THE one funny thing about living in the Gulf is that you can always hope to win a grand prize and change your life. Like a car or a house or a free holiday. Half a million bucks. Of course, there are hazards to this sort of investment when you link up with friends to share the cost of the ticket and you win and now you have to choose between keeping the friends and keeping the money. Contrary to what most of us fondly imagine would be the outcome, dispensing with friends would be a lot easier even if it meant a little tussle with the conscience.
I mean, think of the replacements for friends you could get with half a million in your bank account.
I can see the scenario.
Knock, knock, who’s there?
Your friends, the ones who bought the winning ticket with you.
What friends, what ticket?
The one for the raffle, remember, fifty fifty.
Sorry, I think you have the wrong house, we don’t recall anything remotely like this.
You mean you are ready to give up our warm and close relationship for a lousy quarter million. What warm and close relationship? The one we have had for seven years.
Oh, that warm and close relationship, well, let us just say this to you through the door we are not opening but don’t bet on the eighth year.
What about the raffle ticket, we agreed to share the prize.
The ticket that won was our own, the one we shared lost, very sorry about that, now would you mind going away from the door, we are expecting some friends over to celebrate our good fortune.
I suggested this scenario to an assortment of guests at a party and they all moaned with horror and swore that they would honor their commitment. How could you live with yourself, otherwise, said one, it is unthinkable. The unthinkable takes a little time to get used to is all, I said, and you won’t be living with yourself, you’ll be living with half a million. Nonsense, said a second guest, I don’t want to get personal but you disgust me with your insinuations. Get as personal as you like, I said, it doesn’t bother me so long as I have the loot I’ll find other friends, in fact a whole flipping flock of friends, I won’t even remember your name come at the end of next week. Everyone is suitably horrified and indignation ricochets like a berserk bullet all about the room and I am thoroughly enjoying myself although I can see my wife getting all glassy eyed and tight-lipped at my bid to make the party go. But seriously, isn’t honor very much like courage? You don’t know how you will behave in a set of circumstances. Would you be able to say, yes I will run into a burning building or jump into the sea to save someone? You don’t really know what you would do when put to the test. So, while it is all very well to make mewling sounds when you are not affected never say never. Better people than you and I have found expediency a very easy option to take and what makes me a little afraid is that I may not be the sort of person I hope I am if placed in a position where I could renege on a deal because the money involved is just too attractive ... that it does reach my price.
