I woke up Friday with a smile on my face thinking about Lee. I'd spoken to him at midnight yesterday... 2am his time just as he finished work. Luke was with him and came on the phone for a chat along with Stefan. They all wished me well and it was such a lovely feeling knowing they were all rooting for me....
I had gotten to work on my Bucket List the previous night ...and began asking for ideas via facebook as I couldn't think of any... although my first one was jumping out of a plane which I have people working on as we speak!!
"So what else would you have loved to do??" Lee asked me as I told him about my bucket list ideas posted to my wall and the few I had come up with.
"Honestly?"
"Yes" Lee said on the other end.
"Get married... I would love to be married before I die" I told him. He went quiet...
"How do you do that?" He asked me.
"Do what?" I laughed.
"Read peoples minds"
"I don't" I laughed.
"You do ... I was going to ask you that at Christmas in front of all your family..."
"Ask me what?"
"To marry me..."
"Pardon.?"
"Loraine... will you marry me?" my turn to go quiet.
"Are you joking?"
"Loraine will you marry me?"
"Really"
"Really will you marry me/"
"Yes, yes yes" I laughed excitedly. Lee laughed too.
"Right whats your mum and dads number I'm doing this properly"
"Doing what properly?"
"Asking your dad for permission" he told me.
"Not sure how that will go" I laughed.
"Well watch this space I'll ring him later... anyway I best go we've got a few gardening jobs today"
"Okay Mr Mcevoy talk to you later"
"You certainly will Mrs Mcevoy!" Ooh that sounds so nice. I was gonna go back to sleep it was only 4am now but I couldn't I was too excited. Shower, dressed and phone calls I told myself.. concentrate.
My phone calls although they were all good news shattered my mood slightly..... last year when I went through my operation for my first lot of cancer I only got half pay from work due to the time I'd worked there. As a result I got into arrears with my mortgage and every benefit i applied for i got turned down for too. Had I not have been so stressed about money maybe just maybe my cancer wouldn't have come back.
I spoke with Jane a really nice woman at Wakefield council who told me about mortgage rescue
a scheme designed to help those that can't work due to sickness and are in arrears. They purchase your home at 90% of the valuation and then rent it back to you.
The other option was breathing space which is an interest free loan over three years which they would award and then use to pay off arrears on my mortgage and any future mortgage payments for the duration of the loan and then at the end of three years you need to pay it back in full.
"Mm doubt I'll be here in three years so that's not a good one to go for " I sighed.
"Okay well either way I'm sure we can help with the mortgage any arrears and any other debts you have. Why don't you come down and see us at the springs in Wakefield and we can go through everything together?" she suggested.
"Sounds like a good plan. What happens if i go for the mortgage rescue but the the 90% valuation doesn't cover my costs cos you value it lower... will there be a fee?"
"No you pay nothing at all Loraine "
"Wow, okay I want to look at that further then"
"That's fine I will ring my colleague Geraldine to see if she's available Tuesday and then we can make an appointment, is that okay and I'll ring you back?"
"Yep that's brilliant thanks so much".
That afternoon the phone rang it was my dad from his mobile... he never uses it....
"Did you know that Lee was going to ring me?"
"I had a feeling he might be..." I replied coyly.
"How do you feel?" he asked me.
"Extremely happy haven't been able to stop smiling" I told him.
"Well that's the main thing then. Glad you are happy"
"Thanks for being nice dad"
"As long as it makes you happy its fine with me" he replied. Then the house phone rang just as my dad disconnected from my mobile.
"Hello Mrs Mcevoy" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Hello Mr Mcevoy... we're getting married" I screeched.
"I know and I can't wait... how about January?"
"I will still be having treatment I might not have any hair...."
"It doesn't matter.. I want to marry you not your hair".
"Okay January then. Can't wait."
"Me neither..." I smiled and I just knew that Lee was smiling too. "Things are looking up its amazing all the benefits you can get when you mention the T word" I told him.
"Really?"
"yep really i even get a refund on road tax how cool is that" I laughed. "I'd give it all back though if i could have ten years with you"
"you will have ten years... positive thinking remember?"
"yes I know right I'm gonna go and post on facebook I'm getting married I've been bursting since you asked me to tell and now i can".
The phone calls just kept on coming once the post went on.... my friends and family were either texting ringing or popping up on facebook, I didn't get one single negative comment they were all pleased as punch for me.
I started looking at wedding venues after all my phonecalls to enquire about benefits were over. But they were really expensive... I'll find somewhere though ... cheap but not cheap and nasty! I wanted it all to be perfect.... if only I had some money....
Ping... it was like a lightbulb had switched on when I remembered the conversation I'd had with Lisa from my HR department.
"Well you have paid into the pension for the last two years so I have requested the figures for you. Because you could perhaps even look at ill health retriement".
"Really?"
"Yes it could perhaps give you a small pension each month or a lump sum payment..."
Thinking back to that conversation... HSBC... I had worked there for 12 years before being made redundant my pension was frozen... (I don't mean its in the freezer) perhaps I could get a lump sum from them or take my pension. I began ransacking the house for paperwork and eventually I found a phone number and gave it a ring.
"Sorry to hear that Miss Mooney" the operator empathised with me. "I can send you out the paperwork first class and we due to the situation i can't see it being a major issue.
"Okay thanks".
"I'll get it through as quick as I can you just fill out the paperwork and send it back then we can look into the rest".
"Thanks" I put the phone down a lot happier this meant I could spend the money on our wedding.... ooh this was gonna be great!
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