Life doesn't always follow the script we imagine. Sometimes it feels like you are walking home in the rain and without an umbrella, and just when it feels like you'd get wetter, someone from nowhere offers you an umbrella. The rain may not stop, and you getting wet already won't change anything, but that small gesture changes everything. It makes much sense to you because you weren't expecting it.
This is how it is when you are shown kindness by a total stranger, especially when you'd thought things may look tough, but someone just pops out of nowhere to lighten the burden for you, and that would make you wonder if there are still such people who do care about others. And yes, there are people with such beautiful hearts among many others who choose to mind their business even when they see you struggling.
I had one of such days and I just couldn't stop thinking about it. That stranger became a friend later. This was how it happened. I had just arrived at my new apartment, and the whole plan was that my friend, a youth corper who stays in the city already, would come meet me at the new place so she could help me bring all my loads to my room, making the whole thing stress-free for me. My room is upstairs, and thinking that I could carry the heavy bags all by myself was something I didn't want to think about. I had to keep reminding my friend not to forget that day, as I had depended so much on her.
As I arrived, the bus packed all my bags out of the booth and left. Before then, the agent didn't give me the key to access the main gate, and being an estate, the tenants were indoors. There was no way I could knock on the gate or call anyone by name, and there was no security at that time.
I stood still thinking of what to do, then suddenly, the woman who had her store beside the apartment thought of helping me reach out to someone from the building, which I felt grateful for. When she did, a lady who was pregnant showed up and opened the gate for me. We both introduced ourselves, and I thanked her.
Just as she turned to go back inside, she asked if she could help me. I said yes excitedly, and she helped me carry some of the heavy bags upstairs, even in her condition. I mean, those bags were so heavy that I heard her panting, but I kept saying, "Sorry. Thank you very much. I never expected this. I am grateful." And I meant those words because I couldn't believe a total stranger who could have minded her business and gone back inside with the thought, "What is my business?" but no, she assisted me in making the work of going upstairs several times easier for me.
Do you know I kept calling my friend while we were on the way just to inform her I was almost approaching my area, but she didn't pick up. I felt sad about it, but that kind gesture from the lady took the worries away, and I felt a lot better after that. Seriously, I had thought of the whole thing, how I would pack all my bags all by myself, going upstairs and coming down each time, having to fetch some water to clean my room and then arranging everything accordingly where they were supposed to be. That would have broken me down in tears.
Of course, it is my work and I am supposed to do it by myself, but if there is one thing I don't appreciate, it is to be disappointed at the last minute, and that hurts, you know? But I felt a big relief after the encounter, and we became friends in the compound. When she gave birth three months later, I attended the naming ceremony just to appreciate what she did for me, which I thought was the little way I could repay her.
Image Source: Pixabay
