Chapter 15: Burt

There used to be a lot of lotteries in the world. Many states had their own and the MegaLottery sold tickets in multiple states. It wasn't restricted to the USA, either. The Irish Sweepstakes was started in 1930, and tickets could be purchased worldwide. And there were many more.

One thing these lotteries all had in common was that the number of tickets purchased related inversely to the income of the purchasers. As people made less money, the percentage of that money spent "to win the lottery" went up. The majority of lottery tickets sold was to the middle class and below.

Giving somebody who has trouble keeping ahead financially several millions of dollars is like giving a three year old a bag of candy. Before you know it, it's gone. The three year old eats all the candy. The lottery winner buys things. He'll keep buying and buying until, like the candy, it's gone. He's used to the money in his pocket or his bank account controlling how much he can spend. Suddenly, that money seems endless and any control is gone. He spends and spends until there's no more to spend.

Since the purchase of tickets is tied to lower income, there are very few millionaires who purchase tickets and almost none who win. Any who did would probably do well with the winnings because they already knew how to use money as a tool. And there are those among the lower incomes that have some inkling of the need for money management and are able to keep or even grow their winnings.

Kyle won the lottery several times, simply because he was Grace's son. And he was as unprepared for it as that three year old and the factory worker who blows millions over a couple of years.

Look at Val. He learned at an early age that he had to pull his own weight and that we, his mother and father, weren't going to let him get away with screwing up. Sure, he did a lot of the normal childhood things, getting into trouble like most boys do, but that's not what I'm talking about ... He developed a conscience and felt bad if he did something that hurt another or was successful in getting away with something he knew was wrong. He was actually tougher on himself than anybody else was. He used his wishing ability without thinking it through a few times, nothing really bad, but he gave himself a few sleepless nights because of it. He had a few months longer than any of us to get used to an enhanced body and when we made the transition to leaders in the new world it was pretty easy for him.

On the other hand, Kyle was shoved into several things quite suddenly. Not against his will, mind you, but he had no foundation to ground and support him. I never got to know the kid, just seeing him come and go with Vicky. Grace says he was close to his father and that the divorce really got to him. I know his father made a habit of cheating on Grace and thought nothing of using his money and influence to take advantage of young women. He owned three successful car dealerships, so you can imagine how honest in was in his dealings with others. So that was Kyle's primary male role model. The guy was too busy making money and women to spend much time with his family which sets a piss poor example for a young man growing up.

Kyle drew his first winning number when his mother moved the family into the ranch next to ours and Val and Bev stopped to see if they needed help. That led to Vicky and Kyle meeting which got Kyle his first real girlfriend. It didn't take long for him to start acting like a jerk and she left him. He begged and promised he'd be different and she went back to him. Both of those actions – acting like a jerk and promising things are going to be better are part of an abusive relationship. It doesn't matter whether the abuse is drugs or alcohol or women, whether it's physical or mental, those two steps are classic.

By the time I went to the cave, Grace and Maria had become close. Kyle had convinced Vicky to give it another try by the time I was cured. Dreamer decided to enhance Grace, Kyle and Christina when Vicky went to the cave. That was Kyle's second winning ticket.

When we were told that it was our duty to seed the female population, it was like giving that bag of candy to the three year old, as far as Kyle was concerned. He just didn't have the maturity to control it yet he had a body that could overpower most others. Telling him to treat the women with respect was like telling a lottery winner that his winnings wouldn't last forever when he was certain there was no way he could ever spend it all.

I'm partly at fault, here. First, like I said, I didn't take the time to get to know him. I am supposed to be the leader in this section of the world and I should have done something with him. I can cite the cancer, being busy getting used to the new world, handling the crisis in The Town, and, while they all contributed to it, in the end, they're still excuses. I could have taken him with us when I went to visit The Town, which would have included him in the rescue and justice mission. It still would probably have been an example of too little, too late, but now I'll never know for sure.

It was tough to pass judgment on him. Not because he was Kyle but because he was Grace's son and Vicky had been so close to him. I could justify not putting him to death immediately but in my gut I knew I bent the rules by banishing him in addition to the shoot to kill order.

It was a no win situation. It threw Vicky into confusion because she knew he was dangerous but she had loved him at some point and was carrying his child. Grace objectively knew that it was the right thing to do but the mother-son thing was going on, breaking her heart. There was a "kill the messenger" reaction happening with her, and that could either continue or stop in the future.

Maria had it all planned that we were going to add two new wives to our marriage tonight – Grace and Connie. I sent Connie out on a mission that could easily keep her away overnight and Grace decided to sleep with Vicky. Her last words to me were "I've got a lot to think about." That usually came after "We need to talk" and "You need to sleep on the couch for a few nights."

So, my ruling sent one new wife away from the house and a second away from my bed on our wedding night. Fortunately, my first wife, my true wife, was very understanding and just held me close until I fell asleep. No crying, no arguing, no name calling, just being there for me if I needed her.

There was a profusion of contrasts at the breakfast table. Val, Bev and Karen were all in high spirits and full of energy. Maria was supportive and stayed close to me, as if to give me strength should I need it. Vicky was reflective and Grace was flat out avoiding me. Tina just looked confused.

Shortly after we sat down at the table and were drinking our coffee, Raul came in.

"Patrón, I need to show you something out in the barn."

"Can't it wait, Raul? We're just about ready to eat breakfast."

"No, Patrón, it is important. Please?" He was rocking back and forth from one foot to the other, obviously nervous about something.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't wait breakfast for me," I told the group at the table as I stood.

Once we were out of the kitchen, Raul grabbed my arm. "Connie told me to bring you to the barn. She's been out there all night."

"Is she alright?"

"Si, she's fine. Come, you'll see."

When we reached the barn, Raul opened the door and held it for me. He closed it after I went through.

Connie was standing at attention about eight feet in from the door. She was staring straight ahead and didn't look me in the eye.

I noticed some scrapes on her right cheek. "What happened to your face?"

"I disobeyed your orders, Sir, and got caught by surprise. As a result, I was taken prisoner. The scrape happened when I was captured."

I walked over to her and put my hand on the scrape. I felt the current surge down my arm and then she jerked. Not much, because she was standing at attention, but I was looking for it and saw it.

"OK, Connie, settle down. Drop the military BS, relax and talk to me. What happened?"

She broke her stance and looked at me like a puppy who just got caught peeing on the carpet.

"I got overconfident and let Alfie run off to find something to eat. Instead of being more alert while he was gone, I became complacent, thinking about where I was going instead of paying attention while I was getting there. Kyle was hidden on the side of the trail and he jumped me. I went under and when I woke up, he had me tied up and was pulling down my pants to rape me. I could see in his eyes that he wasn't going to let me live. He'd removed my weapons while I was unconscious."