Two shoe boxes and a packet of chocolate biscuits

On Boxing Day we went to visit my Aunt and Uncle who live about half an hours drive away in the Dorset countryside. It's become a regular thing over the past four or five years, the first invitation coinciding with my brothers death. Before Christmas 2004 we had always spent the Boxing Day together and I think my Uncle wanted to make sure we weren't alone on that first Boxing Day and it's become a sort of tradition since.

My two cousins, their wives and three children also visit on the same day so it's been a good time to catch-up on family things and watch the various kids grow-up and the big kids playing silly buggers.

Anyway this year after all the present opening, the superb buffet style meal (I think I've mentioned somewhere before that my Uncle trained as a chef) and watching the indoor train set it was time to head our separate ways, or so we thought. My uncle asked his two sons to sit on these two stools, one of the smaller children remarked they had been told to sit on the naughty step, and he handed them a parcel each. Once the two parcels had been unwrapped it became clear that they were two shoe boxes, once the two shoe boxes were opened Mark and Simon found they were stuffed with twenty pound notes. My Auntie had apparently received an inheritance and decided that rather than handover a cheque she would surprise them with some money - they had £1,000 each. Whilst everybody was recovering from this quite surreal shock my Uncle left the room and then came back with a small parcel which he handed to me with the words, "Just so you don't feel left out."

I took off the festive paper and there underneath was a box of Cadbury's Animal Shapes. I opened the box and pulled out the bag of biscuits that was inside and then dropped them back in. "The money is under the biscuits," my Uncle said. I lifted the biscuits again and sure enough there was a pile of tens and twenties. I didn't know what to say, Janis just went, "Oh my God, thank you. I was stunned. I've never been close to this particular Aunt and yet she obviously thinks enough of me to want me to share in her good fortune.

Even now, more than twenty four hours later I still don't know what to make of it so I won't try. I'll just write a thank you card like all good children and then think of something to spend it on!