Wilson hat and a reebok boots. The old man disliked all. But was force to dress like a town man. This is the first time too that he would sit in a deluxe car. He was sad to leave his homested of over 50 years

An unhappy Guest
The bright light of the suburb and the cozy house. Did not tickle his fancy. As soon as he enter the building, he discarded the boots and throw away the hat. Nalini showed him to his room.’’ Here papa, lie down. This is not our grass mattress, see how soft it is ,Bought specially for your aching back. New clothes in your ward-drove.

A New Life
Now put on some slacks and come to the dinnder table’’. Pooran obliged. She dish out some cold food and microwave it. He watched with awe as she handed him the food hot.
‘’See papa, no mo fireside.no mo everyday cooking. We go gat time to walk mo”.
That night Pooran tried to sleep. The bed was too soft. He placed a sheet on the floor and dropped away. the next morning he went to the toilet, it was occupied. He couldn’t stand a toilet in a house. He missed his out-house in the bush.

Begging to go home
He begged his son to move back home. He refused. In brushing his teeth at he sink with the fancy toothbrush, he missed his black sage one
Walking on the concrete, he yearned for the grass. No birds sang here. No one around. But the dogs bark and vehicles come and go-strange place. He hated it all. Now drinks yes. But on the verandah and in aglass. No bush rum here.
Some days he is left alone. The kids gone shopping. He would hold the steel gates and look around the closed up residence and empty street. He felt like a prisoner

Dress well papa
One day his son came home and found him bare-footed and without a shirt. He was scolded ‘paps, this is town. Wear a shirt and footwear. We are millionaire. The neighbours watching”. The old man felt humiliated.

But time are changing
But the excitement was beginning to diminish. His nightly trips to the city to have a good time was getting bored. He had no friends . though he dressed well. He still had the look of a county bumskin. His speech was awful. The fancy girls just loved his money

The feud
He would now stay home and blast music. The neighbours complained. He spoke of their dogs barking. A feud developed. No one liked them.

Missed the old life
He got money. He got material wealth but something was lacking. He wasn’t happy. He longed for the rowdy company at the rum shop called “parliament”.
Nalini missed her friends at the Parika Market. They disliked micro-wave cooking.

The return
And they had sleepless night because of the thieves in the area. No peace of mind. Oh no! this is no life. Back to basics. The joy is just not there. There is more to life than wealth. Richness in the soul is better. They sold out and went back to Hubu.

Cattle Ranching
He bought acres of land where he raised cattle. See him on horse=back corralling his stock. The old man even rides a donkey and Nalini back to cooking outside and splashing in thereby stream. Its open life, friends again and the “moon-shine’’
The simple life but the ful-filling life. Money is not everything!