I WAS out the other night with my good friend Mae and we were reminiscing about some of the funny episodes we’d experienced over the years with our parents.

I commented that perhaps one day our kids would be doing the exact same thing with us.

“Naw,” chuckled Mae. “What could our kid’s possibly have to slag us about?”

However, we quickly recalled the night Mae’s dad Jimmy and her mum Isobel phoned her, bursting with excitement, to give her the good news that they had won the lottery.

And I remembered the night well because I was with Mae for the whole of the episode.

Now, to let you understand, Jimmy and Isobel never had a lot of money so luxury items were just something to dream about.

“Mae, Mae. It’s your dad,” Jimmy informed Mae as though she wouldn’t have recognised her dad’s voice!

“What’s up dad?” Mae sounded concerned. “Are you alright?”

“Me and your mum have won the lottery.”

“Eh?”

Mae couldn’t quite take in this exciting news.

“What do you mean you’ve won the lottery?”

“I’ve got all the numbers that have come up on the telly Mae,” Jimmy assured her.

As Mae was unsure about her dad’s potential winnings she suggested: “Janice, we’d better drive over there and find out what’s going on.”

But while driving to her mum and dad’s house Mae began to think aloud.

“Janice, do you think I’ll get the day off work to go with my mum and dad to pick up the cheque?”

And before I could answer.

“But you know what? Perhaps I won’t even need to go back to work – ever.”

“But I love my job, so maybe I’ll start my own business.”

Mae’s head was in the clouds.

We arrived at the house where Jimmy and Isobel were hyper.

However, Mae and I were still wary of the potential lottery win until Mae compared the numbers on the lottery ticket with the ones her dad had written down from the TV.

And they matched!

“Dad!” Mae could hardly contain her excitement. “You’ve won the lottery.”

I sat quietly in the chaos as Mae tried in vain to call her brothers to give them the fantastic news that they were all now rich.

But in the meantime Jimmy was also thinking ahead.

“Just think Isobel, we’ll be able to buy a bigger caravan.”

“Caravan?” exclaimed Mae. “You’ll be able to buy the whole caravan park.”

Isobel’s train of thought was somewhere else.

“Jimmy, does that mean we could afford to get the front garden slabbed?”

“Of course Isobel. And we could even buy the dearer red slabs you fancied instead of the grey ones.”

I wondered if slabs would ever be on top of my wish list if I won the lottery … no matter what colour they were.

Suddenly Mae looked less than amused as she turned to her now ‘wealthy’ parents.

“Please don't tell anyone you’ve won the lottery.”

We all stared at Mae.

“You might get kidnapped now you’re rich.”

I surmised that Mae had watched one too many episodes of Miami Vice!”

“Are you sure the numbers are correct Mae?” I asked, somehow feeling the need for further confirmation.

“Why don’t you phone Camelot?” I suggested.

Nervously we gathered around the kitchen table as Mae waited to speak to someone at Camelot.

After the excited pleasantries the girl on the other end of the phone asked Mae to slowly repeat the numbers on the winning ticket.

“Eight.”

After a pause.

“Nope. Sorry, that’s not correct.”

“Eleven.”

“No. No number eleven.”

“Twenty six.”

“Sorry. No.”

By now I was wishing I was somewhere else as the atmosphere in the room had changed somewhat.

“Forty two.”

“So s-o-r-r-y…….”

Forty five?”

“Em no.”

“You’re devastated for us?” Mae asked the helpful Camelot person before she hung up and roared, “we’re not too chuffed either.”

Sitting round the sombre kitchen table Jimmy turned to his wee wife.

“Oh well Isobel, I suppose there’s nothing wrong with the caravan we’ve got.”

“It’s fine Jimmy.”

Isobel put the kettle on again. “And I didnae really fancy red slabs anyway.”

Turns out Jimmy had taken down the Euro Millions numbers and not the National Lottery numbers, which was an easy mistake to make.

I attempted to console my pal.

“You actually love your job Mae and winning all that money changes people.”

“And your mum and dad are loveliest people on the planet. So why would you want to change that?”

“You’re right Janice,” Mae agreed, wiping away a tear.

“And at least now I know they won’t get kidnapped!”