Robert was on his way to a reunion of classmates. He hadn’t seen them in 30 years. He had no time. After high school, Robert went straight away to study in another city. First university, then graduate school, a job.
Then he wanted to earn more money and started his own business. There were ups and downs. And then finally burst into his home school. But he loved his class and missed his classmates. In his spare time, he looked at their pictures on social media and showed his own.
He especially wanted to see Sara. Robert had liked her a lot during his high school years, but Sarah didn’t pay any attention to him. She wasn’t attracted to the tedious nerd. The last time he came to her with flowers, she jumped on the back of Adam’s motorcycle without even looking at the bouquet, and took off, kicking up dust. He never went near her again. He drove away. He wanted to ask her to come with him. He wanted to help her. No, he didn’t.
Robert wasn’t close friends in his class, he spent a lot of time studying. He only made friends with a couple of his classmates, who took extra classes in mathematics with him and studied together for admission.
Robert went to the meeting in high spirits, he prepared gifts for each classmate. For each, he did not forget anyone.
They were sitting in a simple village cafe. They laughed, remembered school. Robert looked thoughtfully at his classmates and most of all at Sarah. He simply studied her. And she seemed to shun him. She sat down far away and was constantly studying something on her phone. After high school, Sarah did marry that Adam on the motorcycle. Only they hadn’t lived together for a long time, and as Robert found out, she was raising a sick child alone.
Robert decided to talk to her. But he was met with aggression.
-You live there in your mansion and have no idea about our problems! I’ve seen your house! Your wife doesn’t work, she only goes to beauty salons, I’ve seen that too. You must have a lot of servants, even though you don’t show them in pictures. You have children studying abroad, and I’m carrying my big, sick son alone. What should we talk about? You wouldn’t understand.
-Sarah, am I to blame for your troubles?
-In our country they raise money for sick children by the penny, and people like you sit on the money and get greedy!
Robert was boiling. He did not like it when the subject was brought up. He had something to say.
-Sara, how many sick children have you helped?
-I have a sick one myself! And yes, I also sometimes send text messages to help.
-And I donate large sums to charity on a regular basis. I just don’t shout about it. So which one of us is more helpful?
-It’s easy for you, you don’t get poorer by donating an extra hundred thousand. I’m worth every penny. My help counts for more. You know how I get my money? I take two buses to work every morning and I get five kopecks! The chauffeur drives you, how do you know…
People were already looking at them. Some were supporting Sara… The rest were silent.
Robert left. He left his presents for his classmates on the table near the exit, and asked the waiter to pass an envelope for Sarah.
He walked and thought. They had exactly the same starting abilities. With many in the class, they had the same abilities. It was just that he, Robert, had chosen study over drinking beer in the yard. He chose study over smoking around the corner. He chose study instead of disco. Though he sometimes went to discos. Chose a university he was interested in and sought it, rather than the local vocational school. He chose risk and left his comfort zone to open his own business.
Struggled and asserted himself. Learned new things. He didn’t have it all smooth, he had his downfalls and losses, too. Is it his fault that they chose the life they live now and now condemn him for his wealth. For his life. It’s not like he stole his money from them, he earned it himself.
And how many of us have people like Sarah and Robert’s other classmates who like to count other people’s money. Yes, some people were lucky to be born into a well-to-do family and get a good education. But there are many examples when people from poor families, children of uneducated parents, succeeded on their own. Everything is in our hands and everyone chooses for himself.
I am far from Robert, but I am not Sarah either, if only because I am proud of my classmate’s success, not angry at him.
