(B) - The Loser Takes All - Losing can often mean winning as well!

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The Loser Takes All!

I would gladly bet all the money I have that you have more than you need. And, I'm also quite sure you're happy with all your unneeded possessions. And, even more likely, you don't even know what you have. So, what would you do if you were to lose all?

Some years ago, Rebecca P. Anne and Hatsy her daughter arrived home from a trip to the east. They'd had a wonderful time. A perfect holiday. But, you can imagine their shock when their taxi pulled up in front of their house. Their house was no longer there! In their absence, it had burned down to the ground. All that was left was a shell that was black and the pungent smoky smell of a flaming disaster.

Rebecca P. Anne kept a cool head. Finding beds for the night was no problem. The neighbours willingly helped. And, the realities of rebuilding were nothing more than formalities. Insurance, building companies, and so on. And accommodation? Rebecca borrowed a caravan and parked it in her garden whilst their new house was built. 3 months of camping. Nothing wrong with that. And, their possessions?

Rebecca and Hatsy had no problem buying new clothes. Their old ones no longer fitted, and, in any case, fashions had changed. And the books, pictures, curtains, and furniture? No trouble at all. Books are things one only reads once, and the pictures were tastes that had never been theirs - all presents from well-meaning friends and relations. But, the photos! They were painful. They were Rebecca's path from the past. But, the photos, too, were no real problem. After lots of contacting relatives and old friends, Rebecca soon had a new set of photos. And, strange to say, they were, in most case, much better than the ones she had lost. Rebecca was in most of the pictures. In the photos she lost, she was the one who was pressing the shutter.

But, of course, losing all that one has does have its unpleasant moments. On many occasions, Rebecca thought about using something or other. She had forgotten. It, too, had been lost in the fire. But, these moments have now become a thing of the past.

So, all-in-all, losing all that one has isn't so bad. It's a chance to start once again. And, Rebecca? I'm sure you won't be surprised. She, once again, has much more than she needs. Books, pictures, and plants seem to come on their own. That's how life is. And, even more surprisingly, Rebecca has no idea what she's got! Rebecca and Hatsy went to the east and lost all. Now, they have more and much better than before. The loser takes all!

Vocabulary

absence – Abwesenheit

all-in-all – alles in allem

caravan - Wohnwagen

likely - wahrscheinlich

painful – schmerzhaft

possessions – Besitztum

pulled up – blieb stehen

pungent – scharf (negative)

she's – she has

they'd – they had