JUST PASS IT ON

A story from a friend of mine...
“When someone helps us, it’s natural to want to return the favor. But, perhaps, there is a better way to spread the gift of kindness.”

While walking along Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur one day, I saw a foreigner gazing at a road map with a puzzled expression on her face. I went up to her and asked: “Can I help you?”

She looked up gratefully and said: “Can you tell me how to get to this hotel?”

Glancing at her map, I told her: “No problem, I can take you there as it is within walking distance.”

As we were walking, we chatted and I was delighted to discover she was from Ireland.

As we turned into Petaling Street, I offered to buy her some egg tarts. At first, she was reluctant to accept my offer until I told her she would be doing me a favor as I had long wanted to do something kind to any Irish person in gratitude for the kindness shown to me many years ago.

Further down the road, we came across an old lady selling some luscious star fruit.

“Let us help the lady by giving her some business, shall we?”

When I put it that way there was no way for her to refuse my suggestion. So I bought as many fruits as we could carry.

On arriving at her destination, I asked her if she needed any Malaysian currency. She assured me that she had enough. “I really do not know how to thank you,” she said.

I told her that I should thank her for allowing me to fulfill a pledge that I had made many years ago.

It may sound odd that I have difficulty remembering what happened the day before I can easily recall things that happened several decades ago, thousands of kilometers from home.
My friend Rosie and I were trying to hitchhike to Killarney, Ireland, when the skies began to darken.

Our seniors in college had told us it was safe to hitchhike in the country so there we were, sticking our thumbs but without success. The cars that passed us were either fully occupied or the drivers indicated, with sign language, that they were only going a short distance.

Suddenly a car stopped on the opposite site of the road and a distinguished looking gentleman got out of the car, crossed the road to our side and asked us where we wanted to go.

When he heard it was Killarney, he told us there would be very few cars going there at that time of the day. If we did not mind following him and his friend to town, they could take us there after his friend had settled some business.

He introduced himself as John and his friend was Peter. On the way to town they stooped at a church and said they would be there for only a few minutes.

While waiting for Uncle (as we had been taught to regard our elders) Peter to transact his business, Uncle John took us to a café. He ordered teas as well as a lot of cakes and sandwiches for the three of us.

When Uncle John asked us where we came from we informed him we were attending teachers’ college.

He laughed and said: “You look more like a schoolgirl to me.”

Of course, anyone looking at me now would definitely find it hard to believe I was just a petite 48kg then and had to shop in the teenage department for my clothes and look in the children’s department for my shoes.

Rosie was the shy, retiring type so it was up to me to keep the conversation flowing.

When Uncle Peter came back, he just ordered a cup of tea, saying he was not hungry. I think he was also a shy character, like my friend Rosie. He was like what we Chinese refer to as an “unripe durian” with its mouth closed all the time.
When we arrived at our hostel, Uncle John helped us to unload our luggage. Before leaving us, he took out his wallet and asked if we needed extra money.

“Thank you so much for your kindness,” I told him. “We do not need any ... we hitchhike just to save money so we can buy souvenirs”.

I added that I wished there was some way we could repay him for his kindness.

“Just pass it on,” he said with a warm smile.

I promised him that I would and I have, especially if the person I meet is Irish!