Chapter 25: Déjà vu

"So, how much do you need right now?" Art said

"About two million."

"Tell ya what ... if it's ok with everybody. Open your account with the Monster Millions check, I'll draw on that to give everybody Cashiers checks and you can either open an account with it or take it to Auburn and deposit it there."

That seemed fair to everybody. The Little Brown Jug Blind Trust was opened with a deposit of eleven million seven hundred twenty five thousand dollars. The bank then ... using the trust deposit ... cut checks for the law student; two hundred fifty thousand; the accountant; two hundred fifty thousand; the paralegal and secretary; twenty five hundred; and Andie; one million, one hundred seventy five thousand.

The manager put them in envelopes and handed them to Bill. Bill passed each excited recipient an envelope. They ... everyone ... peeked. Grins all around.

"Is everybody happy?"

That got bobble head dolls nods ... nod, nod, nod.

"Are we square?"

More nods.

"You're sure? Now is the time to complain."

Lots and lots of nods.

"Sign here ... it's a receipt for the money."

Andie stepped up to sign..."Not you ... you get this once a year. Somebody wanna pick her up." Bill asked the manager, "Got some water?"

"Wow ... she really went down hard."

"Shock will do that to you." Bill thanked the teller who responded to the manager's request for water.

Andie recovered, "Can I deposit this in my Auburn account from here?" She showed her bank card.

"Yes ... that's our bank."

"Please. It's making me nervous."

That transaction complete, Andie drew a hundred bucks and smiled. "I can finish school. I'm not going to party with assholes ever again. Thank you Bill, you saved my life ... literally. The government would behead me for failing."

Suggestions of refuge status or political asylum were made. Andie was going to 'consult.'

"Now, Art. You wanna ride with us or wait for me to get home and fly down and get you?"

"I'm with you. Millie? I'm gone til Monday."

Bill laughed, "Millie ... make that Tuesday." He looked Art in the eye, "Art, Monday is going to suck. Take my word for it."

The ride back was a lot less nerve racking than the ride to the Lottery Headquarters.

When they got to Auburn, only the bank manager wanted to go to Atlanta ... everybody else was going to a gathering.

"Hell, I'll take you out ... it's at my house." He called on his cell, told Mina he was taking the plane, arranged for the three students to stay at the house and delivered them.

The feast was just getting started.

Bill was already there ... hadn't left yet ... Weirdness personified. There was a little shimmer when Bill went to his room.

Now there was one Bill.

'Wow, that was weird, ' thought Bill.