The water pressure was low. Apparently, there was a burst pipe at 5th Mile Cheras. Wuan and I decided to have our dinner at the nearby coffee shop. It was just a five-minute walk away. We took a table outside the shop on the road. It was a tad dangerous with cars passing close by. We had no choice. There was no ramp up to the shop. After all, other patrons were also occupying the numerous tables beside us.
Just after Wuan came back with my food, raindrops started falling. Within moments, it began to pour. The other patrons ran helter skelter with their food and drinks into the shop. Wuan stood up, held my plate of economy rice in her hand and wondered what we should do. The owner of the koay teow soup stall ran out to get the plate from Wuan and took our drinks into the shop. At the same time, he advised us to look for a place to shelter from the rain.
Wuan pushed me around the corner and up the ramp of a car wash shop located just behind the coffee shop. The koay teow soup stall owner got his assistant to set up a table for us and then brought the food, now covered with another plate, and drinks over. He even went to the extent of wiping the rain-soaked table dry for us. I have met some kind people but he topped it all by going that extra mile even though he need not. We would have been contented eating on the wet table, happy that we had a place to continue with our meals away from the drenching shower.
After continuos days of exaustion I had a panic attack while getting off the ferry at the pier by the Butterworth side. I asked a young student who had a cel phone to please call an ambulance for me, he looked at me, ignored me and walked away. It was a Malay guy who frantically looked for help and got me to the hospital. That’s why I always think kindness melts away ethnicity and religious differences between people. It is those who have no kindness in their hearts that are indifferent of their surroundings. I do not judge people by their color, their ethnic background nor their religious beliefs. It is always their kindness that I value the most. It is people like the one in your story that we should emulate.
Peter:
I am glad to read that someone did assist you in the end. There are many thoughtless people but there is an equal amount of caring people. From my experience, kindness transcends ethnic, religious and age barriers. What makes them unique is that they are willing to lend a hand when the ocassion calls for it when other can just look on indifferently.
Oh my God…this tops it! In the UK DDA they have something called reasonable adjustments where a “service provider” must be able to give a proper service that does not discriminate even if not physically accessible … you cannot find this act of kindness in any legal document!
Peter:
This is the real deal, acts of human kindness that books do not teach and law cannot enforce. This is one of the little mercies that make my life easier. Thnk God for people like him.