Sitting at home on a boring Saturday evening, watching the rain trickle down the windows. Yes another forlorn night I thought, as I carried my eyes to gaze at the picture of me and Eddie on the mantelpiece. Next to it was a picture of Ted, my best friend; who was actually my Labrador puppy when I was a child. How I missed him, both of them. For some reason, the house felt smaller that it usually did, which I thought was odd, as when somewhere is lonely it always feels bigger. My work stuff filled most of my living room, so that was another room lost. After losing Eddie at the end of the last academic year, and now falling out with Kim, I felt very alone and depressed. I checked my phone in desperation for a friend, but my inbox was empty, as it had been for far too long. I changed the channel on the television. There was an advert for the national lottery. What would it be like to have all the money in the world? What would you do with it? How would it change you, your life? I wondered silently.
That was it. That was what I had to do. I had to get a ticket. I had never been a great believer in that sort of thing, but after all, stranger things had happened in the past, I became head teacher of Waterloo Road for one!
I looked at the clock, and it said 6.05. I had time to get to the shop before it closed and before the lottery started at 7pm. I grabbed my coat and the car keys, and made my way out of the front door.
As I drove to the shop, I couldn't stop thinking about winning so much money, and the things I could do with it. I used to dream of being rich when I was a little girl, but I dreamt of a lot of things as I child, and now I had realised that dreams will never come true. I loved being in my own little world, although it had its consequences, as I drove straight past the shop. I had to turn into a side road to turn around and come back. I pulled into a parking space and jumped out, locking the car as I made my way toward the shop door. There was a queue for the lottery machine and I began to get impatient. I looked around the shop for something to distract me from my irritation. Finally I made it to the front and got my ticket. I looked at the piece of paper in my hand. Could dreams really come true? How could a small piece of paper change your life so dramatically?
I made it to my front door and stepped inside the warn hallway, out of the rain. It was only 6.25, so I decided to put my pyjamas on, to get out of these wet clothes before settling down in front of the T.V for the night. I came back down and ordered my Chinese, whilst pouring myself a glass of wine. I flicked through the channels waiting for the delivery man. These days it seemed as though all I ever did was wait. Wait for what?
There was a knock at the door around 6.45. I took my food into the front room to eat. I watched the clock and as the big hand reached the 7, I put my glass on the side table and picked up my ticket. I watched intensely as each ball was drawn. I got 1; I got 2, 3, 4, 5 and the bonus. No, I must have counted wrong I thought. I checked again and again and I kept seeing the same numbers that were on my screen. It couldn't be right, I couldn't have just won half a million pounds surely. But I had. I had just won the lottery! I couldn't believe it. It just would not sink in. All the thoughts I had about if I won what I would spend the money on, and now that I have won, I have no idea what to spend it on. And no one to spend it on.
I went to bed satisfied but sadder than before. I had no one and that was sinking in, fast. I should be over the moon, and deep down I was I guess, but I wasn't showing it at all.