SUCCESS

Daniel was born with a silver spoon in NewYork. He unlike other wealthy boys of his age, utilized it although it bore no fruit. He somehow passed 10^thand 12^th grade but was prone to failures and uncontrollable behaviour, he was out of schools and colleges and joining some more, mostly because of the reputation of his father. His father Henry often said:  “you are one useless, bloody failure!!!” His eyes blood red when he failed in a test but Daniel never lost hope and kept trying. With that hope, he graduated in electrical engineering at the age of 27 from Chicago college. He said proudly expressing his sheer accomplishment after a long struggle  “finally I can get a job and make some money on my own to make a living”. He, that day went to attend the graduation party at his college. When he entered the party one of his friends, Percy said cautiously pointing at the wine bottles “mate, you do not go crazy behind those or your record would not be nice.” “Ah...who cares, enjoy the party!!!!!” Daniel exclaimed then went on to make the biggest mistake of his life.

He went to the bar and asked “hey….could you give me some beer really strong including a martini king-size.” “Are you sure kid, cause it’s graduation time?” whispered the man at the bar cautiously. “ “C’mon please, I need to enjoy”. With much hesitation, the man took his order. Daniel enjoyed and danced, he also met a group of surprised teachers and mostly made the others feel awkward when his order came. He never ate, he only drank and halfway through the party made a mess and everyone came to know he was extremely drunk. Soon his friends dropped him in his small apartment. He could not manage himself when his friends went back to the party. After locking his house he went into a grocery shop and the next moment woke up, disgusted by the fact as he realized too soon yet, too late that he was in jail.

“Oh God!! oh God!!! Why am I in this place!!! Officer!!! Someone tell me what is going on!!!!” said a confused Daniel leaping at the bars of the jail clearly, waking up with a jolt. “Hey…..the drunk has finally come back to his senses!!!” exclaimed an officer giving an unfriendly sneer, the other officers laughed at that but soon Daniel lost his temper cussing and swearing attracting unwanted attention, then an officer kicked him and sent him flying across the room. “Behave….you fool!!,” said he sternly, “you have been arrested for intoxication in public, 20 days, perhaps your parents should have taught you about responsibility!!”Daniel shook his head and started weeping, his father’s wealth and reputation had saved him from most things though he tried hard to excel at something and readily participated at any Olympiad or a sporting event, he failed and was still one among the million although, never cared about that fact but never a thought about responsibility. He might have attempted many things but never worked towards it, the responsibility of studying before a test, of research before a quiz, of going for practice before an important baseball game all gone and perseverance well a total zero but the ugly truth was money covered all of that. It was hell in prison and being pushed and bullied for six whole days and nights, never knowing what he had done to be here was too much for him and finally succumbed to depression for the next fourteen days.

The police admitted him in the mental asylum and soon after two months of relentless treatment by the doctors, only then did he go outside as a free man in the streets but his joy did not last for long as he became broke but luckily was saved by some kind supporters of his, from suicidal thoughts and was encouraged to find a job. One day his friend, Richie bought a tape recorder and gave it to Daniel who was living with him, temporarily till he found a job “these were the last words of your father right on your graduation date…hear it mate please for me.” “Ok this….is for you,” said Daniel unwillingly and put it hesitatingly in the player and switched it on and heard his father’s last words.

 “You can do it, sonny, you can, I know you can...You just need some space for thinking about what to do next in the world, the failures all that bullshit, but just remember... be strong, the world can be cruel to you but guess what… everyone goes through this, one day you’re the king and the next day you are a nobody but do not take these things seriously because there are things in life that are unexplored, unseen like the binding darkness that would lead to light... that is life… still surviving the dark though many have succumbed to it and have fallen but… the survivors…they always win the day because they are strong against the cruelty which is inevitable in life. Dreams have been left because of that cruelty which could come in different ways through family, friends, peer pressure and lust there are many more things to tell but I am afraid that I do not have enough strength for them for this is the last time I will ever talk to you…. And here are my last words before death takes me….I, Hendry Stevenson, apologize for pushing you for so long….branding you as a failure and I love you for you are all that was, that is, that will always be the best of me. Congrats son and I love you the most. ”

Daniel’s eyes were wet with tears and so was Richie’s but unlike Daniel’s which was wet with inspiration, love and sadness they were from yawning throughout the speech and insensitively grinned and sneered “that was one very long speech.” Ignoring him, Daniel went to apply for some jobs and soon was called for an interview. First, he tried at Aerotrek in Chicago and even got hired but when he went into the office the manager fired him saying that his “noble company” would not hire “cheap” drunks and he had “better people” to give jobs but he was not discouraged. Soon he applied for some part-time jobs at Expedia, Microsoft and tried to convince Baskin Robbins that he was not a drunk but all in vain and with no other option tried Aerotrek and soon became like a regular customer except for the fact that he kept on asking the same thing: “Hire me please, I am not a drunk and I have changed” but the manager rejected his application online and made sure that Daniel never made it to the interview so much that Daniel was rejected ten times but never gave up. He wanted to go and chase his dream, to survive Daniel was making money by gambling in the alley.

“You are rejected, you dumbhead, good for nothing, useless drunk criminal,” cried the manager fiercely as he pushed Daniel from the interviewing room and the other interviewers kicked him furiously with their hearts filled with ego and shouted “security!!! security!!! Chuck this man out!!” The security came, pulling Daniel by the scruff of his neck and finally kicked him out making a messy scene. Richie came to know about it and soon filed a complaint to the police, the manager covered it up easily with his money. That same day Daniel went into the terrace of his friend’s apartment and screamed: “oh world, you may have won the battle!!!! But not the war!!!!! Never,“ his eyes were blood-red, his wounds opened out and he was bleeding everywhere but he kept screaming these words till twilight had befallen, then went home encouraged and yes, of course, more wounded.

Daniel entered the Aerotrek office and took the application form and filled his details diligently. He had already submitted his resume and was surprisingly selected for the interview but only one question was asked: “you have been rejected so many times, like ten times, then in such hopeless situations you are still trying, why ???” and Daniel answered patiently and strongly: “my life has been full of failures, mistakes and unfulfilled responsibilities and yet, I have been surviving somehow in the darkness unable to succumb well…if you ask me, I follow my dream no matter what and for the first time, I have been working towards it … perhaps it’s a true man’s nature, being tough, not accepting failures and not having a what-if door to escape his true dream when he knows that he can make the best if it, you may think that I am a useless son of a hotshot now dead but even if you reject me I will keep coming back. You are calling me a drunk, fine but I won’t let this dream escape my clutches for I will chase it till I stop breathing, I cannot and will not succumb to this darkness for I will find light and I will win the war against the world though I have lost many battles... anyways I am rejected but do not worry, I will be right back.” He turned his back on the interviewers and left with his old coat-suit that had been there with him on all interviews but a statement froze him on his tracks. “Maybe that good-for-nothing manager is wrong, inevitably though we hotshots do need courageous losers, I mean survivors to do our bidding … I will talk to the manager on this, for now. You are hired, Mr Dream-chaser. You will get your salary tomorrow, alright?”

Daniel, sure enough, was hired and when he completed his first day in his office he whispered happily to himself: “I won the war…now is to keep it that way,” then he snickered and felt proud of himself that he finally accomplished his dream and with his money bought his own house, accepted responsibility and found light through the darkness at last.