Inspiring Story

“If a stranger were to approach you with a deal, any amount of money you would desire for 18 years of your life, would you take it ?” asked Luna moonfang. Phantom Assasin raised her eyebrow , Lina Inverse sipped her coffee quietly, Anti-Mage glanced at her fiancée, Crystal Maiden, whilst Zues chuckled and replied, “What kind of weird question is that?” “Its not weird . I’m just asking for your opinions and I want an honest answer. Would you give up the last 18years of your life in exchange for riches beyond belief?” With eyes wide open, Phantom Assasin answered defiantly , “Why I certainly would not! Not a single portion of my life is for sale!” “You barely gave it a thought, Broodmother. I mean, its not your entire life, just 18 years of it. Lets say you’re destined to live until 90. Taking the deal would make it 72. Then you will still have plenty of golden years to see your grandchildren… if you plan it right, that is” “But for all you know , you could drop dead on the spot once you signed the deal,” interrupted Crystal Maiden. “Imagine living on borrowed time. What a scary thought.” “Well every deal has its risks. Still you can’t look at things from the negative point of view. Why, with our current living standards, everyone should live until 70, with the right food and proper exercise. Imagine having all the riches you could only dream about, without having to lift a finger,” Luna moonfang ended with a sigh, as she envisioned sports cars and bungalows. Anti-Mage jabbed Crystal Maiden and said, “ I never knew you had a money-thirsty friend,” Crystal Maiden eyed her fiancé of six months and replied ,”She’s your sister” The group laughed upon seeing the antics of the couple. “Who put you up to this? Did someone actually make you the offer?” sniggered Zues , halfway through his café’s famous cappuccino “Nah. It just came to me one day and when I asked my friends, they game me all kinds of answers. Some said life was more worth than money or gold, some said that they preferred happiness and love and some even called me a gold-digger just for thinking the question,” explained the youngest member of the group. “I just thought that I’d get different replies from my working friends,” she continued, eyeing everyone around the table as she spoke “So, it’s a collective no then?” “Yup!” And went up a ring of hands around the table except Lina Inverse who had remained silent throughout the whole conversation “I’d take the deal.” Luna moonfang eyed the quiet social worker and said, “Whoa Lina Inverse . You’re the last person here I’d expect to say yes.” “Well , when you think about it, it’s a chance of a lifetime. So why I wouldn’t I ?” Lina Inverse replied as she placed her empty cup on the table. Zues injected ,”But surely the money’s not worth it. I mean, what if you had only three months to live? Think of all the wonderful things in life that you’d be giving up.” “The people you love,” added Anti-Mage whilst giving Crystal Maiden a smooch on the cheek “The holidays and wedding gifts,”winked Crystal Maiden, happy at the attention. “Friends and family,” smiled Phantom Assasin a mother of two “You will be throwing out what’s really important in life for money which , if I may remind you, you can’t take it to the grave,” concluded Zues “First things first,” Lina Inverse interjected, eyeing Zues .”I may ahem…, live longer than three months.” “Point taken.” Replied the coffee owner. “But what if you don’t ?” “Well, then I guess I’d need to write a will, leaving portions of money to Luna moonfang so she can take her Masters degree, Phantom Assasin so she can set up a college fund for her daughter, to Crystal Maiden and Anti-Mage so they can buy that dream house at the beach and to Zues, who wants to open up more branches so everyone else can enjoy excellent cappuccino that he makes,” she replied, looking at each friend around the table The group fell silent, quietly ashamed of the negative thoughts they had of her. “Money can be the root of all evil, but you don’t have to serve the devil to enjoy it. I may not have much use for millions of dollars no matter how long I live, but I know orphanages and abandoned old folks who can benefit from the money. And there are many researches institutes which would appreciate the funding to find cures for cancer and AIDS. All the need is someone to give up 18 years of his/her life for is.”