And We're Live!!!

This is Dean Groupe, live on the scene, of a bus stop filled with at least two people waiting for the Number 9 bus to Jersey City. I will slowly approach them, cautiously and hope for the best when I finally tell them they are on News 68, with their own embarrassing moments, seen and heard by millions of viewers.

At this moment I am seeing more people arriving, either to catch the Number 9 bus or the number 13 bus that will be heading to Atlantis Under the Sea Casino. As I get closer, a hand touches my shoulder and I freeze in place.

I turn to see who it is and meet the piercing eyes of my own camera woman Tessa. I jumped a little and she informs me that we can actually be live on the air in 4 minutes. I nod in response and we continue to edge towards the waiting people at the bus stop. I did happen to notice one was carrying a gun in their belt, but their pants are loose, which adds to the frustration they are showing on their face.

I get close enough to touch them when one of the people standing closest to me speaks first. I introduce myself as Dean Groupe, that I am wanting to find out why they are riding the bus and is this something they do often. The person I first was encountered by is Jimmie Lewison. A out of work construction worker who wants to take advantage of the jackpot drawing at the casino.

I then signal for the Tessa to start rolling. She then slowly turns on the camera and aims it in the direction of Jimmie, but not so he notices the camera at first. I ask him to proceed and share with me about all that is going on, and what are his reason or reasons for wanting to try his luck at this jackpot, that was only offered on Monday, March 23rd, 2029. Being today is Thursday, March 26th, 2029, and I ask how long Jimmie had been going to try and win either the jackpot, or maybe something smaller.

Jimmie chuckled. He said that he was using his rent money to play and so far, had won some prize money, but it was smaller than what he had spent, so he was trying to win it back before his rent was due. He was about to explain how a hard ass his rent lady was, mentioning her name was Agnes Dumpbell. I laughed at the name, who I knew all too well. He then proceeded to also explain that he would help out anyone who asked, only after he had taken care of his own bills and maybe splurge a little.

While I was chatting with Jimmie, out of the corner of my eye, a young lady approached me, and Tessa turned the camera towards her, without her even noticing. I was interrupted by this person, who identified herself as Twila. Just Twila as she corrected me about having no last name, Madonna. I looked at Twila and then asked the same questions I had asked Jimmie, and as even before I finished, Twila explained why she was here and where she was going.

Twila too was interested in winning the jackpot at the casino. She was crossing her fingers as she commented on her reason(s) for trying her luck. Hers were slightly different from Jimmie's reasons, and this made her a little embarrassed at the idea, thinking it was not worth the time and effort to mention it. She decided to respond anyway.

Twila sighed and then proceeded to mention, that due to cutbacks at her place of employment, a substitute teacher, over at Millit Elementary School, she was laid off first, because she had been the most recently hired. She was needing eye surgery, and was hoping she could win, avoiding having to withdraw money from her savings. This was all being taped on camera. Twila was not certain she wanted to go further with the conversation, but she sighed once more and began again.

Her husband had passed away only last fall, in October 2028. She was living off her meager salary, that now was obsolete. She was will to split the jackpot, in the case of more than one person winning. She too wishes to help out others, only after she had paid bills and splurged a little on herself. At that moment I was noticing more people arriving at this one bus stop in this area. Twila then finished up talking and headed over to the man I had only recently learned was Jimmie. They kissed and then went to sit down on a vacant bench by the bus stop.

The last person to be spoken to was an older lady, possibly in her 70s, that stood close to the bench that Twila and Jimmie slid into. I walked over to them and introduced myself. The older lady stated she was Cheetah Wilson, a recently retired Auto mobile Assembly line worker, who after giving 53 years of her life to the local Auto plant/factory, was forced to retire, with a significant pay cut because the plant had been bought out and then closed down, due to lack of funds and needing to downsize.

Cheetah was also heading to the casino, for what else, to see if she also could win the jackpot offered by the casino, but she had a set of hearing aids that she wished to purchase due to her long years of exposure to loud annoying noises. She was also spending her mortgage money, in hopes of hitting it big. it was about this time that the number 13 bus stopped to allow those going to the casino entry. By the time it loaded, most all of the people who had been waiting there were on the bus. Like the California Gold Rush, I believe most all (if not all who were heading in that direction, were wishing and hoping for the same things. To Win and win huge.

The moment of surprise was upon us, and no one was the wiser to who might be the luckiest of them all.