Lana Turnbridge

She was a beautiful person, but no one could see it. Her sister was dismissive of her, wasting her time in the garden, instead of getting a job: where would it get her - nowhere. Lana Turnbridge was twenty years old and, people would say, difficult. Her mother was surprised the police hadn't taken her away. She mixed with that Sindy Hargreaves, and she had been seen stealing knickers from Primark in the High Street. The fact of the matter was, Lana had not been involved, she never was.

* * * * *

If anything poor Lana was a scapegoat, for the underhand, the unscrupulous, the criminally minded.
One person in town however, had set his heart on Lana. Gary Stenkiss worked in the fruit and veg shop behind Marks and Sparks, and he had a thing for her. Gary was a clean-living kind of guy, who, like Lana loved to be in the fresh air, and was often in the park, or in his own back garden, watering the plants: an outdoor kinda guy.

* * * * *

Sindy Hargreaves tugged on Lana's arm, "Go on Lana, give us some money, you have got plenty".
Sindy was insinuating herself again into the affections of Lana. Lana, good-natured and naive, let Sindy have everything in her purse. As they passed the fruit and veg shop where Gary worked, Sindy picked up an orange and stuffed it into her pocket. Gary saw her, dismayed Lana was with that girl again. She really was bad news. He rushed out of the shop, but Sindy legged it. Lana was left standing, in amazement.

* * * * *

"Hi, Lana", Gary said, "She's only trouble you know, you shouldn't bother with Sindy".
"Oh, Sindy, she is allright, she's just a bit wild".
"A bit delinquent more like, Lana. How's about me calling on you tonight - we can go out".
"OK, Gary".

* * * * *

That night Gary and Lana explored the pathways of love, down by the river. Lana would say such beautiful things, about nature, about the colours in the sky, about wildflowers and animals. Gary knew he was in love.

* * * * *

The next day, they both read in the paper Sindy had been arrested for brawling in a nightclub.
She was wearing half of Lana's jewellery box too, that she'd taken from her when she'd been in her bedroom earlier in the week.

* * * * *

"There's winners and losers Lana", Gary said, on putting the paper down. "It's time you were a winner".But to Gary, Lana had always been that special person, misunderstood maybe, but beautiful and good and lovely. Now the two of them could both be winners in life's lottery.