Read Did I Mention I Won The Lottery? for Free Online Page B

the
hustle and bustle. A superb stained glass window that stretched the
height of the wall allowed a rainbow of light to dance across
Rebecca’s face as waited. A small settee and a couple of large
comfortable chairs were set around a table decorated with an artful
arrangement of flowers. She had ordered a coffee and explained that
she was expecting guests. The answer as usual was ‘no problem’ and
an assurance that the visitors would be taken to Rebecca as soon as
they arrived along with a fresh pot of coffee. If you had enough
money were there ever problems wondered Rebecca? If you were
staying in the lap of luxury and made a request, did there ever
come a time when the staff simply shook their heads and said,
‘sorry Madam, we just can’t do that’?
    She smiled as
she thought back to last night. She and Sarah had enjoyed a lovely
evening. They had met at the little Italian restaurant on The
Headrow they always visited and eaten pizza as Sarah brought her
mum up to date with the latest ups and downs of student life. If
she had wondered why her mother could afford to be so generous she
hadn’t said anything as Rebecca ordered not only a bottle of wine
with their meal but then insisted on treating Sarah to several
cocktails before ordering a taxi home for her daughter and pushing
the money to pay into her protesting hand.
    She had wanted
to tell Sarah what had happened. She wanted to wrap her arms around
her daughter and tell her that all her problems were over. She
didn’t have to worry about paying back her student loan. She could
resign from her job in the local pub and her job in the corner
shop, both of which she kept so she didn’t have to constantly ask
Rebecca for help. She had wanted to tell her daughter everything,
but she hadn’t. How could she when she hadn’t told Daniel yet? He
must be told first, after all it was their money. So she had said
nothing but hugged her daughter tightly and said goodbye.
    ‘Rebecca?’ A
tall, thin young man stood before her, an attractive blonde woman
at his side, both looking enquiringly at Rebecca as she sat lost in
her daydream.
    ‘Yes, that’s
me.’
    Rebecca jumped
to her feet nervously, almost knocking over her coffee cup.
Artfully rescued by the waiter who had accompanied her guests, he
ushered them all into seats and then produced another pot of
coffee, extra cups and a plate of pretty little cakes before
smiling politely and withdrawing.
    Rebecca’s heart
was hammering so loudly she felt sure that everyone in the room
must be able to hear. What if it had been a mistake after all? What
if she had misunderstood something and there was no money, that
15.7 million was not about to be placed in her bank account? How
would she explain the mountain of debt now sitting on her credit
card? How would she manage to pay it back, what on earth would
Daniel say?
    ‘Well Rebecca,
congratulations! You’ve won 15.7 million pounds on our lottery.
Well done!’
    The voice was
discreet enough not to draw any attention but to Rebecca it sounded
like a trumpet being blown.
    ‘Really?’ she
whispered, ‘I’ve really, really won?’
    15 minutes
later even Rebecca had to admit that there was no mistake. Alan had
examined her ID and lottery ticket, double checked her bank account
details, confirmed that there was to be no publicity and finally
declared that the amount of 15.7 million pounds would arrive in
Rebecca’s bank on Friday morning, first thing. He advised Rebecca
to see her bank manager and made an appointment for her to see an
investment specialist who could answer any questions she had about
the handling of a large win.
    Alan had also
explained that people often worried about the wait, those long days
before the money reached their bank account. What if something
happened to them, would their family still get the money?
    ‘And will
they?’ asked Rebecca curiously. ‘Still get the money, I mean?’
    ‘Oh of course!
You’ve won the money Rebecca, we don’t take