The incident happened recently, on a cold autumn evening. The store stays open late into the night, but there are few customers during those hours, so we can just look out the window and talk quietly.
It was very cold that day, so we turned on the heater inside to stay warm. Suddenly, we noticed a 7-8 year-old boy outside. It was clear that the child was a beggar, asking for money from passersby. And then we saw that the boy was shivering from the cold. My heart sank at the sight.
I ran outside, grabbed the child’s hand, and brought him inside. Other workers brought warm food and tea. I wrapped the boy in my jacket. The poor child was crying with happiness…
He stayed with us until closing that day. He said he had somewhere to go. He mentioned that his mother had passed away, and his father was an alcoholic. The boy and his two sisters were living with their elderly grandmother.
We said goodbye and went home.
The next day, the same boy came back, but when we learned the purpose of his visit, we almost cried. The child brought two small loaves of bread, sunflower seeds, and homemade juice. He gave us all of this, saying, “This is all I can thank you with.”
I don’t know how I held back my tears at that moment… There was something in my throat that felt choked up. It’s not in vain that they say those who have less give more… It’s true.