SHORT STORY MEANNESS
MEANNESS
Automatic traslation from the original story in Spanish. Not checked manually
Roberto had always been envied by Luis.
Although they had known each other since childhood, that envy increased as the years went by.
Roberto had reached the top. He was an exceptional stockbroker. His wife, in turn, ran a newspaper. They had a very good economy that had allowed them to send their children to the best private schools.
For Luis, these achievements were a matter of luck. He simply did not have it.
His children had not studied: they did not like it. The reality was that they were lazy.
His wife spent the day watching television. She did not clean the house and one day, out of the blue, she told him that she did not want to have sex anymore.
Roberto had always helped him. When Luis became unemployed and had depression, he would spend hours at home, he would take him on trips with the excuse that he would help her. Although he knew that she did not need him at all, he let himself be dragged towards first class airplanes. One day when Roberto had turned 50, the stock market crashed. An unexpected and sudden collapse that ruined him.
He lost his house, his wife and his children and, worst of all, Luis, his lifelong friend.
Luis closed the door on him. Out of meanness, out of envy. Because, like in the movie “The Fountainhead,” losers cannot stand the greatness of good people. Oh! By the way, after a short time Roberto got his life back on track in all aspects…
Meanness – Short stories series – Copyright ©Montserrat Valls and Juan Genovés