John the orderly (74 years old) is pushing the wheelchair of Kirk the elderly (63 years old). John is older but muscular and fit, a retired football player. He can practically push three wheelchairs with two fingers. Tycoon Kirk, nine years younger, is a total wreck, just survived a stroke, with stage 4 diabetes on top of stage 3 Parkinson’s. They are in a special senior home for seven tycoons. The elderly and the orderly are the best of friends.
eastwind journals
‘True Tales’ Series – Volume 36
Updated July 27, 2023 from January 14, 202 – Archives tr381
By Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com
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You may ask why tycoons prefer a weird senior home when they can live like kings in their palaces complete with their own medical staff, services and equipment, or even a mini-hospital. The answer is simple. On top of avoiding nagging wives and children, or being divorced and lonely, it is the company which excites them.
Thus, the magnificent 7 tycoons, arch-enemies as business competitors, and ‘arch-friends’ in joint ventures all at the same time, upon the prodding of Tycoon Kirk, build this sprawling 500-acre senior home called ‘One Step to Heaven’ in the Bahamas, safe from freezing winters. It has a mini-forest, a lagoon, a marina with seven super-yachts, and 7 beaches where they can sunbathe nude separately in complete privacy, if they can still do that. They have one thing in common. All seven are in the ‘pre-departure area’.
There are 7 private mansions, completely isolated from each other. Within a clearing in the cool mini-forest is the ‘common ground’ – a grand palace where the magnificent 7 meet once a week to share their decadent lives, playing penny-ante poker where a penny is worth $5,000. Or they do other odd things like claw at each other, or laugh themselves into tears with jokes which are hardly funny for normal humans. They are happy and never bored in this weird paradise on Planet Earth.
‘One Step to Heaven’ was featured in the cover of Fortune Magazine. Some tycoons envied the pioneer idea and started organizing their own. But others scorned the very idea and predicted that it would be a complete failure. Kirk’s senior home was a complete success in preparing their members spiritually for their ‘flights’.
******
John and Kirk are taking a morning stroll at the edge of the mini-forest. Kirk prefers that John push his wheel chair instead of getting an electric one. That way, they could talk intimately.
JOHN – What are you going to do with all your billions? You are a walking corpse, one foot in the grave.
KIRK – Two feet, John. (They both laugh.)
JOHN – Seriously, who will inherit your vast empire? You have no family.
KIRK – Shut up. I don’t know yet. I certainly will not give you a single cent.
JOHN – I don’t need your billions.
KIRK – Of course you do. Seriously, I want my empire to make a dent on humanity.
JOHN – Such megalomania. What for? Just give it to me. I will make the dent for you. (Laughter).
At this point, Kirk has a convulsion. He starts to drool. John searches in panic for his medicine bag, but cannot find out. They are too far from the infirmary. To save time, instead of going through the winding paths on the wheelchair, Kirk carries him bodily and goes on a fast trot, making a bee line for the infirmary. After an hour at the infirmary, Kirk is fine, like nothing happened.
JOHN – You almost died back there, you know.
KIRK – Death wish. Thanks for saving me. I change my mind. I’m giving you $200.
Their laughter echo across the vastness. They are unmindful of other tycoon elderlies being pushed by athletic olderlies. Tycoon Sam is being pushed by olderly Annie, a hulk of an attractive black woman.
SAM – Shut up, you morons.
KIRK – (Giving a dirty finger) Hey, wanna swap olderlies?
SAM – When are you selling me your Texas Unlimited?
KIRK – (Giving another dirty finger) If you sell me your Jewelry of the Nile, Inc.
SAM – No thanks. See ya, moron. Are you attending the poker session tonight?
KIRK – Not sure. I’m thinking it’s a waste of time playing poker with idiots.
SAM – Then, it’s easy for you to win and fleece the idiots.
KIRK – I’m sick of earning money. My problem is spending it. Take care, Sam.
JOHN – (To Kirk, as they move away.) I notice your ‘Take care, Sam’ had a tone of saying goodbye. I’m amazed how you can take life so lightly when you have two feet in the grave.
KIRK – You want me to mope and get depressed? Seriously, John, I hide my deep depression with humor. It’s a front, but it helps. If you pretend it is not dark, some sunshine filters through.
JOHN – You hide it very well. That’s a nice way of putting it.
John and Kirk are the best of friends. They will die for each other, a filthy rich Kirk and a hulk of a John. John, more than ever, can sense that Kirk is dying.
KIRK – It’s cruel of me not to tell you. Promise me you will not squander what I give you.
JOHN – Yes, you are cruel.
KIRK – I will give you enough to setup your dream gym. Is that good enough?
JOHN – I want three gyms. (Laughter.)
KIRK – If I give you more than you need, I will destroy you. Enough that I give you a top-of-the-line fishing rod rather than ten tons of fish, right?
JOHN – (Hugging Kirk with tears in his eyes.) I will miss you. What will you do with your vast empire?
KIRK – The money goes to 87 orphanages, 25 in the U.S., the rest in poor Asian countries, Cambodia, Philippines, Myanmar, and so on.
JOHN – Wow. That’s really making a dent. I admire you. That’s your legacy.
KIRK – I don’t care about legacy. Legacy is an ego trip. Legacy, my ass.
JOHN – So what matters to you?
KIRK – All my life, I have been grabbing. It’s about time I begin giving. That’s all. And you, John, what’s you’re wish when you’re dying?
JOHN – Too distant for me to think about it. My mind is focused on marrying Sam’s orderly and making many babies.
KIRK – Wow. You sneaky worm. That hulk? Poor woman. (Laughter).
Kirk died on Christmas day. He actually died laughing because the two were swapping jokes, until he slumped dead. John threw his ashes to the wind one quiet evening in the vast garden, as Kirk requested. He whispered a prayer aloud, “Lord, take this great man to your bosom.” The ashes were scattered by a sudden wind. John had his dream gym and took on the burly woman orderly as his wife. They had two kids. That was all he could do.
he who gives receives seven fold
he who grabs loses seven fold
wealth is attained in poverty
and poverty in wealth
so says the Lord in a parable
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More Inspirational Articles – eastwindjournals.com.
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1) Father Fernando Suarez – www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UP3LHBgtIc.
2) Sr. Raquel Reodica, RVM – www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAZcwNimBSg
Download free e-book ‘Healing Stories of Sr. Raquel’ at eastwindjournals.com/2021/08/13/healing-stories-of-sr-raquel-e-book-free-download/).
Author’s book. At age 26, the author (eastwind) drifted through Europe, hitchhiking 25,000 kilometers for three straight years. He wrote a book on his adventures, Wings and Wanderlust. He learned deep insights that radically changed his view of life, which he wants to share with readers looking for themselves or wanting to catch the wind. More about the book (get a copy) = https://eastwindjournals.com/2023/02/25/more-about-the-book-wings-and-wanderlust/
Author’s Credentials. Blogger – ex-Columnist (Inquirer) – Healing Ministry – ex-Professor (Ateneo University) – Documentary Producer-Director (freelance, ex-ABS-CBN, ex-TVS Tokyo) – ex-Broadcaster (Radio Veritas) – Facebook “Bernie V. Lopez Eastwind” / Pages “Eastwind Journeys and Journals” and “Mary Queen of Peace”.
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