Mark Sargeant has been bombarded with calls since news spread about his new fortune.

by MELISSA WICKHAM

BEFORE MONDAY, October 31, Mark Sargeant was a virtual unknown.

Now after winning $400 000, in the Mega Six, he can't step outside his Bottom Bay Road, Apple Hall, St Philip house, without being recognised.

And since his picture appeared in the DAILY NATION last Thursday, Mark has been bombarded with calls from people offering congratulations, those who want a piece of his winnings as well as companies pitching investment ideas.

"My phone hasn't stopped ringing," Mark told the SUNDAY SUN last Thursday. And he wasn't exaggerating as his phone rang several times throughout the interview.

All the attention is new to him, and unwanted, quite frankly. He doesn't regret winning the money, obviously, but he wishes people would just leave him alone.

So far, he doesn't have any major plans for his small fortune but he plans to carry out some renovations on his mother's house where he now lives and purchase a car so he can take her to and from the hospital for her appointments.

"My mother is not a healthy woman so the car would come in real handy," he said.

Prior to winning the Mega Six, Mark had to get someone to take his mother to the hospital or call a taxi.

It so happened it was after taking his mother to one of her appointments in August that he decided to stop by Trimart Supermarket, Haggatt Hall, St Michael, to buy a ticket.

Ironically, Mark first went to Emerald City in Six Roads, St Philip, to buy his ticket but the line for the lottery was too long. That's when he decided to stop and buy it at Trimart.

He hardly ever chooses the numbers himself so he asked for a Quick Pick.

He went home and carefully stored it in a drawer, totally forgetting about it.

It wasn't until he was watching the televised draw last Monday, some two months later, that he realised the winner from the August 23 draw had not come forward.

He got up and rushed to the drawer to search for the ticket. Then he called the offices of the Barbados Cricket Association.

"The lady on the other end asked me to repeat the numbers I had. When I did, she told me it was the winning ticket. I couldn't believe it," he said, adding that he couldn't remember the winning numbers.

The money couldn't have come at a better time since he has been unemployed for the past five or six years. His last job was as a waiter at Sam Lord's Castle.

"I've been surviving off my savings because when I worked, I saved my money," he explained. It isn't far-fetched because Mark has few expenses – he lives at home, has no children and "no woman".

Though he has been playing the lottery for more years than he can remember, he only won $25 on two occasions.

He says the money won't change him. He still plans to be the laid back person who hangs with the guys on evenings.

He believes his winnings were predicted a long time ago in a dream.

"I dreamt I won $900 000 about two or three years ago. It took a while for it to happen and it might not be as much, but that dream finally came true," he said.

And while he's not the religious type, Mark is counting his new fortune as a blessing from God.