The Losers-A Dialog

"Are you reading this?"

"Yes, but I can hardly believe it!"

"I wonder how come we never heard a word before this?"

"Dunno. Kinda hurts, though."

"Yeah, I know. I mean you would have thought we'd have gotten a call or something."

"Which leads one to wonder why we didn't. Don't they think we'd be happy for them? And I am, but it sure makes me wonder."

"After all we've done for them, too."

"Not that I'd expect . . ."

"Me neither, but you'd have thought she'd call, at least, even if he didn't."

"Well, I can see why he wouldn't. Selfish son of a . . ."

"Maybe he wouldn't let her?"

"Wouldn't have stopped either one of us, and you know it."

"True. Think we should call?"

"Doubt they are answering the phone."

"Don't know as I would. Probably ringing off the hook!"

"Says here that they will be using it for the kid's college and to pay off the house."

"Even their mortgage isn't that big and the kid's could all get their doctorates and they'd still have millions left. They won 579 MILLION dollars. Even after taxes, that's more than than enough to keep a third world country going for a couple of decades."

"Bet she gets a new car. He'll get every computer gadget out there for sure."

"I can't even imagine that kind of money."

"I can. You'd get that trip to Hawaii."

"And you get to see Ireland and Wales."

"Heck, we'd go to Scotland too and you could play St. Andrews."

"That'd be nice, hmmm?"

"And we'd pay off all the bills, put all the grand-kids through college and help out all our friends. We'd probably be calling everyone on the planet! I just can't believe my own daughter didn't call. That hurts, hon. That really hurts. I raised her better than that, at least I sure thought I did."

"Don't cry, sweetie. It really isn't worth it. And you know we brought her up better than that. You know it!""

"I know, but . . ."

"Look at it this way. We'll never have to worry about their electric bill or paying one of their car payments for them again."

"Or buying diapers or formula every week. That adds two hundred a week at least for us!"

"We'll be RICH!"

"It will feel that way."

"Wonder if they'll ever pay back the three grand they borrowed?"

"One can only hope. But I wouldn't hold your breath over it."

"Hope they are strong enough to handle this. I've read about how it can cause a lot of problems."

"Seems as if it already is, huh?"

"No doubt! I can hear it now. So why did your folks get divorced? Well, Mommy and Daddy won a bunch of money and then all they ever did was fight about how to spend it and when they wouldn't share it, they got everyone mad at them and so they split up. Now they spend it on us because they feel guilty."

"That would suck! I hope that nothing like that happens. Oh, the poor kids. This isn't their fault. Oh hon, do you really think . . .?"

"Kinda wishing I hadn't bought the paper today."

"Me too. No, we'd have heard sooner or later. Funny, how I can't just be happy for them and let it go. Doesn't say much for me, does it?"

"Don't say that! There's nothing wrong with you! I mean, certainly, we'd have told them, even though they'd have expected us to bail them out of all their problems. But it is true when they say that money won't solve everything."

"Doesn't hurt though. . . Listen to me. I sound like an envious, mean-spirited old nag. No wonder they didn't call, I wouldn't call me, either. Hon, I'm jealous. I shouldn't be. I'm terrible. That is so wrong."

"I'm envious too. Aren't we a pair?"

"I still love you, sweetie."

"I know, I love you too."

"The phone's ringing. Is it them?"

"Yup, here ya go, talk to your daughter."