Evil Vices

Carlos had been working as a tailor for over ten years and he seemed to be living a quiet life. Every day, he used to visit the nearby Spanish temple and meditate over there for two hours. One guy named Pedro who was a frequent visitor to the temple noticed him. He was intrigued by Carlos's distinct demeanour and decided to talk to him.

Carlos folded his hands as a mark of respect to God and prostrated before the idol. He wasn't distracted despite a large gathering inside the temple premises. As usual, Carlos spent two hours in deep meditation before walking out of the temple premises. The chirping birds flew around the plethora of trees that loomed around the temple. A wave of fresh air engulfed the temple symbolising its peaceful ambiance. Pedro quickly pulled himself off the motorcycle and strode towards Carlos. He waved a hand to grab his attention.

"How are you, sir? I am Pedro," he said.

"I am fine. I am Càrlos," he replied.

"I don't know why but there is a strong urge within me which wants to know about your story," the young guy smiled.

"Well, I don't know why there is an urge within you that wants to learn about my story," he continued, "But I can walk through my story which I consider as one hell of a ride."

"I don't know my intuition stirred to ask you this question," the boy said with a beaming smile.

"Not a great story though but indeed a story that taught me a lesson for life. Perhaps you can discern the moral of the story too which would help you in your long journey," he said.

"Seems like it would be a gripping story then," the boy sat on the bench along with Carlos.

"If you are so curious, then I wouldn't want to curtail your curiosity. Just fasten your mind belts as I peel back the layers of the past," Carlos went about narrating the story in his own inimitable story.

Carlos had been a very aggressive young guy who was hell-bent on achieving his dream of making it to the top of the soccer world. He worked hard to reinforce his soccer skills which finally earned him a chance to play in the Spanish Premier League. He was picked by Valencia club for 10 million euros. This was his first step towards becoming the best in the world. He was just twenty years old and had a long road ahead of him. In his first match, Valencia played against the League Champions Barcelona. It turned out to be an exciting contest with both teams giving their best. There was no goal scored after ninety minutes which was a testament to the tough contest between the two teams as none of them desired to lose. As the match progressed to injury time, Carlos deftly dribbled the ball past the midfielders and brilliantly breached the fort of the defenders to score a wonder goal that silenced the Barcelona crowd. He went on a running spree to celebrate the winning goal as his teammates swarmed around him. The new champion had arrived. He headlined the newspapers and the media the next day because of a superb goal that took everyone by surprise. Some said he would be the future Spanish star whereas others thought it was too early to call him a star.

Carlos continued to take the world by storm with his breathtaking performances on the field. Even the legendary players couldn't take their eyes off him as they heaped praise upon him. Thanks to his incredible performance, Valencia made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in history. They were up against a strong Manchester team. Valencia players couldn't match the technical skills of the Manchester players who created fear in their minds with their skills. They scored three goals in sixty-five minutes and were able to keep Carlos quiet. Then something spectacular unfolded. Carlos seemed to be possessed as he single-handedly scored a hat-trick in twenty minutes as the Valencia crowd got back their lost voices. One of the opposition defenders pushed Carlos and something inside him snapped. He gave a punch to his nose and the defender started bleeding. The referee who noticed this act, quickly raised the red card. He hurled expletives at the referee as she took strides towards the dugout. The tensions flared up high and it affected Valencia as they conceded an injury-time goal to bow out of the tournament. Valencia even finished second in the premier league and won the Club trophy which happened to be their first-ever trophy. The one name that circulated everywhere and which went viral was none other than Carlos. He seemed to have possessed a magical touch that made him quite different compared to other players. He was touted to be the best in the world.

The extraordinary success seemed to have gotten into his head as he treated his fellow teammates as mediocre. With his name going viral everywhere, he believed he deserved to go to a rich club and enjoy a lavish lifestyle. He made fun of the Valencia club management when they decided to raise his salary to 15 million euros. He got into a verbal war with the coach as well. With the transfer window opened, the Champions League winners Manchester offered him 50 million euros which was the most expensive at that time. He quickly signed the deal and became a Manchester player. His last day with Valencia did not go well as he disrespected the players and the coach. This did not go down well with the Valencia fans as they booed him for his terrible behaviour. It was Valencia who gave him the platform to shine but he had no iota of respect for them. He nourished his ego which claimed he was the best in the world. He took a flight to Manchester and joined the Champion Club. He stayed in an opulent villa and relished the luxuries offered to him. Manchester being the richest and the most competitive club in the world expected their new sign to deliver goods for them.

He struggled in the very first match he played for Manchester but the management shrugged it off as an aberration. Many times, the opposition players managed to snatch the ball away from and also most of the time his wayward kick either went straight to the goalkeeper or too far away from the post. He seemed to have lost the magical touch that made him the king of soccer. Even in the next few games, he was just a shadow of his former self. No magic on the field but he seemed to be undeterred by his form. He had many girlfriends and he got himself lost in the material maya. The fans had expected him to shine for the club but he turned out to be a dud. Manchester was up against Madrid in a Champions League round of 16 clash. No goals were scored at the end of 120 minutes which steered the game to the penalties. Carlos had missed a simple chance in the 90th minute which could have been a winning goal. The players gave their all to put up a classic show in front of a packed stadium. After 120 minutes, players from both teams got into a discussion to name the players who would take the kick. Carlos showed a lot of confidence when he told the coach that he would take the final penalty.

"Are you sure?" the coach asked.

"Don't you believe in me? I am the most expensive player in the world," he took pride.

The players came one by one to take the penalties and all managed to find the net. It was 4-5 in favour of Madrid when Carlos stepped up to take the final penalty. The burden of the city was on his shoulders as he prepared himself to kick the ball. The Manchester crowd had gone silent secretly sending prayers to the Lord for Carlos to score. He took a few places behind the ball and sprinted to kick the ball well above the post. A disappointing kick indeed which compelled the fans to boo the hell out of him as their dream to defend the Champions League blew up. The frustrated Carlos yelled at the fans who have had enough of him.

Pedestrians made obscene gestures at him whenever his luxurious car passed by. He used to retaliate by spitting as a matter of showcasing his anger. Very soon he became the most hated soccer player in the world. There was a growing voice to sack him from the club and eventually, the club heeded the fan's voice since it was disturbing other players. Carlos didn't have an amicable relationship with any players allowing his ego to rule the roost. He was released by the club. That is when the concealed secret came up to the surface to add to his woes. The five-star restaurant waitress showed courage to address the media. Her startling revelation took the world by storm. She accused Carlos of rape in the hotel against her wishes. It was proved that Carlos committed the act in an inebriated state which further exacerbated his already fading career. No other clubs bought him, and he was even banned from football for life. He was removed from the twenty-member squad that was to travel to Asia to play the World Cup. His soccer career got cut short abruptly. He had to serve a decade-long jail sentence since his act came under non-bailable offence. Just like that the most expensive football player lost all his wealth and became a guest in the jail. He chose to drown in the ocean of vices which tore up his career. Had he controlled his vices he had all the skills to be the best soccer player, but he chose otherwise. The kind of hatred that he received seemed to have taken a toll on him mentally. He screamed, yelled at the walls, and cried in agony. The stay in the jail allowed him a chance to transform himself. He began reading religious books which made him realise the grave mistakes that he made by subjugating himself to the fire of vices. The worst feeling in the world is when you realise you can't change the terrible past. It took him years, but he did change. He became more of a spiritual man when he came out of jail. He did a tailor job to make his ends meet and ensured he meditated daily so that he no longer was a victim in the stranglehold of vices.

Pedro had not expected this kind of a story even in his wildest dreams.

"Did you deduce the moral of the story?" Carlos asked.

"Don't get carried away by the vices, it gives you temporary pleasure but tears you down permanently," the young guy replied with tears welled up in his eyes.

"When you are young, sometimes the hot blood gets the better of you. You are a young man and you have a long journey ahead. Don't fall for the vices and be careful in your decisions as far as navigating life is concerned," Carlos gazed into the young man's eyes.

"I agree with you, sir! Sometimes, a real story can bring a change in one's life. Stories are what make this world. Thank you for your time, sir!" he took his blessings by touching the feet.

"How is your life now, sir?" Pedro asked.

"I have become more spiritual which indeed helps me to keep the vices at bay. Yes, it is hard to erase those memories, but the hard lesson has refined and resuscitated me. I have uninstalled the old version and installed Carlos 2.0 version," he smiled, and Pedro followed suit.

"Always remember to remain grounded no matter how high you fly in life," Carlos said.

Pedro nodded his head in affirmation before making a ride filled with rollercoaster emotions.

The flock of birds that seemed to be covertly listening to the story dispersed. The beaming smile on the Spanish God's idle generated devotion in the hearts of the devotees.