Rainbows On Wall Street

• Danica Vulic, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2016

Giant buildings towered over. Cars filled the street. Men and women hurried along the pavement, each with a briefcase in hand. Talk of stocks and markets plagued every conversation. This was Wall Street. A scene Simon Kelly knew all too well.
Simon had been working on Wall Street since he graduated college. He was now thirty with a sports car, an apartment in Manhattan and enough money to pay for anything he wanted. Simon was living the dream in New York City.
Simon walked to work every morning because of the traffic. He hurried along just like everyone else. He always passed the same homeless man before crossing the street to his office. This man wasn’t your typical homeless man. His hair was always combed. His massive grin revealed perfectly straight white teeth. Simon often wondered how such a pleasant man turned out homeless with nothing.
The homeless man always held up a sign with a quote on it. He usually ignored the man, but on this day, the man’s quote intrigued him. Written across the man’s cardboard sheet was, “Don’t miss all the colours of the rainbow looking for the gold.” Simon didn’t agree. Money made him happy. He was the happiest when he received his monthly pay cheque. He thought to himself, “Colours are nice, but money is definitely better.”
That day was extremely busy at the firm. He had meeting after meeting. At about midday, his secretary came into his office. She said, “Sir, your mother’s on the phone.”
“I’ll call her back later,” he answered.
“Sir, it’s the fifth time she has called today. I really think you should answer...” “I’m working Sarah. Mum can wait!” he snapped.
This seemed to be a running trend of his. Always working. His mother continued to call constantly that day. Simon was relieved when the phone calls ceased around four that afternoon.
As Simon was leaving work, he received a phone call outside his building. The phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a call from a hospital in Dallas, Texas. The nurse on the other end of the line spoke in a solemn voice. She said, “Hello is this Mr Kelly?”
“Yes,” he replied. “May I ask what this is about?”
“It is about your mother, sir...” The nurse paused and then continued, “I am calling to inform you that she has passed away.”
Simon froze. He wasn’t even aware she was ill. He never got to say goodbye... Simon fell to the cold concrete. Speechless he sat there staring into the distance, he made eye contact with the homeless man across the street. He reread the man’s sign. Simon burst into tears. It dawned on him how true these words were now. He had been so caught up in his own wealth that he forgot to appreciate the things that truly mattered. He thought he was living the dream when he was actually wasting his life for material possessions. He finally realised money can’t buy happiness.