A Moral Dilemma

Laurel Wheeler is at the kitchen sink early Sunday morning shredding potatoes for breakfast. She is a tall, thin woman of 43. Laurel had chestnut brown hair peppered with shades of silver. Her eyes were a lovely shade of emerald. There was a joy in her heart today; her son was coming home for spring break.

The phone rings and as she is walking towards the other side of the kitchen to answer it, she hears the front door screen open and slam shut.

Laurel muses to herself ...Always know when you’re home...I guess you’ll let that screen door slam ‘till you grow old... She chuckles as she answers

“Hello?” Laurel answers in her soft melodic voice; then listens to the caller’s request.


“Arnold ....Ar....nold?” he hears his mother call to him “You have a phone call....”

Arnold puts his duffle bag down takes his backpack off his muscular shoulders; tosses it on a chair in the corner by the fireplace. He reaches for the phone that his mother has extended towards him.

“Okay, Mom, I got it” Arnold says in his velvety smooth baritone voice “Hello?”

“Mr. Wheeler?, Mr. Arnold Wheeler?”

“Yes, I am Arnold Wheeler” Arnold looks at his Mom with a puzzled look and a shrug of his shoulders

“Mr. Wheeler, You have been chosen as a contestant for PANTOMIMES-A-MILLION”

Arnold displayed a wide gleaming smile at his mom and jumped straight into the air.

“Yes, Ma’am, I’m here” Listening to the phone and looking about as happy as a soul could be being tethered to the old house phone.

He gestured to his mother to get him paper and pencil so he could write the directions he was being given.

“Mr. Wheeler, we’ll see you here tomorrow morning”

“Thank you, good-bye” Arnold hangs up the phone.

“Mom, guess what? I’ve been chosen to be a contestant on my very favorite game show. I have only seen it a couple of times in between classes at college, but it looks cool.”

“I haven’t heard of this show before” his mother said with her brows knitted and her head tilted slightly to the right.

“Oh, it’s pretty new, I guess. If I guess all twenty-one Pantomimes, I win a million dollars.”

“Well, that sure would help pay your tuition fees.” His mother said

“If I win, Mom, I’m going to pay the rest of my tuition and pay off the mortgage on this house.”

“I don’t mind paying for your tuition; some day you will be a great doctor and your father and I will be proud of your accomplishments too”

Arnold remembers the day his father died. He was seven years old, he and his father had been playing ball in the park across from their new house. On the way back home for lunch, a car swerved out of control and hit his father from behind. All night his mom stayed by his father’s hospital bed, praying that he’d pull through. Arnold hadn’t been allowed to be the room because of his age. That was fourteen years ago.

His mother worked very hard cleaning other people’s homes and any other odd job she could do to put a little aside, just so he could go to the university medical school. The church that his father had preached at since he graduated seminary helped as much as they could; but in the end, they could only do so much.

“Some day” he vowed aloud to himself “I will make her proud” he nodded to himself “I will pay her back”

The next morning he was right on time for his meeting with the game show producers. His mother had gotten up earlier than normal to be sure his white shirt and his khaki slacks were pressed and ready before she went about her day. It was a chilly morning, so she had hung his navy sport coat where he would be sure to grab it. He always was an impressive sight in that outfit. It just seemed to show off his olive skin and dark chiseled features.

“Mr. Wheeler?” a voice said from around the corner; he turned, ready to respond when he was dumbstruck. His voice disappeared, his eyes fluttered; he seemed to have developed rubber legs.

“Ye...” his voice squeaked; he cleared his throat “Yes?” He said to the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was five foot five with long silky blond hair that reached beyond her waist and swung from side to side as she moved her hourglass figure toward him.

“I am Sophie, please come with me” She said as she flashed him a radiant smile; turned and started walking down a long hallway.

They walk though an enormous door made of thick glass into the office. There was another incredibly beautiful woman standing with her back slightly to him, looking out to the street sixteen stories below.

“Arnold Wheeler, I presume?” She says as she extends a welcoming handshake

Arnold again is dumbstruck, but revives himself quickly as he hears what she has to say.

“We are going to expand our program to include an adult version of the show. We chose you among the other contestants because you recently became 21. You will view X-rated Pantomimes...then if you guess all 21 you will win the million dollars”


“X-rated, for public consumption?” he asks with a worried look on his face
Her response is affirmative. He thinks for a moment about all his education in the church and the values he has learned. He thinks about the valuable uses of the possible winnings.

“Ma’am, I must decline as that would compromise my morals”

He returned home to the small cottage he grew up in.

“Mom, I am sorry, but I couldn’t compromise my values for the sake of money”

“You have done well, my son. I am Proud of you and your decision.