Is Two Enough?
You had the best of both worlds, and you still made the wrong decision. Why would you taste heaven and find your way back here?”
“How come you gave him another shot and are refusing to give me one too?” Leslie Jackson demands from Satan.
Raising his fork, increasing the flames as Leslie eased back away from the fire that seared the hairs on the back of his right hand, Satan answered, “They told me to keep you here because you used up both of your chances.”
“What are you talking about?” Leslie protested.
“He was wealthy. He lost his wealth. Now he must go out there and try to regain what he lost.”
“But that’s what I want to do,” Leslie tried to trick Satan.
Satan aimed his fork at him as the flames flared in Leslie’s direction.
Jumping backward, Satan followed, pulling the fork away, saying, “You knew poverty because that’s where you started. The bottom. Then you tasted wealth, up there,” Satan pointed. “You lost it all. You had the best of both worlds, and you still made the wrong decision. Why would you taste heaven and find your way back here?”
“Because I am human. And we make mistakes,” Leslie argues
“In your world, when you go up, if you find your way back down, that means you learned nothing from your experiences.” Satan reminded him.
“But that’s what humans do,” Leslie protests. “Mistakes are a part of our life.”
“But if you don’t learn from them, your life is worthless,” Satan shared as sadness and regret flowed into Leslie’s heart and soul.
“Give me a break,” Leslie begs.
“Sorry, you get only two opportunities. Your first ticket took you up. You used your other ticket on your slide down,” Satan reminds.
“It’s not fair,” Leslie complains.
“Some people only get one ticket, Leslie, and they used it well. You can’t be sane. You knew what you left behind. So you knew where you would end up if you fail. He didn’t. That knowledge not many humans get beforehand. It should mean something to you. How could you taste heaven and come back here? Or did you miss me?” Satan asked, edging closer towards Leslie as he backed away.
This piece is just playing with my curiosity.
Someone I know just slid down from years of living like a king. I knew many more who rose from poverty. They live, breathe, feast on, suffer in agony, hunger, humiliation, and many taste death because of poverty. They then achieved the glory and power of wealth. Sometime later, they find themselves back where they begin with nothing. Many never get another shot.
I have witnessed and savored poverty. I hate it! I hate how the poor are treated without regard, care, feeling, and humanity.
I am in the middle, where it’s nice and warm. I can see actions and intentions coming at me from all cardinal points. I try to live a good life to stay where I am. I believed I had only one chance. That was enough for me. My belief is what helps me to stay where I want. I know what I left behind and I have no intention of going back to anything I hate.
So Leslie is in a better position than I. When you know what you left behind, if it’s bad, live a good life so you don’t have to back.
Poverty doesn’t give the number of opportunities wealth allows.
But what if you had only one chance to achieve wealth?
The hard part for many of us isn’t getting there. It’s staying there. And that is where many of us fail.
Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it. Please enjoy more from some brilliant writers on this platform.
Support medium writers by clicking the link below to subscribe to I and other talented writers on this platform. You will be feeding your imagination .
