They say the world is full of wickedness. How true is that? Often, people tend to label everything as bad because someone has wronged them. However, that doesn’t mean the entire world is wicked. Good people exist; it’s just that some haven’t had the fortune of experiencing kindness. Others may have encountered kindness but choose to dwell in their negative beliefs.
I believe in the saying, “What you do to someone, others will do unto you.” Sometimes the reciprocation might look different, but it will surely happen. When you show kindness, you will eventually experience it from someone you least expect. Many people believe that the same person they help will be the one to return the favor. However, it often turns out to be a stranger who reciprocates that kindness.
Back to the topic of discussion: I’ve experienced kindness in many unexplainable ways, but the one that shocked me the most happened a few years ago.
Two years ago, I was posted to the northern part of my country for a youth service program that would last for three days. As someone who had never traveled that far from home before, I was quite scared. This journey was to be undertaken alone, without any family members accompanying me.
Before I left, my mom made sure I withdrew enough cash to cover expenses, just in case my debit card didn't work. So, my journey began, and everything went smoothly at first. Eventually, however, my debit card started declining for every financial transaction. I wanted to groan about it but kept calm because I had some cash on hand.
Since I was traveling a long distance, I bought a lot of snacks along the way to ensure I wouldn’t go hungry. When I finally reached my first destination, things were still going well. I arrived in the northern region safely, and it was time to find the camp. While I was standing at the park, someone approached me and asked if I was also heading to the camp. I’m not sure how she knew, but it felt like fellow youth corps members could recognize each other by some sort of instinct.
I replied, "Yes," and soon we boarded a vehicle heading in that direction. After a few hours, we arrived, and it was time to pay the fare. Unfortunately, I hadn’t checked my bag before getting into the vehicle, which was a mistake. When I looked inside, I realized that the cash I had wasn’t enough to cover the transportation cost.
I was at a loss for what to do, feeling like a statue. The worst part was that there was no POS attendant around where I could withdraw more cash. At that moment, the girl who had spoken to me earlier asked, “What’s the issue?” At first, I hesitated to share my problem, but the driver was waiting, and I couldn’t keep him waiting. So, I swallowed my pride and explained my situation.
Immediately, she reached into her handbag, pulled out some cash, and handed it to me to pay the fare. I passed the full amount to the driver, and that was that. The following day, I was able to withdraw some money, and when I counted the amount she had given me, I tried to hand it back to her. She insisted, saying, “Don’t worry about it.” I insisted again, but she firmly told me to keep the money.
After that experience, I realized there are good people in the world. Imagine a total straner, and another woman at that, coming to my aid! We started spending time together in camp, and we became best friends. Even now, despite being far apart, our communication feels as though we are still together.
As a way to repay her kindness, I made sure that whenever we wanted to buy something, I would be the first to pull out my card to pay for both of us. Her sweet voice would say, “You shouldn’t have paid for mine,” to which I’d reply, “Don’t worry; I already paid.”
Thanks for reading 🧡
