Things Aren't As They Appear

A helping hand

Things Aren't As They Appear

         I was talking to a friend of mine named Todd whom I haven't seen in a while. He was a classmate of mine, many years ago now. I only see him every now and again. He returned home to take care of his parents. They both have passed on since he has been back.

         First a little backdrop to this story. Todd was living in Cambodia and had a hotel there. Believe me he is not rich by any means. He and his girlfriend co-owned it. I had worked with him in a paper mill a couple of years or so after high school. Here you made a livable wage, but not a lot. He managed to save enough money to do this. Why I even mention this is for the story. Poor here, rich there. Well at least enough to get the hotel and run it.

         While I was talking with Todd, he mentioned how he wanted to return to Cambodia. He liked living there and thought he could make more of a difference there now, then before. Curiously I asked why, and what he meant by that?

         Being the laid back person I know Todd to be, he made so many friends with the locals. He hired them for his hotel and treated them well. Some of the stories he would tell you could tell the people loved him.

         One this particular day Todd told me he met up with a friend at a local bar.This person was another business owner in that country.The bar was half way between them both making it a perfect place to meet up. Beer pitchers were cheap at this bar, Todd said with a grin on his face as he told it to me. It was a place most tourists went to.

         Todd then told me about a young boy, maybe 11 or 12 he guessed. The boy was trying to shine shoes for people for 50 cents. All the well dressed tourists were shunning him, and turning him away. My friend, seeing that the boy was having no luck, felt sorry for the boy. Called him over to shine his shoes.Todd was wearing flip flops at the time, but told me that didn’t matter and just wanted to help. The boy shined them up smiling doing the best job he could with flip flops. Todd paid him for his service. The boy was beaming in pride and was so thankful for that opportunity.

         The day wore on and it was getting to be time to head back. Todd had noticed the boy was still there not having much luck with the patrons there. He asked the boy if he was hungry? The boy said yes. So he brought him a full meal that cost him $2.00. The kid left the place with a smile on his face.

         A week or so later Todd met up with his friend again at that same place. The boy (shoe shiner) came up to him and asked if it was okay if his mother spoke to him. Todd said yes, not knowing what was going to happen. Thinking the worst, wondering if maybe he did something wrong. Like a cultural type of thing.

         This woman who was crippled, struggling to walk with a cane came up to him. (With the help of his friend that was there translating) She thanked and praised him, hugged him with tears in her eyes for helping her son. She told him through the translator friend how she worried every day whether he would eat. Saying some days he could make enough to bring home a meal, but often not. She told him how her son had two younger brothers at home and that the meal he bought fed them all that day.

         Todd asked what happened to her. She told him one day she was riding her scooter and got hit by a car on the way to work. She couldn't work any more because of that, no one would hire a cripple. Without a father this boy was the lone earner for the family. She hugged him again, and thanked Todd for his generosity.

         The boy was not hustling to make quick money. He was doing it to feed his family. All that pressure on a young boy, who should be out playing, had to take the role as a breadwinner. Shining shoes because it was the skill he had and did a good job if he was allowed to.

Thomas Seeker