Category : Stories

Sub Category : Drama

Bryan looked at his watch. It was five o'clock in the evening. It had been a long day and he was ready to head home to a nice warm shower and warm dinner. It had rained earlier on and the air was heavy, damp and chilly. After saying goodbye to Mark and John, he zipped up his jacket and got into his Nissan Frontier. 
The traffic heading out to Twizel from the sheep station was clear. He hummed along to the music on the radio as he took a slow and easy drive whilst admiring the picturesque view of the countryside. Everywhere he looked the view was picture perfect. The different shades of green from the grass, trees and plants looked vibrant and bright against the rainbow coloured wild lupins that grew widely all along the roadside. It was mid-November, the middle of summer in New Zealand yet instead of the typical sunny summer weather, it was cold and rainy at this part of the South Island. The temperature was 7° and a light mist made everything look cold and gray.
He slowed down his pickup as he approached Mackenzie Country Inn. There were a lot of trucks parked along the street, an indication that another unit of film crew is in town, making the Inn their home base for the duration of the shoot. There wasn't much activity going on that evening in the little town. He made a quick stop at the Cozy Corner Deli and bought some strawberry tarts which were his wife's favourite. He then walked to the liquor store next door and bought himself a bottle of red New Zealand wine. Happy with his purchase, he got back in his pickup and rolled out onto the main street and headed south towards his home. 
About 500 metres from the town square, he saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road. Even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Nissan was still sputtering when he approached her. Even though he was armed with a smile on his face, he could tell that she looked worried.  
The old lady eyed the big, tall man who was approaching her. She had been standing by the roadside next to her car for the past hour and no one had stopped to ask if she needed any help. Looking at this young man with his faded jeans that had clearly seen better days, and a worn out leather jacket that showed off his big frame, she began to get anxious. "Is he going to hurt me?" she wondered to herself. Looking at his unshaven face and scruffy boots she thought that he didn't look 'safe'. In her eyes he looked poor and hungry. 
Walking slowly towards the old lady, Bryan could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was the kind of chill which only fear can put in you. 
"Good evening, ma'am," Bryan said, flashing a warm smile. "Are you having some problem with your car?" 
"Yy...yes," the old lady stammered. "I have a flat tyre."
Bryan walked around the car to inspect the tyres and sure enough, the left rear wheel was flat. "I'm here to help you, ma'am," he said. "Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."
 A flat tyre is not a big deal to him but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack; skinning his knuckles a time or two. It didn't take him long to change the tire, but he had to get dirty to do it and his hands hurt. 
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from Queenstown and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. 
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him for his help and any amount he placed would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened to her had he not stopped. Bryan never thought about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life helping others in any way he can and it never occurred to him to act any other way.  
He politely declined her offer to pay him. Instead he told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she would give that person the assistance they needed. And Bryan added, "And think of me."
The old lady looked at him in disbelief. She saw genuine sincerity reflected in his eyes. She smiled and thanked him profusely. He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. 
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She decided to stop to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking cafe. Outside were two old gas pumps that looked out of place. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. She walked in and chose a table by the window. It had started to drizzle again and the short slow walk she made from her car to the cafe had gotten her a bit wet. As she was removing her coat, a young waitress came over and brought a clean towel for her to wipe her wet hair. The old lady took the towel from the waitress and noticed that the young woman had a sweet smile. The kind of smile that masked the exhaustion of having been on her feet for the whole day. She also noticed that the waitress was pregnant. The old lady marvelled at the young woman's attitude. It must be hard for her to be on her feet the whole day rushing about taking orders and delivering food to customers when she is heavy with child. But the young woman remained warm and friendly, never letting the strain and aches change her attitude. After placing her order and while waiting for her food to arrive, the old lady couldn't stop herself from thinking about  the young waitress. She wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan... 
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollars but when she came back to the old lady's table with her change, she found that the old lady was gone. The waitress was baffled. As she began picking up the plate and empty mug from the table, she noticed some writings on the napkin. Curious, she picked up the napkin to read what was written. Tears filled her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody helped me out today, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do - Do not let this chain of love end with you." 
She folded the napkin and pocketed it in her apron. As she was about to wipe the table, she saw there were four more hundreds dollar notes left there for her. She couldn't contain her tears any longer. She pocketed the four hundred including the change for the hundred dollars that was sitting on the tray. She whispered a silent thanks to God and went about her work. She still had a couple of hours to go before her shift ends. There were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day.  
That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard for her and her husband to manage. She knew how worried her husband was. Then suddenly today, out of the blue, a beautiful kind soul had come along to lessen their burden. It was a miracle and deep down she knew it was divine intervention. She smiled and whispered a silent prayer to thank God for putting His hand on them.
As she lowered her tired body next to her sleeping husband, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered softly in his ear. "Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson." 
 
P/S  Some little things may not be so little after all. So, spread the love and let this light shine. 💜