2-The turning point

Morgan

I woke up to the sound of my father coming home, I have no idea what time it is, he comes when he wants and leaves when he wants, it's a silent agreement we have not to interfere in each other's lives unless it's really necessary. I didn't bother to look what time it was, I don't care, the windows are closed and I don't know if it's night or day and I don't care, all I want to do is sleep until the damn alarm clock does its hateful job and wakes me up once again to a new and bitter day.

Jeff moved closer and pulled my covers tight. I groaned in annoyance and opened my eyes slowly.

- Seriously, Dad. Let me sleep, go find a slut or something.

He had a huge smile on his face, he looked extremely satisfied and happy, I don't know what made him like that and it immediately aroused my suspicion. He's not the kind of man who smiles easily, let alone for no reason.

Has he started using drugs?

- A wonderful thing has happened. - he says.

What could be so good that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?

I hope it's something really good. Otherwise, I'm going to be furious with him. I hate it when something disturbs my sleep.

I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes, trying to get my vision back from dreamland. I was dreaming beautifully that I was enjoying a life full of perks, no worries, just smiling and spending money like there was no tomorrow. I hope it's something really good, I'm too tired of my father's daydreams, always something new and crazy, that I immediately know is going to go wrong, God, if you can hear me, don't let it be another mess.

- What happened?

He hands me a thick envelope and I'm immediately on alert. I open it slowly and find a few hundred dollars inside, I don't know for sure, but it's a good amount.

What the hell?

Where did he get this money?

Immediately, I remember a situation, not so long ago, where he borrowed money from some dangerous guys who live nearby, I remember almost having a heart attack when I saw the money and almost going crazy when I found out where the money came from, I made a fuss and made him give it back, unfortunately, we had to pay interest on money we didn't even use and the rest of my savings went away because of it.

If it's that again, I don't know what I'll be able to do.

- Where did you get this money? - I asked immediately.

He still wore his big smile and didn't seem to be fazed by my question or my gloomy expression.

- I won the lottery! - he exclaimed with joy.

What?

- I don't think I heard correctly. - I mumbled.

- That's exactly it. I won the lottery. Today was my lucky day. - he smiles proudly.

Okey, Jeffrey Morgan, yes, his surname is Morgan, he thought it would be a good joke if I had the same name and surname, after a big fight, I got my mother's surname and became Morgan Bale, instead of Morgan Morgan, it makes me sick to my stomach, just thinking about it. Anyway, back to the present, my father, the unluckiest guy in the world, won the lottery. This is so surreal, I can't believe it's happening.

Will things finally change?

- Are you sure you haven't got involved with the wrong people again? - I asked suspiciously.

- You don't have to worry, this money I've brought is for you, you can do whatever you want with it, I've also deposited another amount in your account, you can go to your dream college now. - he says.

Not believing his words, I grabbed my cell phone and immediately went to see if what he was saying was true, my eyes widened when I saw that he wasn't lying, a hundred thousand dollars were appearing in my personal account balance and I had a hard time closing my mouth when I saw all that money.

So it's true.

I swallowed dryly and prepared to ask the question that was filling me with curiosity.

- Dad, how much did you win? - I asked.

He stays quiet for a moment.

- A little over five hundred thousand dollars.

Once again my jaw dropped and I found it difficult to speak. Is this really happening? I pinched my own arm, because this all seems like a dream to me, this unexpected turn in my life is incredible and I can't believe that this is my reality.

I began to cry with emotion and my father hugged me silently, I cried in his arms, feeling a mixture of feelings inside me, with each tear that fell, I felt that the fear, anxiety, the sense of failure that accompanied me, all the pain and suffering, are going away, being washed away by the joy of knowing that a better future awaits me.

Finally, my life will begin.

No more worrying about tomorrow, about bills and difficulties, the days of crying under an old blanket, of whining and being miserable will be in the past, my future is bright and I can finally dedicate myself to my studies and find better days full of opportunity. To be realistic, I know we're not millionaires, but for two people who had no chance of achieving a better, more comfortable life, this is heaven.

- Now that I've earned this money, we're going to move somewhere else, I'm going to buy a comfortable house where we can live, I'm going to do it tomorrow. And to celebrate, I've booked rooms for the two of us in a new casino hotel that opened not long ago, we're going to stay there this weekend and enjoy it a bit. Get up, pack your things and let's go. - he says.

For a few seconds, I thought about talking to him and stopping him from doing it, there's no need to spend money on something like this, but I stopped thinking the next moment, if the reservation is already made, why can't I enjoy it this time? No more being afraid and wanting to save every last penny I can, for the next two days, I'm going to enjoy it like I've never done before, I deserve it for everything I've been through so far, there's no point in my father earning all this money if I keep acting like a failed Morgan. Now is the time to celebrate this victory, I'm going to this hotel and I'm going to do everything I've ever wanted to do, for two days, I'm going to be as important as any other guest in this place.

Yes, it's time to throw away my worries and enjoy my new life.

I got up and quickly packed my bags, I was a little upset to realize that I don't have any new or nice clothes to wear in that place, just big old ones, and some pieces I bought in a thrift store, not even quality ones, just decent looking ones. Tomorrow I'm going to buy some nice clothes, I deserve them. I put on a pair of jeans that make my butt look good, put on my old sneakers, and put on a slightly worn black blouse. I gathered the messy mass of hair on top of my head into a bun and I was ready. I don't have any make-up to cover the deep dark circles under my eyes that I've acquired over the years full of worries and other gloomy feelings, nor do I care about my appearance. I'm not pretty and it won't change anything even if I hide it with any make-up, I'll always know what I really look like and hiding from others what I look like is too depressing, I don't want that.

Look at the world, this is the countenance of a young woman who has failed in life several times and has given up hope, that is, until now.

I can finally nurture a spark of hope and dream of better days that I'm sure are just around the corner, so close that I can almost hold them in my hands.

I'm so happy.

I thought that because it was a new place, it would be somewhere further away, but we're in front of a luxurious façade on the Vegas Strip, I thought that there was no room on this street for another hotel or casino, after all, the most famous ones in the category are all along this street, I guess I was wrong.

Together with my father, I entered the opulent place and mentally scolded myself for being so poorly dressed. Unfortunately, that's what I'm wearing, or I've come naked, the second option would have landed me in jail, because even the city of sin has its limits.

While my father picked up our keys, I gazed at the place with my jaw dropped at its beauty and, like someone who has only seen this kind of place in the movies I've watched, I looked at everything with eagerness and great wonder, I feel ridiculous, but I can't control my expressions.

Everything is so beautiful, like in a dream.

We had a wonderful dinner in my father's room, we were smiling, making plans for the future and toasting our good fortune, I took a bath in a huge bathtub, something I'd never imagined and it was fabulous, I lay down on a huge, soft bed. Satisfied with the end of the day, I smiled ecstatically and fell asleep looking forward to the new day to come.