Things Aren't As They Appear

Things Aren't As They Appear

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

         While I was talking with him, he mentioned how he wanted to return to Cambodia. It was a place he had lived at before. He thought he could make more of a difference there now, then before. Curiously I asked why, and what he meant by that?

         First a little backdrop to this story. He 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 long time ago, couple of years or so after high school.. Here you made a livable wage, but not a lot. He managed to save enough it of 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.

         So onto the story. Being the laid back person I know him to be made friends with the locals. He hired them for his hotel and treated them well. Some of the stories he told you could tell the people there loved him.

         One this one particular day he meet up with a friend at a local bar about half way between them both. Beer pitchers were cheap at this bar, with a grin on his face as he told it. It was a place most tourists went to. He then told me about a young boy, maybe 11 or 12 he guessed. The boy was trying to shine the shoes for people for 50 cents. All the well dress tourists were shunning him, and turning him away. My friend seeing that the kid was having no luck, called him over to shine his shoes. He was wearing flip flops at the time. The kid shined them up smiling doing the best job he could with flip flops. He paid him for his service. The boy beaming in pride was so thankful for that opportunity.

         The day wore on and getting to be time to head back. He had noticed the boy was still there not having much luck with the patrons there. He ask the boy if 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 couple of days or so later he meet up with his friend again at that same place. The boy came up to him and asked if it was okay if his mother spoke to him. He said yes, not knowing what was going to happen. Thinking the worst, wondering if maybe he did something wrong. 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 thank and praise him, hugged him with tears in her eye for helping her son. She told him 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 bothers at home and that meal he bought feed them all that day.

         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 no 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 thank him for his generosity.

         He 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 bread winner. Shinning shoes because it was the skill he had and did good job if he was allowed to.

Thomas Seeker