5. Emma gets a lawyer

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 银行

5. 埃玛找律师

星期三傍晚，西蒙·卡特给他的母亲埃玛打了电话。他和妻子以及两个孩子住在悉尼附近，他每周都给埃玛打电话。埃玛给他讲了彩票的事情。西蒙认真地听着，越听越生气。

“现在你的头好了吗，妈妈？”

“好了，谢谢你，西蒙。可我非常非常生气。那个年轻人偷了我的彩票。现在他得到了一张五百万英镑的支票，而我什么都没得到！我不想发财，但我确实想去澳大利亚看看你和莫莉，还有我的孙子们。这不对头，西蒙！我拥有那张中奖彩票，我掏钱买的它，而那个人偷了它！”她哭了起来。

“妈妈，听着，”西蒙说，“去找个律师。”

“我一个律师都不认识。”埃玛难过地说。

“在电话簿里找找。”西蒙说，“每个城市里都有律师。”

“但请律师要花很多钱。我请不起。”

“我可以付律师费。”西蒙说，“我今天就从银行给你汇些钱。别哭，妈妈。穿上你最好的衣服，去见个律师吧。”

“西蒙，你真是个很棒的儿子。”

“你也是个很棒的妈妈。再见，妈妈。祝你好运！”

“哦，卡特太太，有什么可以帮你的吗？”

星期四早晨，埃玛来到埃德温·琼斯的办公室。埃德温·琼斯是个大块头男人，脸红彤彤的，有一双蓝色小眼睛。

“一张彩票的事儿。”埃玛开口道。

“啊，彩票。大家都想中彩票！”

“但我中了！”埃玛说，“那是我的彩票——我的号码。”

“跟我说说这事儿，卡特太太。从头说起。”

于是，埃玛把所有的事都告诉了律师，他听得很认真。埃玛说完后，他说：

“彩票上的号码——再跟我说一次。”

“5，12，23，24，38，41。”

“你买彩票总是选这些号码，那是为什么，卡特太太？”律师问。

“所有这些数字对我来说都很重要。我的生日是1923年12月5日。我在桑威奇路24号住了38年。我儿子西蒙41岁。”

“我明白了。那么，卡特太太，”琼斯说，“你想让我做什么？”

“请和阳光彩票公司谈谈，琼斯先生。他们拿着我的彩票。”

“但是，卡特太太，他们能做什么？所有的彩票看上去都一样。人们又不在彩票上写自己的名字……或许那是你的彩票，可我们无法证明这一点。”

“但我们可以！我的彩票和其他的不一样！请听我说！我总是在我的彩票上画一个小小的亲吻符号……你知道的，一个X。”

“你为什么这样做？”

“我儿子和他的家人住在澳大利亚。我想去探望他们，但机票很贵。所以每周我都买一张彩票，我挂念西蒙、他的妻子和我的孙子们，所以我送给他们一个吻。西蒙是个很棒的儿子。他每周都给我打电话。他从来不会忘记……”

律师笑了。“是的，是的，我理解。”他说，“我母亲住在威尔士，我每周也给她打电话。现在请回家吧，卡特太太。我要打几个电话。明天再来见我吧。”