The Lost Diamond

Alfred Dainik invited me to his mother’s funeral. It was a simple but very spiritual ceremony, and most of the people she had been associated with had also passed away, so most of the attendees were close relatives.

Alfred asked to speak with me alone. He apologized several times for how he had treated me, thanked me for my services, and wanted to give me an envelope with money, which I firmly declined. He told me that if I ever needed anything, please don’t hesitate to call him, and he would do everything in his power to help.

“Mr. Dainik, there’s something I need from you right now,” I said.

“Of course, you can count on me for anything,” he responded, always with his imperial general-like posture.

“I understand it’s not easy to be a Dainik, believe me, I can feel every one of your feelings and emotions exactly. I am deeply moved by your mother’s example. She is also a Dainik, and yet, in the last months of her life, when she realized she didn’t have much time left in this world, she chose the path of individual sacrifice for love. After living a life with the challenges, but also the comforts that being a Dainik represents, she chose to die in conditions of extreme poverty for the sake of all of you. She didn’t do it for herself; she did it thinking of all of you, out of love for all of you. I want to invite you to have the same courage and step aside; it’s time for you to become a shining diamond as well.”

Alfred Dainik felt the impact of my words. No one except his own father would have dared to speak to him like this, not his wife, not his children, not his employees—no one was at his level to tell him that he should step aside. His first reaction was expected.

“And who do you think you are to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do?”

“Mr. Dainik, universal wisdom teaches us that the more we give to others, the more we have for ourselves. From Taoism, we learn that the wise one never tries to hoard things; when he spends money on others, he has more for himself. When he gives to others, he has much more for himself.”

“You don’t understand; it’s not that easy.”

“Even if it’s not, it’s time for you to step aside and let the new generations make their own successes and mistakes. They will be the first grandchildren you can play with until life and your children give you your own grandchildren. Start a new life today, a new Alfred Dainik who enjoys life and the people around him. It’s in your hands; you’ve done an excellent job until today, now it’s time to rest. I assure you that the new generations will know what to do.”

He was left speechless, and all that remained was for him to tell me that I knew nothing at all. But after the clarity I had brought regarding his mother’s death, he knew that I had earned his respect.

“You are a good man,” he said, “and besides, everything you just told me, I have been thinking about it for a while. I even thought that someday death would find me working. But I will take your words as a message from my own mother, as a message from God.”

I gave him a strong and long hug, and with all my heart, I wished that his life would be filled with love. It was the only moment of emotion I could notice in him. That older man who was living the last chapters of his life finally allowed himself to cry, just for a few seconds, but enough for those few tears to be a crack in the walls of his emotions.

Rossy called me on the first anniversary of Grandma Dainik’s funeral. She told me that she was doing well and shared that she had given her relationship with Jorik another chance, but they didn’t stay together for long. She had finally agreed to sell the cabin to The Club, but Jorik couldn’t convince her to significantly lower the high price she was asking, which led to several fights until they eventually went their separate ways.

She told me that she was now dating a pianist with whom she had many things in common, although he had to change some of the vices in his life.

Apparently, her father was working much less now. When she ended her relationship with Jorik, she was very sad, so it was the perfect opportunity to convince her parents to go on vacation together for two months at a Mediterranean resort. For the first time in their lives, they enjoyed being together without having anything else to do but talk and share stories. That trip had helped her leave behind the difficult situations she had experienced in recent months.

As a final act of rebellion, Rossy confessed that she had frequent dreams about me and felt that I was always close to her, protecting her. This time, we said goodbye knowing it would be forever.