Σκάβοντας για να ανεβάσω ένα φράχτη που θα χώριζε το οικόπεδο μου από των γειτόνων μου, βρήκα θαμμένο στον κήπο ένα παλιό μπαούλο γεμάτο χρυσά νομίσματα.
~ Χόρχε Μπουκάι
Αντικλείδι
GREED
Digging in my yard one day, making posts for a fence to separate my lot from that of my neighbors, I happened upon an old chest full of gold coins buried in the black soil. As I am not interested in wealth or personal gain, this discovery only caught my attention because it was so strange. I have never been ambitious and do not care much for material possessions.
After digging up the chest, I took out the coins and cleaned off the years of dirt and dust. I shined them with an old rag, they were so dirty and tarnished. Once I had neatly stacked the coins on my desk, I took to counting. It was clear I had come upon an incredible fortune. To pass the time, I began to imagine all the things one might buy with these riches. I imagined how crazy someone would become when they found this stash, if they happened to be greedy.
Fortunately, this was not my case.
Today my neighbor came to claim the coins. He tried to convince me that the money was his because his grandfather had buried it years before and, therefore, it belonged to him. I was so annoyed with his arrogant attitude... I killed him!
If he had not been so desperate to claim those coins I probably would have give them over, because, as I say, I was not interested in the money. But if there is one thing I cannot abide, that is greed. Really, I just hate greedy people.
(translated and adapted from the work of the Argentinian story teller, Jorge Bucay, entitled "Codicia")
David Shea
Εμένα δε μου κίνησε το ενδιαφέρον ο πλούτος, αλλά το παράδοξο του ευρήματος.
Ποτέ δεν υπήρξα φιλοχρήματος, ούτε και νοιάζομαι πολύ για τα ακριβά πράγματα.
Αφού ξέθαψα το μπαούλο, έβγαλα τα νομίσματα και τα γυάλισα.
Ήταν τόσο βρώμικα και σκουριασμένα τα καημένα!
Καθώς τα τακτοποιούσα σε στοίβες πάνω στο τραπέζι μου, άρχισα να τα μετράω…
Μαζευόταν μια αληθινή περιουσία.
Μόνο αφού πέρασε καιρός άρχισα να φαντάζομαι όλα τα πράγματα που θα μπορούσα να αγοράσω με αυτά…
Σκεφτόμουν πόσο χαρούμενος θα ήταν ένας άπληστος που θα έπεφτε πάνω σε έναν σημαντικής αξίας θησαυρό…
Ευτυχώς…
Ευτυχώς δεν ήμουν τέτοια περίπτωση…
Σήμερα ήρθε ένας κύριος να διεκδικήσει τα νομίσματα. Ήταν ο γείτονας μου.
Προσπαθούσε να με πείσει, ο άθλιος, πως τα νομίσματα τα είχε θάψει ο παππούς του και πως γι’ αυτό του ανήκαν.
Εκνευρίστηκα τόσο… που τον σκότωσα!
Αν δεν τον είχα δει να ζητάει τόσο
απελπισμένα να τα αποκτήσει θα του τα είχα δώσει γιατί, αν υπάρχει κάτι
που δεν με ενδιαφέρει, είναι τα πράγματα που αποκτώνται με λεφτά…
Αλλά, το δίχως άλλο, δεν αντέχω τους άπληστους ανθρώπους…
Αντικλείδι
GREED
Digging in my yard one day, making posts for a fence to separate my lot from that of my neighbors, I happened upon an old chest full of gold coins buried in the black soil. As I am not interested in wealth or personal gain, this discovery only caught my attention because it was so strange. I have never been ambitious and do not care much for material possessions.
After digging up the chest, I took out the coins and cleaned off the years of dirt and dust. I shined them with an old rag, they were so dirty and tarnished. Once I had neatly stacked the coins on my desk, I took to counting. It was clear I had come upon an incredible fortune. To pass the time, I began to imagine all the things one might buy with these riches. I imagined how crazy someone would become when they found this stash, if they happened to be greedy.
Fortunately, this was not my case.
Today my neighbor came to claim the coins. He tried to convince me that the money was his because his grandfather had buried it years before and, therefore, it belonged to him. I was so annoyed with his arrogant attitude... I killed him!
If he had not been so desperate to claim those coins I probably would have give them over, because, as I say, I was not interested in the money. But if there is one thing I cannot abide, that is greed. Really, I just hate greedy people.
(translated and adapted from the work of the Argentinian story teller, Jorge Bucay, entitled "Codicia")
David Shea