Chapter 2: Money
After Gloria and Manny introduced themselves - the latter a bit awkwardly - we talked briefly before they let me rest.
Jay assured me he would handle all the funeral arrangements and preparations, insisting that I only needed to focus on recovering.
I accepted his offer since I had a lot on my mind.
"First things first - money! The gear that makes everything move in this capitalist world," I murmured.
"There are so many ways to get rich. Books, stocks, movie scripts, music, bets, selling people..." I began listing mentally.
Yeah, I should be careful - Alicia always told me to watch out for my dark humor.
"Books are for later; they'll take some time to operationalize. The writing part is ridiculous, though, since I remember many of them word for word. I just need to figure out how to find an editor and a printer.
And most importantly, how to keep it secret - NDA clauses and all that. For most of them, I'll probably use pen names. I don't want to be known as the author - especially for something like Twilight." I grimaced at the thought.
As for the guilt of plagiarizing them? None whatsoever. Quoting a wise man: it's all for the greater good - mine, specifically.
"Bets..." I muttered, digging into old Francis's memories. "The Super Bowl champion this year, 2003, was the Raiders, with MVP Jerome 'Mad Dog' - the key to stopping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."
I frowned. That was completely different from my past life - and there had never been a Jerome 'Mad Dog'.
"I need to be careful not to blindly trust the knowledge I have," I noted thoughtfully. If I really was in a sitcom world, a lot could differ from the reality I once knew.
"Modern Family was labeled as a comedy, so maybe I don't have to worry about supernatural stuff..."
I continued thinking, "From the memories, it seems I have no musical talent - in either life. Maybe I'll sell lyrics in the future. Same with movie scripts."
"Stocks are similar - I'll have to make sure the companies are still following the same trajectory I remember."
Glancing at the newspaper I had requested, I saw the date: June 3rd, 2003. My eyes widened - that was my birthday in my previous life. (It couldn't be a coincidence.)
(Now my new birthday was January 18, 1987.)
"Jackpot!" I exclaimed.
I read every single newspaper I could find from the week of my birth, hoping to find any clue about my biological parents.
"I can bet on the numbers I saw in those newspapers..."
Even if they ended up being different, it was worth trying - the cost was low, and the potential prize was obscene.
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Soon after, I decided to visit a lottery shop. Since the medical exams hadn't detected anything, I was cleared for discharge, though the doctor advised staying one more day as a precaution.
I spent ten dollars on Mega Millions tickets - one dollar each, for ten bets.
Then I took a bus to another part of the city and bought another ten Powerball tickets at a different store. Before that, I stopped to buy a cap and a different T-shirt.
Afterward, I returned to the hospital.
Later, I met my cousin Claire Dunphy and her husband Phil, along with my second cousins Haley, Alex, and Luke, and my other uncle, Donnie Pritchett.
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The next day, I was back home - a typical upper-middle-class house.
It was almost midnight, and I was staring at the two lottery tickets lying on my bed.
"Almost 400 million in prizes - 254 million from Powerball and 143.5 million from Mega Millions. Huh, isn't that too easy?"
"I'm not complaining," I smiled, looking up.
"But not really 400 million," I corrected myself. "That's the advertised amount if paid in 30 annual installments - not my thing. The lump-sum cash option is about 50 to 60 percent of that.
Then there's the federal tax, around 27%. Thankfully, Delaware has no state tax. That leaves about 102 million for Powerball and 57.6 million for Mega Millions."
I paused, thinking. "Also, it's wiser to cash in only one for now. Winning two huge prizes - almost mathematically impossible - could trigger suspicion and investigation."
I wrote my name and details on the back of the Powerball ticket, since a winning ticket is a bearer instrument. For the Mega Millions, I decided to hold off and think carefully about the best way to proceed.
"Now, I need to set up an LLC and maybe a trust to claim the prize," I concluded.
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The funeral was small and discreet, with only a few attendees. After the burial, I approached the table where Jay and Donnie were sitting, quietly drinking whiskey.
Donnie poured some into a third glass and slid it toward me.
I took a small sip.
"How are you, Francis?" he asked solemnly.
"I've been better..." I replied briefly, then turned to Jay.
"I accept your invitation to live with you, Jay - but I have three conditions."
He nodded slightly and gestured for me to continue.
"First, I want to be called Jake. Since I'll be moving to a new place, I decided to start fresh. It's my middle name anyway."
I had decided to keep my old nickname - it felt less strange and easier to adapt to in this new life.
"Second, I don't want to be treated differently. One or two weeks is all I ask. After that, no pity, no excessive affection."
I don't want to keep pretending to mourn. In my previous life, I had already come to terms with death because of my terminal illness.
"And third - most importantly - I want to be emancipated, and I need your help with that."
With a legal guardian's support, emancipation would be much quicker.
Even though Jay seemed trustworthy, caution was essential - especially considering the size of the fortune I was about to have.
Jay leaned forward. "I can agree to your conditions, but you have to promise you won't leave my house until you've proven you can fend for yourself. No legal papers craps, this is a man-to-man agreement."
"I promise, Uncle Jay," I said firmly.
Both men patted me on the back.