A Good Life [WL2019] ...non-Writer

He blew his head off six days after collecting the prize. No doubt about it.

The police investigation concluded that there was no foul play in his death. It seemed that the last things he bought were the shotgun, a box of cartridges, a few books by Borges and a large pepperoni pizza. Nobody knows he won the lottery 'til after he sent a suicide cc'ed e-mail to all of his siblings minutes before he killed himself. At first they thought it was a joke, being the prankster that he was with his brand of dry and morbid sense of humor.

It was quite cheery and flippant for a suicide note devoid of sentimentality, there were a few bland jokes here and there, no slight trace of remorse, no advise, no admonition nor complaints, only practical stuffs. His remains, what's left of it he said, was to be cremated and whatever they do with his ashes he couldn't care less. The cash prize was to be divided equally among his siblings, his book collection to his favorite nephew and his mountain bike to one of his close friends, the rest of his earthly possessions he said, will be up to his three sisters and brother to squabble.

He had a lively week-long vigil of his remains, plenty of good food, lots of booze and of course there were as many speculations as to why he did it.

Was it survivor's guilt? He served four years in the army when he was a young man, the day after he was recalled back to Manila for the start of his training for a national sports competition, his unit in Mindanao was ambushed by Muslim secessionists and most of his buddies were killed. He was never the same after that. Was it his failed marriage? His wife left him for another man, they never had kids. He had a string of live-in partners, nothing serious they say, no kids either. Did he had any serious health issues? He was a former athlete and was seldom sick. He sometimes bragged that he never had the need to visit a doctor. Chronic depression then? Could be. Substance abuse? Does caffeine count? He
was not much of drinker, smokes pot occasionally when his friends had it. He never bought a single joint in his life. No one can tell if he was self-medicating. So what was it then that made him pull the trigger, all of the above?

One of his sisters burst out crying on the night of his interment when she recalled twelve years earlier when their mother needed a surgery to remove a brain tumor, maybe the money was twelve years late? Their mother could still be alive today if only he won it when they needed the money most. He was the eldest and a Mama's boy, he always felt that he let her down. Their mother single handedly raise them when their father died when they were very young from a freak accident... but that's another story on its own.

Was there a void in his life that an insane amount of money couldn't fix? Maybe a family of his own? He was only forty-three years old.

His favorite nephew said it best, "On the seventh day he rested. He had a good life and at the end, he had a mind blowing experience."

a reply to: MaxTamesSiva

Awesome story! Great job!

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein
You're too kind, thanks.

a reply to: MaxTamesSiva

Now that was different! I liked it!! Well done!!!

a reply to: SyxPak
Thank you.

Intense! I like it.

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2
Glad you like it, thanks.

a reply to: MaxTamesSiva

Good one.

a reply to: Vroomfondel
Thanks.