A Wish for Gold
As I sit here on this mound of snow and ice and the frigid wind slaps across my face with vigor, I think back to a wish of mine I had made many days ago. My wish for wealth and honor, prestige and love. I was born poor and thus would live my life poor but would I have been happy? Would I have been at peace?
It seemed a miracle the day after I had made that silent wish in my rickety old apartment, that I found a wet newspaper on the street telling stories about the gold rush up north. “Overnight men are becoming rich,” it read. At that moment it was like a prophecy, now, mere hollow words on paper.
My fingers feel as though they have already fallen off. I glance over to Robert. The poor fellow lay there on the sled motionless. He and I had been friends for as long as I could remember. We began as petty thieves stealing bread from street vendors for our mothers. Now Robert and I were rich thanks to the gold rush.
Storytelling was Robert’s true passion however. He only agreed to join me on my lust for gold if he could open his own publishing house with the money we made. How would I ever write to his dear frail mother about his passing? Would I ever get the chance to write to my own mother?
I doubt every thought that enters my head. No fortune and glory. No peace. The wind begins to pick up now. The wind gives out a howl, a blood curdling howl. Never in my life have I felt a greater need to cry, yet tears fail to leave the warm sanctity of my eyes.
I take one last glance at Robert as the snow swallows him. A horrid rumination surfaces in my mind. I will die here rich in material but poor in heart. I will be lost to time and reside in a sarcophagus of snow and ice. I will die a man whose wish came true.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleA very powerful story, Saad! Wonderful description and strong emotion. So sad but very well done!
Thank you Sandra for your very kind comment!
Saad, I love the different approach you took with the prompt! My favorite sentence is the last, “I will die a man whose wish came true.” Such a powerful sentence, delivering an impactful story about the danger of wishes. A true joy to read!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you Bella! I’m glad you enjoyed my rather different approach.
Welcome the Voice.club, Saad. It is very nice to have yet another young and talented member. You have a very mature voice for your age. Your story is really quite heart-breaking, and brings to mind to be careful what you wish for. I think the sentence ‘I will die here rich in material but poor in heart’ really sums it up.
Thank you Carrie for your wonderful comment and warm welcome!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleIt is poignant and honest. Chasing riches can pay a heavy price in the end. You have captured the gist of the tale from poverty to riches, Saad. Well done.
Thank you Shobana for your very kind words.
Your poverty to affluence tale is one of death and anguish; it is very powerful. Clever of you to write about the dangerous side of wishing. You have written a moving first story for Voice.Club, Saad. Welcome and well done.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYou are so kind! Thank you very much Margarida!
Saad, I was thrilled to read this totally original interpretation of the “Wish” prompt, and I sincerely hope to read more from you. This story was well constructed and, as others have said, has a very powerful and satisfying ending.
Thank you greatly Preston for your lovely comment!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleFantastic ending
Thank you so very much!
Saad, welcome to voice club. Your story was very moving and very powerful. All the emotions were intense. I loved and enjoyed it so much. Very well done. I am excited to read more stories from you. Keep on writing.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you so very much Lotchie! I am very grateful for your kind words.
You are always welcome, Saad.
This is great! very powerful and emotive! Great job!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you old sport!
Thanks for your story, Saad. What you describe was the truth for many optimists who went to Alaska during the last years of the 1800s. When I read your story and saw your picture, my thoughts went to the Alaskan license plate called “Gold Rush Centennial” where you can see a long line of gold diggers in the snow.
Thank you, Christer, for your lovely and educational comment! I’m very happy that my story was able to convey a little about the lives of the brave men and women who ventured north in search of riches during the gold rushes. My inspiration for the story was the poem “The Cremation of Sam Mcgee” by Robert W. Service.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleAnd thank you, Saad, for reminding me about that wonderful poem. Service made an unforgettable use of the words “heat” and “cold” in it.
Certainly! It’s one of my favourite poems.
Great story, Saad! “The Cremation of Sam McGee” was one of my father’s favorite poems and we all grew up reciting it by heart. My favorite line is “Since I left Plum Tree, down in Tennessee, it’s the first time I’ve been warm!” Whereas the poem is full of fun, your story reveals the pain and suffering of the gold miners and how useless the gold can be. Welcome to Voice club!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you so very much for this lovely comment Julie! Funny enough, that line is my favourite too.
Congratulations, Saad. Well done. Keep on writing.
Thank you so very much, Lotchie!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleExcellent Saad. A reminder about the true value of wealth.
Thank you greatly, Joseph!