“You have just won a million Rand!” exclaimed Jeremy Maggs from the popular TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. The forty-five year old, mechanic sat in the hot seat with complete amazement. In a couple of seconds his life changed from being an ordinary, hard working father of three, living with his wife in a below average home to becoming a millionaire. I sat in my lounge wishing that it were me who had answered that final question correctly in that seat, instead of relaxing in my usual leather couch that faces my TV the a perfect angle. I would have done anything to be that man at that moment. I could never imagine what was going through his mind at that very moment.
There I was, sitting at home, watching all the excitement on television, dreaming for my life to be different. How easily I had forgotten all of the good things in my life. I go to the best school in the country. I have good friends and a good family. My life wasn’t bad at all, “money isn’t everything,” I thought to myself.
The sound of loud knocking continued for a short while before I awoke out of my short daydream. After realising that I had locked the door, I walked towards it and unlocked it. I was shocked to see my mom standing at the door, with tearful eyes. She stood there speechless. I asked her what was wrong.
“Something has happened to your father”, my mother said.
I’m sorry my boy, your fathers has been in a terrible hijacking, the hospital called about ten minutes ago, I came as soon as I could”. Is this really happening’slowly I backed away from her, and walked towards my black leather couch. My mom followed me and asked if there was anything she could do. Even though I wanted to be alone I knew it would be better if I shared my grief.
My mother came over to me; I sat in the chair and did not move an inch. I could feel the sweat rolling down my palms and my back causing me to stick to the leather. I was in complete shock, disbelief, and total awe. My mother started telling me the details. All I could hear was mumbling, which was a good thing, I would not have been able to handle any more information about the situation.
I sat motionless and tried to understand how god could be so cruel. How one man could win a million Rand and within the same hour that another could family could be shattered, knowing that all the money in the world could not change that fact.
