Corona Daily 077: Overjoyed in Ohio

Abbigail Bugenske, a 22-year old freshly employed engineer, was driving from Cincinnati to her parents’ house near Cleveland. It was the evening of Wednesday, 26 May. She switched to hands-free when her phone rang.

“Hi, is that Abbigail?” asked a mature voice. “This is Mike DeWine – the governor of Ohio.”

Abbigail knew who Mike DeWine was. But there was no way the governor was going to call her. She focused on the voice to see if it was any of her friends. The voice kept talking. He said he was making the call on live TV. The whole town, the entire state of Ohio was listening to the conversation. Was she watching TV? Abbigail said no, sorry, she was driving. Fortunately, she had almost reached her parents’ house by the time the call ended. It was just after 7.30 pm.

*****

Abbigail was screaming when she entered the house. Her parents rushed out thinking she was crying. Something was wrong.

“Mike DeWine, the governor just called me,” Abbigail said, “I won $1 million. I am going to be a millionaire.”

Her father grabbed her by the shoulders. “Calm down,” he said. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The talk was interrupted by Abbigail’s phone. She was getting thousands of new followers on Instagram and Facebook. The messages continued non-stop. Friends and strangers congratulating her on winning Ohio’s Vax-a-million lottery.

*****

In another part of Ohio, Colleen Costello, a chemical engineer was leaving the office when the same Mike DeWine called her. Colleen thought she was listening to the governor’s taped message. The more they talked, the more she realized it was really him, live. Colleen was thankful there was a bench nearby for her to sit down. The call over, she dialed her husband, and asked him if he was sitting down. He hurried to pick up their 14 year old son, Joseph, from youth group. They rode home, their hearts beating wildly.

As promised, on the lawn of their house; the governor himself, his wife and the governor’s staff were waiting for them.

*****

In the USA, the vaccine supply now far exceeds demand. It is becoming difficult to get people to the vaccination centers. In some states, free transport from home is arranged. There are people who won’t take vaccines no matter what. There are others who want to wait for a few months to see what impact vaccines have on the others.

In brainstorming sessions, the Ohio governor liked the idea of a vaccine lottery. Anyone taking even a single shot can enter it, and every week, Ohio will give the winner $1 million. Abbigail Bugenske was the first winner.

As part of the same initiative, a vaccinated teenager would be picked up randomly. His entire four years’ college education, tuition fees, accommodation, textbooks and all education related expenses would be borne by the State. This four year full-ride scholarship lottery was won by 14 year old Joseph Costello. While Abbigail had taken her vaccine before the lottery was announced, Joseph was vaccinated only last Saturday, with the lottery announcement crossing his mother’s mind when she registered his name.

*****

If you live in Ohio, you have four more Wednesdays. June will turn four more lucky winners into instant $millionaires. Parents of four more chance youngsters would be relieved to know they don’t need to spend on the child’s university education.

American states are competing to entice Americans. Memphis will give a new car. Maryland and Oregon have launched their own lotteries. Kentucky is handing over 225,000 free lottery tickets. Maine will give 10,000 licenses for hunting and fishing. Not to be left behind, California, on 15 June will pay $1.5 million each to ten randomly selected vaccinated people.

*****

Offering millions of dollars and cars to bribe the people to get vaccines is happening in the same mystifying world, at the same time, where billions are desperate to get access to vaccines, some of them are on ventilators, others dying.

No vaccine has been invented for the man-made virus called inequality.

Ravi