The Lucky Draw

This is a story of an elder caring and friendly sister who uses the helpful information form her personal awareness and helps her little brother as he enters a new chapter in life. This text shows the connection between a brother and a sister, from her knowledge she is able to share important and significant information so her brother can be safe and succeed in life.

It was peaceful at 6.15 pm and I sat comfortably on a sofa with a cup of hot coffee that I freshly prepared in my sister’s kitchen. I waited for her to finish a important meeting and join me to discuss my coming thrilling graduation ceremony to be held next week. I had a long tiring day at work at the coffee shop and I was finally enjoying some quiet and pleasant time. Chloe works as a Senior IT consultant at one of the big four. She worked as hard as a beaver to earn this incredible position. I recall my parents' advice to follow my sister's lead in school, but I sometimes resented it.

“Hey Stan, I am glad that you made it”, said Chloe as she walked into the living room elegantly, tying her hair. “I’ll be cooking pasta tonight for dinner and I know you like it with red sauce”. I was always impressed with Chloe’s multi tasking abilities and her calm demeanor in all circumstances. “Sure, thank you so much Chloe”, I answered. She walks into the kitchen and starts preparing some delicious pasta. A phone call interrupted our deeply invested conversation. I calmly answered the phone with the warm cup of coffee still in my hands. A lady replied in an excited tone and first confirmed whether I was Stan Jones and if I was available to discuss. My sister was still busy preparing dinner so I accepted. The lady joyfully continued, “Sir I would love to congratulate you, as you have won a brilliant Audi in a very lucky draw.” I could not believe my luck. She further clarified that I had filled out a form recently at a job fair held at a convention centre and that my name was selected. She added that I’ll have to pay 5000 dollars towards a government tax before the car can be handed over to me.

“When do I need to transfer 5000 dollars?” I restlessly asked. I then noticed my sister tapping on my shoulder asking about the discussion she overheard. She quietly asked me to return the call later. I politely told the lady that I would call her after 30 minutes.

Chloe handed me a bowl of pasta as she asked, “Can you please tell me about the 5000 dollars that you just now mentioned over the phone?”.

I exclaimed to her about the fantastic Audi I won in a lucky draw at a job fair. Chloe was silent for a moment and then she said, “Stan, I don't mean to discourage you but you were about to fall into a trap where many people already have lost money, almost all their savings by making one small mistake. These calls are part of an elaborate setup to scam people”.

“Thank you Chloe for notifying me about this information, but how do you know for sure?” I asked. She replied, “I recently attended a cyber crime awareness training at my workplace that had modules to recognise and avoid such traps”. I was so relieved and grateful to have an elder sister who would watch my back and support me as I step into a new challenging phase of my life.