MAMMON’S GREED

Clothed and bathed in white, he lived simply yet full of vitality. Albeit being unrestrained in his merriment, he gave his all and impeccably fulfilled his duties as a guide to the meek sheep of the lands.

Everything in the world and beyond was created for them; and nothing made him happier than serving them. He particularly enjoyed playing with the little ones, nurturing them and readying them to take on a beautiful adventure on the lands and seas of the earth.

It wasn’t long until he and his brothers experienced the fall. He refused to accept that his brothers have changed and that the family and life that he knew would only be relics of the past.

When she left them, his heart was deeply stricken by grief. Much so that he never noticed that his wings were drying up and what was left of his feathers were slowly greying out.

He fluttered by aimlessly with his bony wings until the hope in his heart felt renewed — there was a human city in sight. Perhaps by being with them, he will never lose her in his memory; perhaps he can also experience a semblance of happiness in this unfamiliar world.

Contrary to his hopes, the scene before him painted him black. There, he saw bodies that were scattered and blood that was spilled everywhere. Even the little one who always vigorously pulled onto his feathers to get his attention weakly drew their last breath in his arms — they were robbed of a chance to fully live their life.

He gritted his teeth in a growl as his nails dug into his skin; his eyes glowed in a dangerous yellow that burned with sorrow, anger, and an inexplicable desire rose within as trembled and embraced the lifeless vessel.

He hated wars and found that there was no profit to them, but from them he unknowingly gained a great desire in his heart: he needed anything and everything that the eyes can see. He desired it all.

If everything was his, couldn’t he decide on everything and avoid a world of pain and hate? If he had all the money in all three realms, wouldn’t they stop all squabbles and live more peacefully?

At the back of his head, he was aware of his own naivety; nothing he does would ever change anything. However, he couldn’t stop himself as he discovered a different kind of joy when gold passed through his fingertips. He was addicted to the exhilaration of finding a multitude ways to accumulate more wealth, as well as the thrill of using each coin to fulfill his newly-discovered avaricious needs. This went on for thousands of years and he became known as the Avatar of Greed.

He had long forgotten the woes of his heart, his reasons as to why he wanted mountains and seas of money in the first place, and his less-than noble means of amassing them. He was caught up with the fleeting gratification of his desires and he liked staying in that state of faux happiness, because he knew that it was the only chance he had to coming close to feeling contentment.

When you came into their lives, his life took another unexpected turn. He was finally able to break through the cycle of greed and loneliness in the most unprecedented way — he prioritised your happiness by letting you go.