The Amazing Gift

The lawyer's office was plush and very comfortable. It appeared to be, from the looks of it, the office of a very high powered law firm. Daren wondered at his circumstances and searched his mind as to the name on the legal documents he had received. Johnson Milhouse Herferd -- who was that? If the man had the kind of money it would take for this particular law firm to handle his will, why couldn't Daren remember who he was? More importantly, if this man had been so important and Daren couldn't even remember him, why would the guy include him in his will?

The questions were left hanging in Daren's mind as someone called out his name from a window across the room. He rose and looked around, expecting there to be others for the reading of the will, but no one else was around. So, he drifted toward the receptionist and followed her down a long hall into a plush conference room, walled in dark cherry wood paneling and accented by a massive burl-wood table. The room was amazing in its luxurious surroundings.

"Have a seat, Mr. Jackson." A tall man standing behind the other end of the long table motioned him toward a chair as Daren sat at the other end. "No, no. There's no one else. You may as well sit up here next to me."

Now, Daren was really becoming dumbfounded. Here he sat in this lavishly decorated law office, without a clue as to the true identity of the person whose will was about to be read, and now he had discovered, he was the only person present for the reading. The situation was extremely odd. He moved timidly next to the lawyer at the end of the table.

The man put his hand out in a brief exchange of pleasantry and shook Daren's hand, then abruptly dropped it like a rock. "Gary Shockerly. I represent Mr. Herferd." He quickly dug out a file full of paperwork and then dropped it on the table, after which he grabbed a box out from underneath the table and set it in front of Daren. "There it is. That's everything. I could read you the will, but it'd really just be a formality. You're the only recipient of the estate. You'll find most of Mr. Herferd's belongings in that box."

Gary leaned back in his chair and watched, grinning, as Daren sifted through the items in the box: an old worn coat with holes in it where some of the stuffing was slipping out, a pair of jeans with holes in the knees and a thin layer of dirt and grime, old socks, and a beat up pair of tennis shoes with holes worn into the leather. Daren looked into the box puzzled at first. He took another look at the shoes, and then a memory flashed through his mind. He began to remember a vagrant that lived in the alley next to his building that he had passed nearly every night for the last couple of months. The vagrant had shoes exactly like these.

Gary let out a laugh and leaned forward, pulling something out from inside a folder. "I just had to see your reaction to that first. There is one more little item you'll probably want to be aware of." Gary handed a letter sized envelope to Daren. "That John, he was one eccentric kind of guy. I truly say that in 20 years of practice, I've never had a client like him. Probably never will again."

Daren held the envelope staring back at Gary with a look of surprise and of shyness in what he might find in the envelope. Gary motioned him to open it. Daren slid his finger into one end and then used it like a knife to rip through the rest to the other end. The envelope contained a blue colored piece of paper the size of a check. Upon further inspection, it was a check. Daren heaved in shock as he read the numbers stamped across the line in the center: $31,230,044.66. At first he dropped it on the table, like it was a snake that had just been angered. He had to force himself to recheck the name on the face of it as he read his own name. Only upon this confirmation did he slowly pick it back up and then turned to look at Gary in the face. "But -- But, why?"

Gary shook his head. "Listen. I don't have any idea why John would do things he did -- why he handled his finances in the fashion that he did, or why he would always come in here smelling like a vagrant on the street. But, for some reason John saw to it that you got every last penny he owned, and that's all he owned. Not even a house or car."

The ride home was a time of jubilance, mixed with wonder. Daren was wealthy now, more so than he had ever dreamed that might ever become. He had a fortune that could give a comfortable existence for the rest of his life, yet he wondered why a man, to whom he had never paid any notice, would want him to have this fortune. He wasn't sure what top make of it all.

Daren had lived comfortably, without any real want for anything for at least five years in his current apartment. His financial position hadn't been overwhelming, but it was one of safety. He could have spared something to give old John, had he thought about it. He could have looked at John more as a human than he did, but he just never really wanted to let go of his comforts. Then again, John hadn't needed anything from him after all. What was old John trying to teach him, he wondered.

He thought about how he might change his life as he neared his apartment. He thought about maybe making some safe investments with interest rates large enough to live on without any of the wealth disappearing. Just a 5% return per year would be over $1.5 million. That would be a fine living without hardly any risk to the capital invested. He thought about owning his own home, a large one with lots of space. He thought about buying a really nice car and maybe even hiring a chauffeur to drive him around. He considered how nice it would be to hire people to cater to his whims and what all he could do with his extra time, without having to work.

As he passed by the alley next to the building, he saw a vacant spot where John had been sleeping. It was almost as if he could see the worn old pair of tennis shoes hanging out as he passed. He stopped and gazed further into the alley and looked at two other vagrants that were sitting next to each other, huddled together for warmth. He wondered if they were friends of John and if maybe John used to help take care of them. "Hey! Either of you two guys know a man named John, John Herferd?"

The two men jumped to their feet and ran toward Daren in glee. "Have you seen him? We've been looking for him for days?" They were hanging on Daren's response.

"Well... I um... I don't think John's going to be around here anymore. I think he had some business to take care of somewhere else."

The men dropped their heads in sorrow as they heard the words. One of them looked up long enough to ask, "You a friend of John's? How do you know what happened to him?"

Daren was taken back by the question, and he wasn't sure how to respond. He looked down toward his shoes to try and think of something to say that wouldn't sound cold and harsh or dash the hopes of the two men. "Well, let's just say that he told me about you. He wanted to make sure you were taken care of. If you need anything, I'm right upstairs. Just come on up, and I'll give you whatever you need."

He really didn't give them time enough to respond to his offer or to allow them to thank him, but instead hurried up the stairs inside his apartment. He sighed as he considered the plight of the two men. They had probably penned all of their hopes on old John, who had probably provided for them most of the time. Daren felt obligated to help them in the situation. After all, he now had old John's fortune.

He sat the box of John's belongings down in his chair and pulled out the old coat that sat on top. He took his own jacket off and replaced it with the old, dirty coat. The pocket rattled, like the sound of paper shuffling in it. Daren reached into the pocket and pulled out a nicely folded piece of paper. He slowly unfolded it and read what was inside.

"Dear Mr. Jackson,

I have been watching you closely for the past couple of months. You appear to me to be someone in need. As you may have already gathered by now, I am a purveyor to those in need, and so propose to offer to you a gift.

The gift has nothing really to do with the fortunes in the sense that you think that it does, but rather the fortunes are a means to an end. Some time ago I received these fortunes as a gift from a man in the same manner as you, as did he before I. It was the greatest gift I have ever received. As one living on the streets, I learned that I didn't need much, only enough to lend a hand whenever possible. I was given the gift of seeing that having a great fortune wasn't a very meaningful or fulfilling venture, but helping others provided more wealth than any amount of money could allow.

You see, the over $31 million you received was once nearly $65 million. It took me over $34 million to discover true happiness. Don't make the same mistake I did. Accept the gift I have given you in the manner in which it was intended, and you will be blessed beyond anything the money can buy. Pass this legacy on.

Sincerely,

Johnson M. Herferd"

Daren kept the coat on and simply walked out of the apartment, check in hand. He went down into the alley to meet up with his new friends. The check would be placed in an account and hardly ever used, except when needed to help others. Daren accepted a new life in which he would learn much about giving, and he would someday pass the gift on to another.