Achieving Serenity

The Brick House

Patience and persistence

In a civilization where bricks are currency, the men who construct the most buildings are supreme. Each week the newspaper releases the Top 10 list of richest men in town, for these were the men you needed to find if you wanted a job. The men with the most bricks owned the most buildings in this newly developed society and therefore owned the most land.

Spencer had built his own home which his family resided solely by himself, as many of the workers in the era did. To have the patience and persistence to lay each brick one by one and finally making it to the point where a quarterly masterpiece is erected was the most valuable and respected skill to have. He lived at his brick house with his wife and two children and would spend days at the construction yard being paid in bricks. His current net worth was around 20,000 bricks, and he was making 7,000 bricks per year, a respectable amount securing him a seat in the rising middle class.

Spencer wanted to be richer- to have the number of bricks possible to build the largest mansion in the world. He would often spend time putting pen to pad drawing the homes he one day wished to build. Working more hours was never going to put him into the 1% so he knew he had to get creative and entrepreneurial if he wanted to truly thrive in wealth.

He was working on a home one day, a job was given to him by the eighth richest man according to last Sunday's paper. There were five other men working on the project and Spencer began talking to one of them about his dreams of becoming rich. The man tells him he knows a way, but it is a dangerous route that ends up crushing a lot of its contenders. Desperate to expand his innovation, Spencer eggs the man on to the details surrounding this pathway.

Spencer learns about a civilian named Carl who owned a mansion way up in the hills. Carl gives any and every normal person the opportunity to amass hundreds of thousands of bricks with his unique jobs. The man tells of how he tried working for Carl, but another worker present at the house had talked him out of it. Spencer asks if these jobs consist of gambling or murder, or any other sort of illegal activity. The man told him he believed it was all of the above.

The curiosity was too much for Spencer to consume, as he made his way over to Carl's location the following day. Hiking up the mountain, he sees several other townspeople who are apparently on their way to the same place. They appear to be well put together causing Spencer to feel more hopeful about his upcoming decision.

He walked up to the mansion and opened its lobby doors to see four other men seated in a waiting area. None of them appeared to be with any other and were all seemingly waiting anxiously for their turn at whatever was happening. Not seeing any sort of sign-in desk, Spencer joins the only man not buried in his mobile device, asking him "do we just wait here?" before taking a seat.

"Pshh! Find another place to sit, newbie," the man said without eye contact. Spencer shot him a perplexed gaze before rising up and finding another spot- this time isolated from the others. Within the next three minutes, all four of the men were called by name into the back room by a middle-aged African American woman. After the men cleared out, Spencer was seated in the waiting area alone for about twenty seconds before the lady returned and announced, "Spencer?"

Spencer got up from his seat and approached the woman. "How did you know my name?"

"You'll be in room 32A," the woman replied in a monotonous tone, directing her arm toward the east. Spencer proceeded down the hallway until he found the labeled room and stepped inside.

He felt like he had just entered a fortune teller's den as he spotted a man seated behind a small table in 32A's dimly-lit ambiance.

"20,310 bricks is your current net value," said the man. "How much do you wish to wager?"

"I'm sorry? I'm new here, what's going on?" Spencer questioned as he took a seat on a small wooden stool.

"Blackjack, ever play?" the man asked.

"Uh, yeah. Is that what this is?" Spencer still hadn't removed his skeptical look ever since arriving at the manor.

"That's what 32A is," the man replied.

"Okay, wow. Well, I didn't bring any of my bricks, so should I come back?"

"We are of the gods, my friend. Your word is gold. How much do you wish to wager?"

Spencer looked around the small room at the purple lighting, noting the presence and disarray of the old-fashioned and obsolete equipment. He spoke up, "I'll wager 1 brick."

"Minimum bet is 25 bricks, sir," the dealer replied as a deck of cards appeared like magic into his hands. Spencer checked himself to ensure he wasn't in a dream.

"I'll bet 25 bricks then," Spencer said, as a display behind the dealer's head popped up like a floating television set. It showed a red digital amount- 20,285. The man began rapidly shuffling the deck before offering Spencer a cut with a blank, red card. He sliced the deck near the middle and the game was on.

Spencer had been dealt Blackjack and saw the digital amount behind the dealer now showed 20,347.5 with a newly added decimal. He had just won money from doing nothing.

He was hooked. Chemicals were firing in Spencer's brain that made him feel extremely comfortable and secure about everything. His dreams were coming to life. Everything he had ever imagined as a child- all those drawings he made of mansions were going to be constructed, and his family would move into them and praise his philanthropy. This game was so easy; as long as Spencer doubles his bet the next hand he will eventually win. By playing a nearly 50-50 game, how could he ever lose?

An hour passes, and Spencer feels his heart pounding in a way he can only describe as the most alive feeling he has ever experienced. He has lost a lot of hands in a row now and without hesitation, shakily notifies the dealer, "Bet 25,600."

It was well over half his new bankroll, and Spencer could feel the Blackjack coming. He was dealt a Jack and a Six for 16, facing the dealer's ten showing. Spencer tapped the tabletop to indicate he would like to hit. The dealer rolls over a Ten, busting and confirming his eleventh lost hand in a row.

"This is rigged- I'm all in," Spencer cursed as he bet the remaining 10,050 bricks he had.

The dealer passes him two red Jacks, before saying "Dealer Blackjack. Thanks for playing."

Spencer scoffs as he exited the building; what a stupid game. It was a good thing that wasn't real currency otherwise he'd be in a world of hurt. He continued the thirty-six-minute trek home until he saw his panicking family standing in an empty, deserted area where his home used to stand.

"Spencer, the home is gone! It vanished while I was cooking dinner!" his wife exclaimed.

He couldn't believe what he had done. He didn't think any of it was real- how could it be? As the shame and guilt seeped in, Spencer analyzed his next decisions. There was no chance he was explaining any of this to his loved ones.

A group of ten men and women paraded over to the distressed family. One of them spoke up.

"We're here to help. We heard about your sudden financial loss and we can give you a loan to put you all back on your feet. You can use this loan to gamble more and once you have recovered your debts, your life will be fully restored. Even if you lose, we can always give you a larger loan. With us, you will be able to live life your way."

Soon after the monologue, a much larger group showed up to the house. One of them spoke with a powerfully bold voice, "Spencer, we are The Diligence. Do not listen to them. They will only bring you to a deeper and darker place. Come with us- we will house you and show you a better way of living. With us, amazing things will happen that today, your mind can't possibly dream of. It will take hard work and patience, but the payoff will make you a better person."

Spencer wanted the loan, but with the love and guidance from his family, he was able to join The Diligence. He worked hard for decades to rebuild his home, and today he has never felt more at peace. He thanked his community, his family and especially himself for making the proper decisions to get himself out of the immense hole he had dug himself into.