I’m an old beggar, a street-side hawker….Really, not literally, I earn my daily-bread on a daily basis.
I am called the “vulnerable in society”. My children go to a nearby government school where luckily there’s no dress code. I promised new school bags to them 2 years ago which are yet to come. My children play with fragmented wooden toys that I’ve fixed tons of times. I’m told some good Samaritans would be donating some food items and school materials. I’m told that it is free. What a relief I sighed, how these food items and school materials would save my family and I from the stress we have been going through. I convinced my ego that my children and I indeed were needy and dragged my feet to the Good Samaritan, with my head bowed down to avoid meeting others’ eyes. I joined a queue I was told to join in other to receive the package.
I quickly realized that it was my turn to collect the bundle of ‘kindness’ and I moved forward with my head down. I heard a voice calling for my attention which said: “Look here, towards this camera”. I instinctively covered my face with my arm, but the voice repeated those words. I had no option that to raise my head and lo and behold, shutters of camera sound were all over. I convinced myself enough that these pictures will stay with the “Samaritans” The next day I was on TV, in the newspaper and other social media pages. How did I get to know, my friends told me? And as they told me, they made mockery of me passively.
My children’s pride, and my self-confidence came shattering down at my feet. A thought suddenly came to mind which brought a smile on my face: How would it be if Nature decides to reverse the roles for both, the giver and the receiver!?! Would these Samaritans still want to look into the camera!?! Think about it.
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