The Treasure

I found it on the curbside of the street. Didn’t look like much from the outside. Didn’t have such a great reputation. I’d heard of it before, of its lies and its schemes. “It’s a fraud,” they told me, though none of them had gone to seek it for themselves.

Something in me itched to see it for myself. What was this seemingly simple thing so many called a treasure- the greatest investment of their lives? So I went to the man himself, where he sits on that curbside. He saw me coming and greeted me by name. Then he said he’d been expecting me.

I just shrugged, half embarassed to be seen with him. What would my friends say? How stupid would they think I was?

I thought I’d just ring up one to see what it was really like. My wallet out, I started counting money. But his hand pushed the bills away.

“Do you think this is so worthless that it can be bought with that?”

“I don’t have much more.”

“That will be enough.”

I tried handing him the bills again but he shook his head at me. “I said, that will be enough.”

“What will?” But he gave no answer. Instead he handed me a small wooden box.

I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been this. It didn’t even look like something valuable. It was broken and scratched, and caked in layers of mud.

“It cost me a lot to get it,” he said simply. “It’s all yours.”

Without missing a beat, I sat down on the curb and begin to open it. The top slid away easily- and that’s when I finally saw it. It was the most expensive treasure I’d ever seen. Coated in gold, bathed in diamonds. Emeralds, jasper, and jewels I couldn’t even name. They spilled over the top of the box and into my hands. I looked up at the man in wonder, and he smiled simply at me. Then I remembered where I was, and held it closer to me. A woman passed me closely but she merely laughed.

“That’s not worth it. It’s just an empty old box.”

“No,” I said. Without thinking I handed it out to her. “Look. Look, it’s full of jewels.”

“It’s empty,” she said. “Did you listen to that crazy man? What a waste of time.”
Then she walked away.

I turned to the man who had given it to me in confusion. “Why can’t she see?”

“She doesn’t want to see.”

“But… why?”

“Because it’s not what she’s looking for.”

“It’s what I’ve been looking for,” I whispered.

“I know,” he said. “Don’t let anyone take it from you. It’s for everyone, but they must come to me themselves.”

////// AboveAllHis