I'm going to let you judge for yourself, my friend, whether I have a prophetic eye. After you've heard all that befell me and how at every step I foretold what my life was to be, my friend, you'll know me for a seer.
You must not jump to any conclusion by seeing me as I am now at the closing stage of my life. It's not by how a life ends that you must judge, my friend. The closing is a very brief part of the journey of life. Look at the full stretch and then decide.
I shall let you be a witness to every step, and my prognostication at every step, and how every step led unerringly to the next step, how each step was a natural outcome of the one I'd just stepped down from. My descent was like the flow of water, taking the path of least resistance.
"Trailing clouds of glory do we come," said the good poet whose words are worth something you will, I am sure, say. And we have the good fortune to have before us when we're born a staircase sturdy and reliable. At each step down there is another step before us as, step by step, we descend.
My confidence in my good fortune was well-founded, and I stepped down blindly, taking the path of least resistance. Yet never did I drop into an abyss because there was always a step to support my descent. And that is why, my friend, I tell you, I have a prophetic eye.
When I grew up to realise that I was the only son, that there was only an older sister, and there would not be any other children after me, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When, at school, I could escape from doing homework or any physical activities by pleading ill health, and could count on getting a doctor's letter to get some valuable time off from school, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When bullies picked on me at school and I made friends with the tough guys and learnt to bribe them with gifts so that I could get protection, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When in High School I began to skip classes and suffered no punishment, and the teachers gave up on me so that I carried on with my honeymoon, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When I dropped out of school entirely and no further education loomed ahead of me, I could tell that the real holiday was about to begin, and then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When I took one job after another, and when I quit one job after another, and jobs were easy to get because I was young and bright, and there was no problem because I was supported by my parents, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When I saw that fortune had blessed me with youth, good health, great personality, high intelligence, and optimism so that opportunities came easily and I could turn my back on them just as easily, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When I got married and, between my wife and my parents, I was well provided for, and I came to know that money grew on trees, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When my kids were born and I stayed home to look after them while my wife worked to support the family, and the kids loved me as they would have loved a stay-at-home mother, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When my parents became old and the supply of money ran out and I could not rely on them for support, yet I had nothing to worry about because my wife worked to support the family, then, my friend, I knew that fortune was smiling on me and would continue to smile on me.
When my kids grew up to know me and so loved me less, my health began to fail so I could not work, my wife got tired of supporting me, then, my friend, I knew that fortune now wore a wan smile on her face. Yet, my friend, fortune had always smiled on me and must continue to smile on me.
But, my friend, as I told you before, you must not judge a life by the brief closing stage. You must look on my life as I look on it. I did what came naturally to me. I took the path of least resistance through life, and my friend, fortune smiled on me and must continue to smile on me.
And, my friend, I don't pass hasty judgement on others. They, too, like me, are at the mercy of their good fortune. Fortune smiles on all, more so on some than on others. Fortune has smiled on me more than it smiles on others, and it must continue to smile on me.
And with my prophetic eye, my friend, I see that I'm almost at the bottom of my staircase, and though it is a wan smile that fortune wears on her face, yet, it must, it really must continue to smile on me.
