On Wednesday evening Simon Carter telephoned his mother. He lived near Sydney with his wife and their two children, and he telephoned Emma every week. She told him the story of her lottery ticket. Simon listened carefully, and got angrier and angrier.
Is your head OK now, Mum?'
Yes, thank you, Simon. But I'm very, very angry. That young man stole my lottery ticket. Now he's got a cheque for five million pounds – and I've got nothing! I don't want to be rich, but I do want to come to Australia and visit you, and Mollie, and my grandchildren. It's not right, Simon! I had the winning ticket, I paid for it, and that man stole it!' She began to cry.
Mum, listen,' said Simon. 'Go and see a lawyer.'
I don't know any lawyers,' said Emma unhappily.
Look in the telephone book,' said Simon. 'There are lawyers in every town.'
But lawyers are expensive. I can't pay a lawyer.'
I can pay a lawyer,' said Simon. 'I'm sending you some money today, through my bank. Don't cry, Mum. Put on your best dress and go and see a lawyer.'
Simon, you're a wonderful son.'
And you're a wonderful mother. Goodbye, Mum. And good luck!'
Well, Mrs Carter, how can I help you?'
It was Thursday morning and Emma was in Edwin Jones's office. Edwin Jones was a big man, with a red face and small blue eyes.
It's about a lottery ticket,' Emma began.
Ah, the lottery. Everybody wants to win the lottery!'
But I did!' said Emma. 'It was my ticket – my numbers.'
Tell me about it, Mrs Carter. From the beginning.'
So Emma told the lawyer everything, and he listened carefully. When Emma finished, he said:
Those numbers on the ticket – tell them to me again.'
Emma told the lawyer everything.
5, 12, 23, 24, 38, 41.'
And you always get a ticket with those numbers. Why, Mrs Carter?' asked the lawyer.
All those numbers are important to me. I was born on 5th December, 1923. I lived at number 24 Sandwich Road for 38 years. And my son Simon is 41 years old.'
I see. Well, Mrs Carter,' Mr Jones said. 'What do you want me to do?'
Please talk to Sunshine Lotteries, Mr Jones. They've got my ticket.'
But, Mrs Carter, what can they do? All lottery tickets look the same. People don't write their names on their tickets... Perhaps it is your ticket, but we can't prove it.'
But we can! My ticket's different! Please listen! I always put a little kiss on my ticket... you know, an X.'
Why do you do that?'
My son lives in Australia with his family. I'd like to visit them, but aeroplane tickets are very expensive. So every week I get a lottery ticket and I think about Simon and his wife and my grandchildren, and I send them a kiss. Simon's a wonderful son. He telephones me every week. He never forgets...'
The lawyer smiled. 'Yes, yes, I understand,' he said. 'My mother lives in Wales, and I telephone her every week too. Please go home now, Mrs Carter. I'm going to make some telephone calls. Come and see me again tomorrow.'
bank n. a business that keeps and lends money and provides other financial services 銀行
星期三傍晚,西蒙·卡特給他的母親埃瑪打了電話。他和妻子以及兩個(gè)孩子住在悉尼附近,他每周都給?,敶螂娫?。?,斀o他講了彩票的事情。西蒙認(rèn)真地聽(tīng)著,越聽(tīng)越生氣。
“現(xiàn)在你的頭好了嗎,媽媽?”
“好了,謝謝你,西蒙??晌曳浅7浅I鷼狻D莻€(gè)年輕人偷了我的彩票?,F(xiàn)在他得到了一張五百萬(wàn)英鎊的支票,而我什么都沒(méi)得到!我不想發(fā)財(cái),但我確實(shí)想去澳大利亞看看你和莫莉,還有我的孫子們。這不對(duì)頭,西蒙!我擁有那張中獎(jiǎng)彩票,我掏錢(qián)買(mǎi)的它,而那個(gè)人偷了它!”她哭了起來(lái)。
“媽媽,聽(tīng)著,”西蒙說(shuō),“去找個(gè)律師。”
“我一個(gè)律師都不認(rèn)識(shí)?!卑,旊y過(guò)地說(shuō)。
“在電話簿里找找?!蔽髅烧f(shuō),“每個(gè)城市里都有律師。”
“但請(qǐng)律師要花很多錢(qián)。我請(qǐng)不起。”
“我可以付律師費(fèi)。”西蒙說(shuō),“我今天就從銀行給你匯些錢(qián)。別哭,媽媽。穿上你最好的衣服,去見(jiàn)個(gè)律師吧?!?/p>
“西蒙,你真是個(gè)很棒的兒子?!?/p>
“你也是個(gè)很棒的媽媽。再見(jiàn),媽媽。祝你好運(yùn)!”
“哦,卡特太太,有什么可以幫你的嗎?”
星期四早晨,?,攣?lái)到埃德溫·瓊斯的辦公室。埃德溫·瓊斯是個(gè)大塊頭男人,臉紅彤彤的,有一雙藍(lán)色小眼睛。
“一張彩票的事兒?!卑,旈_(kāi)口道。
“啊,彩票。大家都想中彩票!”
“但我中了!”?,斦f(shuō),“那是我的彩票——我的號(hào)碼?!?/p>
“跟我說(shuō)說(shuō)這事兒,卡特太太。從頭說(shuō)起?!?/p>
于是,?,敯阉械氖露几嬖V了律師,他聽(tīng)得很認(rèn)真。?,斦f(shuō)完后,他說(shuō):
“彩票上的號(hào)碼——再跟我說(shuō)一次。”
“5,12,23,24,38,41?!?/p>
“你買(mǎi)彩票總是選這些號(hào)碼,那是為什么,卡特太太?”律師問(wèn)。
“所有這些數(shù)字對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)都很重要。我的生日是1923年12月5日。我在桑威奇路24號(hào)住了38年。我兒子西蒙41歲?!?/p>
“我明白了。那么,卡特太太,”瓊斯說(shuō),“你想讓我做什么?”
“請(qǐng)和陽(yáng)光彩票公司談?wù)?,瓊斯先生。他們拿著我的彩票。?/p>
“但是,卡特太太,他們能做什么?所有的彩票看上去都一樣。人們又不在彩票上寫(xiě)自己的名字……或許那是你的彩票,可我們無(wú)法證明這一點(diǎn)?!?/p>
“但我們可以!我的彩票和其他的不一樣!請(qǐng)聽(tīng)我說(shuō)!我總是在我的彩票上畫(huà)一個(gè)小小的親吻符號(hào)……你知道的,一個(gè)X。”
“你為什么這樣做?”
“我兒子和他的家人住在澳大利亞。我想去探望他們,但機(jī)票很貴。所以每周我都買(mǎi)一張彩票,我掛念西蒙、他的妻子和我的孫子們,所以我送給他們一個(gè)吻。西蒙是個(gè)很棒的兒子。他每周都給我打電話。他從來(lái)不會(huì)忘記……”
律師笑了。“是的,是的,我理解?!彼f(shuō),“我母親住在威爾士,我每周也給她打電話。現(xiàn)在請(qǐng)回家吧,卡特太太。我要打幾個(gè)電話。明天再來(lái)見(jiàn)我吧?!?/p>
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