LOUISIANA—LOCAL TRAILER PARK RESIDENTS SPEND LOTTERY WIN ON MORE TICKETS

LOUISIANA—LOCAL TRAILER PARK RESIDENTS SPEND LOTTERY WIN ON MORE TICKETS

A QUIET TRAILER PARK IN BAYOU LA FOURCHE, SAW AN UNUSUAL EVENT THIS WEEK WHEN TWO RESIDENTS, TIFF AND RAY-BOB, WON A THREE-MILLION-DOLLAR LOTTERY PRIZE—THEN SPENT ALMOST ALL OF IT BUYING MORE LOTTERY TICKETS.

ACCORDING TO THE GAS STATION CLERK WHO SOLD THE WINNING TICKET, THE PAIR SCRATCHED IT IN THE PARKING LOT AND SHOUTED LOUD ENOUGH TO SHAKE THE SODA MACHINE. “THEY WERE HYPE, FOR REAL,” THE CLERK SAID. “LIKE THE UNIVERSE JUST SENT THEM A PUSH NOTIFICATION.”

NEIGHBORS SAY THE CELEBRATION WAS SHORT-LIVED. INSTEAD OF SAVING THE MONEY, THE COUPLE BOUGHT LONG ROLLS OF NEW LOTTERY TICKETS THAT TRAILED BEHIND THEM ACROSS THE GRAVEL, SHINING LIKE SILVER RIBBONS.

“THEM TWO WENT FULL SEND,” SAID ONE NEIGHBOR. “DIDN’T EVEN STOP TO THINK.”

FOR SEVERAL DAYS, TIFF AND RAY-BOB SAT OUTSIDE THEIR TRAILER, SCRATCHING THROUGH HUNDREDS OF TICKETS. SILVER DUST BLEW ACROSS THE PARK LIKE TINY GLITTER STORMS. KIDS GATHERED TO WATCH. ADULTS SHOOK THEIR HEADS.

DESPITE THEIR EFFORTS, NO NEW BIG PRIZE APPEARED.

WITHIN A MONTH, THE WINNINGS HAD DROPPED TO ZERO.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE LOSS, TIFF SIMPLY SAID, “IT’S FINE. WE CHASED THE DREAM. SOMETIMES THE DREAM CHASES YOU BACK, SOMETIMES IT DON’T.”

OFFICIALS REMIND RESIDENTS TO USE LOTTERY WINNINGS WISELY.