The Power of Giving - Part 2 Joe was driving at a moderate speed. He had been driving for one hour and he still had another two hours to reach Bellevue. He had decided to drive to the town as opposed to flying because he wanted to experience the countryside, the way he did it the time he left the countryside town. He thought about his mother, grandmother and their home. He remembered his friends and countrymen. He remembered Mary. Two hours later, Joe stood at Mary's door. He looked around and he noticed a recently cut lawn. The house was on a typical Bellevue compound. Soft music was playing inside. He pressed on the bell. He heard footsteps approaching the door and in a second, the door opened. Mary stood there, her face grinning with joy. She seemed happy and energetic. "Welcome home Joe!" She shouted as she held out her arms and hugged him. Joe walked inside. He could smell the incense in the air and the famous Lucille by Ken rogers blasting smoothly through the room. Mary was still holding his hand as she pulled him into a couch near the fireplace. The fire was burning lightly and he could smell coffee right from the kitchen a few meters away. Mary left. She came back holding two mugs of coffee. She was hyper happy. "How was your drive? You could have just flown. Its a bit easier" she said as she handed him the mug and sat next to him on the couch. "Great! It was good seeing the countryside. A lot has changed around" he said looking directly into her eyes. She brimmed and smiled. "Yes. Lots of things have changed. God has also been good to us. You remember I promised to tell you a story?" She asked as she shifted her body to directly face him. He nodded. "I will tell you the story that I have been wanting you to hear. I can't wait!" She paused, sipped the coffee and continued; The woman Mary was back thenA few years ago, an unusual thing happened. My husband had died a few years back and life had been very difficult for me to the extent that I was not able to pay for my mortgage. I was foreclosed. On the day of eviction, the guy from the bank came to evict me. I had only packed a few bags and they lay just outside the house. I was seated outside having a final look at the house that I had lived in for twenty years. I actually didn't know where to go. "You need to move out. The new owner is checking at any time!" the man shouted. As I sat there, staring at the door, an SUV pulled at the driveway and a middle-aged man jumped out. He looked around and headed my way. "Hello, Mary." He greeted smiling. I looked at him and said nothing. At that moment, I needed to be alone. He came up and extended his hand for a handshake. "Hi. Do I know you?" I asked. "No. You can't remember me" he answered as he entered the house. He must have been another bank staff. Otherwise, how would he be knowing me? I soliloquized. "Hello, Brian. Welcome to your house. Let me show you around." The bank staff said. "Why is Mary seated outside?" He asked him. The gentleman beckoned me into the house. I was getting confused. I jumped into my feet and hurried into the house. Brian was in the kitchen. "She was the previous owner, you are the current owner. I have been telling her to leave but she has refused. I can call the police." He mentioned as he pulled his phone from the pocket. "It's not necessary." The gentleman said calmly. He pulled a paper from his pocket and gave it to the bank staff. He read it for about a minute and passed it on to me. It read. This property belongs to Mary Megan ... I did not understand. Brian smiled and started: The woman Brian could not forgetI was 10 years old and wandering on the street on one chilly evening when I saw a lady walking on the street, alone. It was a perfect opportunity. I had not eaten for days and I could not stay another night without food. I hurried towards her and snatched her bag. She screamed. As I was escaping, I toppled, fell and got hurt. The mob descended on me and beat me really bad. I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital and beside me was a lady. She smiled at me and said; "You are up. Thank God" "What happened?" I enquired. "You snatched my bag, and the mob beat you square," she said. I looked at the other side of the bed. I could not imagine that the person whom I had stolen from would be the person who would take care of me. I was so ashamed. "Mary Megan, kindly sign here, the billing is complete!" the nurse said. Megan signed the papers and turned towards me. "I can employ you in my juice shop. You can also live in my garage." She said. How can this lady entrust me with her business and home even after I tried stealing from her? I thought. "No, ma'am. I am OK" I said as I dressed. I left the hospital immediately. I have never forgotten the lady and the lesson that I learned from her. Life turned out well for me and I got into real estate. Recently, when I was searching for foreclosure listing deals, I found a familiar name; Mary Megan. I bought this house and put it under your name. I thought that if I would be living with you, I would be living in the garage. Brian looked at Mary. She was sobbing. "I hope the garage offer is still open?" She wailed uncontrollably and held him tight. "Thank you, Brian. Thank you so much" Joe sipped his coffee silently as he listened to Mary narrate her story. He thought about how nature conspires to help those who are kind to humanity. |
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This blog post was published on 05 Feb 2020 in Inspiration category. Access all the posts at Blog |