Dereje Kinfe knew it would happen one day.
So when he finally won the lottery last week, he did exactly as he had promised and paid his wife a visit at her workplace.
“I always told her, one day I’m going to win big and then I will come to your work and tell you,” said Kinfe, 44.
His wife Hiwot spotted him outside her salon last week and could tell something was up.
"He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face and I knew he had won something,” she said.
Kinfe was the $5 million jackpot winner in the Jan. 4 Lotto 6/49 draw. He had bought his ticket before work that day and checked the numbers right away the following day.
As more and more zeros appeared on the store clerk's computer monitor, Kinfe let out a small scream.
“People began crowding around and congratulating me,” he said.
He took the day off work to let the win sink in and surprise his wife.
As well as paying off their mortgage, the couple is packed and ready to fly to their birthplace of Ethiopia to share their news with family and friends.