The fable of the man who died and went to heaven

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The fable of the man who died and went to heaven

A middle-aged man, very fervent in his religion, died suddenly of illness. In his life, he had not been a true example of helping others, and was only concerned with fulfilling his duties, which he believed would take him to the promised heaven...

If any “true” religion ever promises something in exchange for a certain action...

But this man went to mass every week, said his prayers, and gave his alms. If he saw someone who needed his help, he might ignore them, not because he thought he was superior, but because he didn't want to waste his time.

He thought that there were tasks and people who did not deserve his attention, that they were a complete waste of time, and he compensated for this with some monetary donations to certain charities.

At work, he wasn't someone who knew all his colleagues' names or who bothered to say good morning as soon as he arrived at his desk. In fact, you couldn't say he was someone who wished ill on others, but he also didn't seem to care much about his surroundings, only fulfilling what he considered to be important tasks for “divine accounting.”

When he died, he didn't immediately realize what had happened. He awoke from a deep sleep to find himself in a place with several people and beings that he thought were angels. He was on a paradise island with all-inclusive catering. There was no one who did not know his name and treat him with due reverence. The rooms were spacious, full of refinement, but without exaggeration. There were restaurants for all tastes, group entertainment, outdoor activities, and of course a casino.

Manuel, that was his name, had a special fascination for games of chance. And the casino games were his true downfall. In fact, he had a habit of going to his city's casino every Saturday after dinner, drinking a beer, and enjoying an electrifying game of Blackjack.

It could be said that he didn't have many vices, or that he wasn't someone who squandered money on this particular activity, but being in what he thought was “Heaven,” he thought he might try his luck... Who knows, maybe things were different here.

He sat down at the table, greeted the other players, and asked for the cards... Time after time, in the more than twenty hands he played, there was not a single time that he lost to the table or to another player. He felt like he was walking on air. To celebrate, he ordered a steak with French fries and one of his favorite imported beers.

He was promptly served a delicious, tender steak with an egg and old-fashioned French fries. It was just perfect! Nothing more, nothing less. The beer had never tasted so good, and the night couldn't have ended any better. A girl at the next table was impressed by Manuel's luck and good mood. Nothing that he could fully express on “earth,” as he always felt that there was something he should have and didn't have at that moment... But not today! Today, everything was just perfect.

He ordered a martini for his companion, and they went up to their room... Everything was perfect.

Day two

On the second day, Manuel woke up. He knew that the previous day had been good, but he couldn't quite remember why. He knew it had been a tremendous dopamine rush, with many situations in which he thought he was simply the luckiest man in the world. And maybe he was.

He woke up feeling particularly light. He looked in the mirror, and his body did not disappoint him. As if by magic, his belly was gone. He had a perfect six-pack. Nothing could be better. He had never been someone who committed to a task that cost him time and effort, so going to the gym was just a formality... like weekly mass, with the usual prayers.

He went downstairs and was once again greeted by the staff he encountered on his way to the room where he would have a princely breakfast...

Everything was perfect. Again...

After breakfast, he lay down on the fine white sand beach and basked in the sun... letting his skin tan, which was now almost perfect. He wasn't quite sure what he had done, but he knew he deserved everything that was happening to him. He had been an excellent parishioner, never missing Sunday services or failing in his basic Christian duties!

The sunny morning ended with a fantastic lunch of lobster and shrimp... served with a deliciously chilled sparkling green wine. It was simply perfect. Worthy of a Michelin-starred chef!

Lunch over. A fine single malt Scotch whiskey to round off the meal. In the afternoon, he chose to go for a ride through the fields, mounted on a gentle and graceful horse. The sun caressed his skin... which seemed to be getting younger and younger. A real dream. At the end of the afternoon, he decided to try his luck once more at the casino. Same table, different players, and another croupier.

He asked for cards, and again... and again... He always won! There was no way he could lose. And there was no one who didn't celebrate with him. A stunning blonde approached the lucky dark-haired man and asked permission to sit next to him. He immediately agreed, asking the waitress who was passing by for two dry martinis.

Everything was perfect. Once again. And the second day ended the same way as the first...

More days passed, and Manuel never tired of getting everything he thought he deserved... A week and then two weeks passed. After a month, it no longer had the same impact on him as it did at first. He thought that so much luck and perfection was almost artificial. Although he agreed that he deserved all the details that happened to him.

Irritated that there was nothing different in his life except a succession of events, which until then he had considered very happy, he demanded to speak to the Angel responsible for this little corner of Heaven. They called the Angel, who appeared alone after twenty minutes, accompanied by a thick, half-filled book.

Manuel greeted the Angel and asked him why he was in Heaven and what he had done to deserve Heaven. The Angel, after a few moments of pause, replied with a question:

“Why do you think you are in Heaven?”

We think that an easy life, full of success, money, fame, luck, and health is all we could ask for in life. But when we have everything handed to us on a silver platter, we no longer have the difficulties and everyday problems that give meaning to our achievements and defeats. That's what life is all about. A life like in a soap opera or on Instagram, which is unreal, is not something that can be considered a blessing. In some cases, it ends up becoming a real curse. How many examples do we have of people who have everything in life, but still cannot find meaning in it?

I hope you enjoyed my first story here for the community. It is a fictional story, based on a fable I heard once about a man who thought he had died and gone to Heaven. I hope to find inspiration to write other stories in the future. I confess that this is something completely new to me, and I am not even someone who is in the habit of writing stories... Let's see how I do.

Bem Hajam 🍀✍️

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Original text written by me in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)}