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Winner

Winner

As the silver Lamborghini slowly pulled up the avenue, a crowd of people stood and watched.  Old women leaned out of their doorways and gossiped with their neighbours and young children pointed and whispered with their young friends.    

    Behind the wheel, Jack Murray smiled and sighed.  He could really get used to this.  He put on his designer sun-shades and turned into his driveway.  He turned off the ignition and slowly stepped out of the car, showing off his new Armani trousers as he did.  He walked over to the front door and knocked four times.

    Boom ba-boom boom.

    Eve answered the door in a small white apron.  Her hands were wet and he could see from the soapy suds that she had been doing the washing up.  She smiled and looked up at the man in the sunglasses and black suit.  

    Jack pulled off the glasses and raised an eyebrow.  'Afternoon, ma'am.'  He gestured to the Lamborghini.  'Your new car, as ordered...'  This wasn't technically true.  It was actually him who had wanted the car.  But she loved the Lamborghini.

    She let out a gasp of surprise and pleasure, and then jumped up and hugged him.  Her hands gripped the back of his head and he could feel the soapy suds running down his neck.  He grimaced.

    'Oh!  Girls, come out and see the new car!'  Eve shouted.

    There was a large series of thumps as the girls ran down the staircase, probably stumbling in the process.  Then a few seconds later, little Jennifer and Christine appeared and, tripping over the bottom of the door frame, ran out onto the driveway.  They gasped and ran over towards their huge new car.

    'Can we touch it!!!'  Jennifer screamed.  Eve smiled and nodded.

    'On you go.  Oh, no, but don't scratch it.'

    'Yes, of course.  But just keep your voice down.  People might think that we're trying to kill you.'

    The girls giggled, and they began to run their hands up and down it.   

    'Dad...'  Christine said. 

    'Yes, Chrissy.'  He was still trying to wipe the soapy water off the back of his neck.  

    'Can you drive us to school tomorrow?'  She asked, eyes brimming with innocence.  'I mean, I like walking and everything, but...'

    Jack laughed.  'I know, I know.  Sure, I'll drive you to school.'

    They then went indoors and Jack and Eve relaxed while the girls did their homework.  Jack turned to her.

    'Now, is there anything you want, love?'

    'Well, I don't...'

    'Come on, with all this new money, we could do almost anything.'

    Eve sighed.  'Well, the house is getting a bit shabby...'

    'Great idea, I've been wanting to fix up the kitchen for ages and-'

    'Well, why don't we move?'

    Jack sat silently and thought.  'Are you sure about this, love?' he said.  'I mean, the girls love the house and all their friends live near here.'

    'Well, I was looking through the property section in the paper, and I noticed this house that's up for sale.' She said.  'It's much bigger than our house and is closer to the school.' 

    Jack nodded.  'Let me see.  What paper was it in?'

    Eve handed him the paper and pointed out the house.  She had circled it with a thin red marker.  He looked through the details and checked the address.  Nineteen Shepherd Street.  

    'Oh, it's in Shepherd Street.  That's not too far from here.'  Jack said.  'Yeah, we'll certainly check that out.'

    'Well equiped kitchen, isn't it?' Jack said.

    The real estate agent nodded and cleared his throat.  'Well, the previous owner had the kitchen done up a few years ago.'

    'Very modern.'  Eve commented.

    Jack looked around the room.  It was pretty ordinary, but not in a boring way.  Beige coloured wallpapers, tall ceilings, bay windows.  Every room, with the exception of the kitchen looked as if it had been untouched since the early nineteen-hundreds.  It reminded him of his grandparents house, which he had loved to explore as a child.  All it needed was a large brown armchair and a grandfather clock and he was twelve again.

    He liked it.

    'What do you think, Eve?' he asked.

    She smiled in that special way that always made him feel good.  'I love it.  I really do.'

    The real estate agent also smiled.  'So, are you interested?'    

    Jack nodded.  'Yes, I think we'll put in an offer.'

    'Well, the asking price is £100,000.'

    He frowned.  A huge house like that going for such a small price.  It was almost too good to be true.

     'We'll offer you £100,500.'

    The real estate agent grinned and stretched out his hand.  Jack shook it.

    'It was a pleasure doing business with you.' he said.  'And, by the way, thank you.  Thank you very much.'

    They then left and the bemused young couple drove back to their house in silence.  

    The Murray's were informed a few days later that the house was theirs.  They had been the only bidders.

    'Brilliant, isn't it love?'

    'Fantastic.' she agreed.

    'I think we've hit the jackpot with this one.'

    They started to pack a few days later and had moved into their new house within a week.  The girls at first were unhappy with the change of scene, but soon realised that they could still visit their friends and didn't have to share a room anymore.  It was closer to the school, the church and Eve's parents house, so in that sense it was much handier.  Jack didn't see his parents very often, which always made him feel guilty.  

    But, the Murray family were happy and all was well.

    At least for a short while.