SARAH

What a wonderful day, the sun shining bright through the patio
windows as it always did at eight thirty in the springtime.
Nevertheless, this day was different; this was too be one of the best
days of my life, a day when I collected almost a million pound prize
money. Every Saturday since the lottery had began we would carefully
choose our numbers, and on a Saturday morning after our weekly shopping
spree take our lottery ticket with our fingers crossed as you do too
the ticket vendor and hope as millions of others do that our numbers
will win the big one.
It used too be we but the love of my life was killed in a road traffic
accident. Well I say
Accident but I would call it road traffic murder, I mean she was just
crossing the road were she had been visiting a friend who was unwell.
The car came from nowhere Sarah was launched into the air as if a piece
of rubbish blowing in the wind a split second and it was all over. My
lovely wife was lying forty feet away from the impact, Sarah was only
thirty-five and she was gone. The police arrested a young man a few
streets away after a tip off from a member of the public, he was drunk
and a known drug user he didn't even know were he was let alone what he
had done, the police took him away and charged him with murder.
There came a knock at the door, Mr James I am sorry too say we have
some bad news may we come in; I was taken aback sensing the
seriousness' of the police officers tone. Well you can guess the rest,
can we get you anything sir call anyone for you, the officers left I
felt sick and shell-shocked I stared unbelieving what I had heard, my
Sarah dead no no I must be dreaming.

The funeral was helled nine days after she left us, lots of friends and
family and other people I didn't even no and family who just seemed too
crawl out of the woodwork, the type who you never see or hear untill
someone dies. she was a lovely girl Sarah pity we didn't see more of
her they would say, well it's been so many years since you did I
fought, I doubt whether Sarah would have remembered you I said too my
self. We never had children Sarah could not and we had long exepted
that and as a result it was allways just the two of us and we were very
close and happy couple who lived for and did everything together. Once
the family and friends had left and gone home, I was alone and for the
first time I, new Sarah was gone. I sat down on the sofa we shared each
evening and cried, she was gone for good and only her memory I could
hold close too me, the time we first meet at college too the first date
and it seemed only yesterday.
The young lad who killed Sarah was only eighteen, and taken out of
school at twelve years old for violent behaviour and was put under the
care of the local social services, it came too light that he had been
abused by both of his parents and as a result had turned the way he is.
His social worker stood in court that day and told the sad life story
of this young man and you could tell by the faces of the jury that they
were moved by the sad life of this young man. His parent's were not in
court of course I think if they had they may well have been linched,
and even I was feling somewhat different towards the lad after what we
had learned today. It was now almost seven mouths since Sarah's death
and I was beginning too get on with my life the best I could. Now with
the court case on its last day I felt a light at the end of the tunnel
that I could start a fresh and keep my happy memories of Sarah no
matter what the future was too hold. The jury had made there desistion
that he was guilty of manslaughter and the judge gave sentence of four
years two of which our suspended. I sat there, two years in prison for
killing someone not munch of a price for someones life and I realisded
this young man was a victim himself of a terrible upbringing by his so
called parents who get away scot free of all responsibility of any rong
doing. I wondered if he would get help for his many problems while he
was in prison or get worse when he came out.
Two years passed slowly at first and then almost quick, in that time I
got used too my own company and worked as much as I could doing as much
overtime on offer in the office, my work mates were great of course
allways an invite too someone's house or too go for a drink at the
local. However, for the most part I went home cooked cleaned and just
got on with it always thinking of Sarah she was still with me in so
many ways. The one thing that we both did was the weekly lottery and I
recently started doing it again the same as before after the weekly
shop I'd put my numbers on. I even started too dream about what I would
do if I won, no properly just a dream fishfull thinking as you do but
what the heck no harm in wishing. This particular Saturday was as
normal as it ever was over the last two years; my lawyer informed me
the young lad was released from prison nine days ago, I wondered if the
time spent had did him good or made him worse and what help if any was
available for him and those like him. perhaps with help and training
people like him can start too lead normal life's hold down jobs and
have families of there own, I didn't feel bitter toward him knowing
what his life had been like. His so called parents who got away with
what they did too him I couldn't feel bitter and I know Sarah would
have felt the same. It was about nine thirty when it dawned on me I had
too check my lottery ticket. I checked each number on teletex and
rechecked and repeatedly all my numbers had come up unbelievable but I
had won really won. A week later I collected my prize money just almost
a million pound presented too me by some local personality who I would
not heard of before and there I was in the national papers the next
day. I started too think what I would do with the money and the one
thing I wanted too do was have a centre built for people with drink and
drug problems. So as what happened to Sarah might be prevented in the
future well may be, as for the rest of the money well wait, and
see.