REVENGE
James was a good man, except on April Fool’s Day. That was the day, when he was 28, his wife Linda left him. On every April Fool’s Day since, James did things to get back at her.
“Karma’s a bitch,” he said.
On that day, James did things he would never normally even consider. He damaged and even destroyed property. He stole. He swore and said hurtful things.
Linda leaving him had wounded James deeply. The things he did on April Fool’s Day made him feel he was giving back what was due. What goes around, comes around.
On the second of April, James didn’t feel any better. But on the first, with his every bad deed, James told himself he was “making things right.”
The years didn’t slow him down or soften him. If anything, with each April Fool’s Day, James became more destructive.
One year, on the last day of March, James set his plan for the following day. Shoplifting, “keying” cars in parking lots, spraying graffiti. He made a long list.
James had grown old. Just thinking about the day ahead made him tired, and he decided to go to bed early. He fell into a deep sleep. He dreamed he had died and was talking with God.
“Is this heaven?” James said.
“Not quite,” said God.
“Well, am I going to heaven?”
“Not yet.”
“Not yet? When?”
“When you’ve understood karma.”
“But I do understand it!”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I practice it every April Fool’s Day.”
“That’s not karma.”
“It’s not?”
“No,” said God. “Karma doesn’t take revenge.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No. Karma says the things you do in life will eventually return to you, in this life or the next.”
James thought for a moment.
“All the things I do?” he said.
“Every one,” said God.
“But Linda hurt me.”
“Yes, she did, and you have a choice, James. You can choose to act in a way that deepens that wound or heals it. But remember: what you choose will come back to you.”
James slept on. When he finally woke up, his room was aglow in early-morning light. Thinking about what God has said in his dream, which seemed so very real, he decided to ditch his plan and instead spend the day doing good things.
James got up and went over to his desk. He sat down and pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper to make a list of ideas. But as he was about to jot them down, he instead wrote:
Dear Linda,
I am sorry ...
“Karma’s a bitch,” he said.
On that day, James did things he would never normally even consider. He damaged and even destroyed property. He stole. He swore and said hurtful things.
Linda leaving him had wounded James deeply. The things he did on April Fool’s Day made him feel he was giving back what was due. What goes around, comes around.
On the second of April, James didn’t feel any better. But on the first, with his every bad deed, James told himself he was “making things right.”
The years didn’t slow him down or soften him. If anything, with each April Fool’s Day, James became more destructive.
One year, on the last day of March, James set his plan for the following day. Shoplifting, “keying” cars in parking lots, spraying graffiti. He made a long list.
James had grown old. Just thinking about the day ahead made him tired, and he decided to go to bed early. He fell into a deep sleep. He dreamed he had died and was talking with God.
“Is this heaven?” James said.
“Not quite,” said God.
“Well, am I going to heaven?”
“Not yet.”
“Not yet? When?”
“When you’ve understood karma.”
“But I do understand it!”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I practice it every April Fool’s Day.”
“That’s not karma.”
“It’s not?”
“No,” said God. “Karma doesn’t take revenge.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No. Karma says the things you do in life will eventually return to you, in this life or the next.”
James thought for a moment.
“All the things I do?” he said.
“Every one,” said God.
“But Linda hurt me.”
“Yes, she did, and you have a choice, James. You can choose to act in a way that deepens that wound or heals it. But remember: what you choose will come back to you.”
James slept on. When he finally woke up, his room was aglow in early-morning light. Thinking about what God has said in his dream, which seemed so very real, he decided to ditch his plan and instead spend the day doing good things.
James got up and went over to his desk. He sat down and pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper to make a list of ideas. But as he was about to jot them down, he instead wrote:
Dear Linda,
I am sorry ...
