The Big Picture

"If a stranger were to approach you with a deal - any amount of money you desire for 18 years of your life - would you take it?" asked Charmaine.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, Yvonne sipped her coffee quietly, Mark glanced at his fiancee, Janet, whilst Philip chuckled and replied, "What kind of weird question is that?"

"It's not weird. I'm just asking for your opinions and I want honest answers. Would you give up the last 18 years of your life in exchange for riches beyond belief?"

With eyes wide open, Sophia answered defiantly, "Why, I certainly would not! Not a single portion of my life is for sale!"

"You barely gave it a thought, Sophia. I mean, it's not your entire life, just 18 years of it. Let's say you're destined to live until 90. Taking the deal would make it 72 - you'll 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 Janet. "Imagine living on borrowed time. What a scary thought."

"Well, every deal had its risks. Still, you can't always look at things from the negative point of view. Why, with our current living standards, everyone should live till 70, with the right food and proper exercise. Imagine having all the riches you could only ever dream about, without having to lift a finger," Charmaine ended with a sigh, as she envisioned sports cars and bungalows.

Mark jabbed Janet and said, "I never knew you had a money-thirsty friend."

Janet eyed her fiance 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 Philip, halfway through his cafe's famous cappuccino.

"Nah. It just came to me one day and when I asked some of my friends, they gave me all kinds of answers. Some said life was worth more than money or gold; some said they preferred happiness and love; some even called me a gold-digger just for thinking of 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 up went a ring of hands around the table ... except for Yvonne, who had remained silent throughout the conversation.

"I'd take the deal."

Charmaine eyed the quiet social worker and said, "Whoa, Yvonne. You're the last person here I'd have expected to say yes."

"Well, when you think about it, it's a chance of a lifetime. So why wouldn't I?" Yvonne replied as she placed her empty cup on the table.

Philip injected, "But surely the money's not worth it. I mean, what is you had only another three months to live? Think of all the wonderful things on life that you'd be giving up."

"The people you love," added Mark, whilst giving Janet a smooch on the cheek.

"The holidays and wedding gifts," winked Janet, happy at the attention.

"Friends and family," smiled Sophia, a mother of two.

"You'll be throwing out what's really important in life for money which, if I may remind you, you can't take to your grave," concluded Philip.

"First things first," Yvonne interjected, eyeing Philip. "I may ... ahem, live longer than three months."

"Point taken, ma'am," replied the coffee cafe owner. "But what if you don't?"

"Well, then I guess I'd need to write a will, leaving portions of the money to Charmaine so she can take her Masters degree; so Sophia so she can set up a college fund for her daughter; to Janet and Mark so they can buy that dream house at the beach and ... to Philip, who wants to open up more branches so everyone else can enjoy the 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 may 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 of orphanages and abandoned old folks who can benefit from the money. And there are many research institutes which would appreciate the funding to find cures for cancer and AIDS. All they need is someone to give up 18 years of her life for it."

From Starmag
By Lee Sing Yin