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TAKE MY SON...
By Valmiki Faleiro
A break from politics just this one Sunday until elections. On this festive day
of Easter,
permit me to share an internet Easter story I read long ago. The author is
anonymous.
I’ve abridged the original version. Here goes...
A wealthy American and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had
everything
in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and
admire
those works of art. When Vietnam broke out, the son was drafted into war. He was
courageous but died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father
grieved deeply
for his only son.
About a month later, just before Easter, there was a knock at the door. A young
man
stood at the door with a large package in his hands. "Sir, you don't know me,"
he said,
"but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He was carrying me to
safety when
a bullet struck him. He often talked about you, and your love for art." Then
the young
man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great
artist, but I think
your son would have wanted you to have this."
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the
young man.
He had beautifully captured the personality of his son in the painting. The
father was so
drawn to the eyes that his own welled up with tears. He thanked the young man
and
offered to pay. "Oh no, sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's
a gift."
The father proudly hung the portrait over the mantle. Every time he had
visitors, he
would show them the portrait of the son before any of the other great works
from his
collection.
The man died a couple of years later. There was to be a grand auction of his
paintings.
Many rich and influential people gathered, excited over buying some great
paintings.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel.
"We will
start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence. Nobody wanted the son’s portrait. Then a voice in the rear
shouted,
"We want the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted.
"Will
somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another impatient voice, "We didn't come for this painting. We came for the Van
Goghs,
Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But the auctioneer continued, "The son!
The
son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime
gardener of the
man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all
he could
afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The crowd was getting very angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They
wanted
the more worthy investments for their collection.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the
collection!" The
auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the paintings?"
"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret
stipulation in
the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only
the painting of the
son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire
estate,
including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"
The story must have been penned by a pastor. Moral: God gave his only begotten
son
2,000 years ago to die on the cross, and much like the auctioneer, the message
today is
"The son, the son, who'll take the son?" Because whoever takes the son gets
everything.(ENDS)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column at:
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=330
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The above article appeared in the April 8, 2007 edition of the HERALD, Goa
