Not me, but a good friend of mine who is from the Middle East!
He, therefore, comes from lower-class roots but a middle-class upbringing, and he is intelligent in a well-rounded sense. He has an excellent physical appearance, is well-read, articulate, courteous, emotionally intelligent, etc. the kind of guy who almost always chooses wisely, but whose potential is constrained by his lack of cash and connections.
Anyway, his uncle works for a very wealthy and well-known family seeking a husband for their only daughter. The only issue is that, while being extremely wealthy, this family did not, so to speak, win the genetic jackpot. One might even argue that they are somewhat cursed because they have a deadly genetic flaw that results in a rare kind of muscle degeneracy and has wiped off their family in the previous two generations.
The father had offered pretty overt clues that good things would come to him if they were married, and he wasn’t lying, so my friend proposes nevertheless (the lady is charming and quite intelligent to boot). the father sold him the extremely enormous house for a no-money-down, pay-as-you-can loan, and the pair get married and move in. He offers him a fantastic, highly lucrative position in his business and even a brand-new automobile.
Being the brilliant, aspirational, and promising person that he is, my friend advances swiftly through the ranks, receives another loan from his father to launch a side venture, and within a few years, he has already purchased a few houses for himself.
They had been becoming closer as a couple all this time. He’s become significantly more intimate, changing his perspective from one of mutual convenience to one of genuine love and respect. She understands the risks he made by marrying someone who might carry the sickness to his children and die young, and he understands the avenues that marriage to her has opened. They have a beautiful baby girl who exhibits no symptoms of the condition a few years later. Unfortunately, the woman, who had already shown symptoms of the disease, begins becoming quite ill about five years or so after they get married. Over the following two years, her condition worsens to the point where she is either in hospitals or bedridden.
A few days after their eleventh wedding anniversary, she passed away from difficulties last year. He is currently raising a daughter who is seven years old and is utterly devastated. He had fallen so madly in love with his wife that the thought of losing her left him absolutely broken.
He is currently extremely wealthy and will become wealthier when her parents pass away because the father designated him and the granddaughter as the heirs to the family fortune, but he is still in pain. He’s a bit of an emotional mess right now, but I’m sure the grief will pass with time and he’ll get remarried someday.
So, a few months ago, I invited him to spend some time with me in Bali. I reasoned that the island’s setting might help him relax a little, give him some perspective, or at least, provide a break from the emotional pressures of his life. So, at dusk, we’re relaxing on this deserted beach with a bottle of McCallan and the last of the day’s waves lapping over our toes.
I let him talk freely about the good days, the bad days, and everything in between, just sharing stories along a train of thought. Finally, he tells me that it was all worthwhile—not for the money, but rather for the opportunity to spend that Short period of time with her.
