The Change - By Jaiman

There was a man who was strong as an ox, yet sly like a fox. He cared not for anyone but himself. He was proud of what he had but always wanted more. He acquired more than what was needed from the village in which he lived, driving them into troubled times.

The village was poor and starving. Famine spread like wildfire. The winter was cold and harsh, dealing out unrelenting blows to the people. Yet through this all the man, whose name was Gerud, grew rotund, and stayed rich. He sold parts of his large food stores to the people at horribly high prices. Rich people became poor, and the lower class became even poorer. Times became worse and worse by the day.

One day Gerud sat in the highest room of his manor, watching a boar roast over a fire. The finest stone masons and the greatest artists made his mansion. Gerud accepted only the best. Many of the people he hired became his full time servants, as he had them make him new things every time something broke. He thought fixing things was for the poor. Gerud’s guards had been out selling food to the people. One of them ran up the stairs looking completely exhausted and out of breath.

“There is a man outside, and he has money. He says he has come to speak to you,” he said. Gerud snorted, “Send him in,” and he snarled.

Before the guard could even turn around to go and fetch the man, he came into the room. Where once he was not, he appeared. The man laughed loudly, in an eerie voice that seemed to echo. “Gerud, you’ve grown too greedy for your own good,” he said.

Gerud stared at him, shaken. “Wh-wh-what do you want?” Gerud sputtered.

“To help you question your own life,” said the man.

The guard had his spear poised to strike, but the man seemed not to care.

“Who are you?” asked Gerud suddenly furious.

“Who I am is not of importance here, Gerud. Rather, it is who you are,” replied the man calmly.

“I am Gerud, and I am master of all lands from here to the great river!” roared Gerud, his face turning red as he clenched his jaw.

“I grow tired of this. You may call yourself whatever you want but you are still a man blinded by his own illusion of happiness,” the man said, his voice now full of venom. “Tell me Gerud, are you truly happy with yourself and your wealth?” he asked.

Gerud pondered for a moment. “Yes, yes, of course I am. I have everything I could ever need,” he replied.

“Except one single friend or loved one,” the man pressed, “I want you to understand what your greed has done.”

Gerud was about to laugh, but in that very instant he woke up from a sleep he had not committed to. His stomach groaned and ached. He was hungrier than he had ever been in his life. Across from him, resting under a straw roof held up by two wooden poles against a wall, was a woman comforting he crying infant. He was on a street.

He stood up, and nearly collapsed. His knees were so weak. He stumbled on the road, watching the starving people begging the guards for food. “Give me one of those loaves!” He ordered.

“Get back beggar!” the guard replied in an annoyed tone.

Gerud was shocked. He realised that he was no longer himself.

Gerud wandered all day until he came to an empty space on a wall. He went to sleep hoping to wake up himself again. He did not. The next day he began to accept his doomed fate. He stole from his own food stores to survive. Despite his attempts to deny it, he became more generous every day. Eventually he began to steal for others as well. He took as much as he could and gave to the family that looked the worst that day. One day Gerud lay against the wall thinking about what had happened.
What have I done all these years? Nothing. I have hoarded food and riches when I could be helping.

Gerud went to sleep that day, ashamed.

He awoke a new man. He was back in his wealthy home facing the mysterious visitor again. The man and the guard both stared at him. “So,” asked the man, “do you like what you saw?”

“No, not at all,” Gerud replied, “Now I see why you have come, and I see the error in what I have done.”
The man smiled, secretly, as his face was shrouded in shadow.

“Good, then I have done what I came here to do.”

And in that instant greed lost its grasp over Gerud. The man disappeared, never to be seen again. Gerud, however, only cared about helping the people. He stared out his window at the village, and its makeshift buildings stared back menacingly, issuing a silent challenge for Gerud to help the people. He had to help.

Gerud began a plan that day to help those in need. He gave out food, repaired buildings, and brought in doctors and other people to help improve conditions of living. Gerud became the most beloved man in the land, even though no one knew how he changed. And Gerud was finally happy.

THE END