Treasures in jars of clay

As David drove along Wellington Street in the north of town, he saw many homeless people sleeping on the sidewalk. Some drank alcohol, others smoked weed, and some reached out for money. The area was dirty and smelled bad. Stains of urine marked the walls. Broken bottles and filthy cardboard boxes littered the ground. Most were men in their forties, faces deeply lined. David parked at a convenience store, walked back to Wellington Street, and approached a homeless man. The man shouted, “Are you a cop? Don’t come closer.” “I’m not a cop. I just want to talk,” David replied. “Talk about what?” the man barked, then grabbed a knife from under a muddy pillow.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” David said, alert. “Don’t get close or I’ll kill you,” the man replied. David took a hundred-dollar bill from his pocket. “Listen to me, and it’s yours,” he said. The man smiled, put the knife away, and said, “Give me the bill first, then I’ll tell you everything.”

David handed over the hundred-dollar bill. “What about coffee? There’s a Starbucks nearby,” he suggested. The man stood, folded his cardboard, grabbed his pillow, and packed his belongings in a metal box beneath an electrical pole.

As they started walking toward David’s car, the man broke the silence. “I’m Andrew. Thank you for your generosity,” he said.

“ You’re welcome. I’m David, nice to meet you.”

As they continued, Andrew looked at David and asked, “Are you familiar with the area?”

"Not really. I live in the southern part of town, in the Cedar Tree area."

Andrew looked at him in awe. The Cedar tree area was the richest neighborhood in the town. When they got close to the car, David pressed the key button to unlock the door.

“ You might be a rich man,” Andrew said as he entered the car.

“ Everyone is rich, Andrew,” David said as he turned on the engine.

“ You must be kidding. Not everyone is rich. I am not rich.”

“ Instead of having coffee, what about getting some real food and having lunch at home?” David suggested.

Andrew hesitated. “Your place is very far. How will I come back?” he questioned.

“ Don’t worry about it. Tell me about yourself.”

“ There is not much to say about me. After high school, I lost my parents in a car accident. Since then, I tried some odd jobs to survive. One day, I stole something at a gas station store and ended up in prison. Got released after six months. Live on a street in the summertime.”

“ Sorry for the loss. Do you have any siblings? “ David questioned.

An older brother. The last time I saw him was at the funeral. I have no idea where he is.”

As they entered the affluent neighborhood, Andrew asked, amazed, “ You must be a rich man. What do you do for a living?”

“ A content creator,” David replied as he entered the driveway of a luxurious house.

“ Is this your house?” Andrew asked again in disbelief.

“ Yes. Come on,” David said as he headed toward the front door.

David brought Andrew home to conduct an experiment. He believed everyone was designed for destiny. Inside everyone is a call to do something worthwhile. To David, everyone has wealth in dormant potential, waiting to be discovered. The experiment aimed to find Andrew’s passion; David hid small cameras around his property to observe what Andrew valued.

After lunch, David showed Andrew his bedroom, living room, and kitchen, and handed him an envelope. “Here’s a thousand dollars. You have everything you need in the kitchen. I want you to stay here for a week. Tomorrow, I’ll go to New York. You’ll be alone. Use the pool, gym, and library as you like.”

When David returned home after a week, he found Andrew in good shape. He went to the security room to check the cameras and see what Andrew had done during his absence. David discovered that Andrew had spent hours in the living room singing, sometimes even skipping lunch.

“ Do you love music?” David asked him over breakfast.

“ How do you know?” Andrew replied with a big smile. “ Music is my passion,” he added.

David helped Andrew with his musical dreams. Years later, Andrew became a successful singer.

“ Remember what I told you the first day I met you?” David asked him at the Grammy Awards ceremony. “ Please remind me,” Andrew said.

"Everyone is rich. The only problem is that the wealth is beneath the surface in jars of clay."