The Woman Who Paid Without Asking

I still remembered, a couple of years back, the sound of the coins and some naira notes dropping on the metallic counter. In primary school, I was standing inside one of the shops while coming back from school, counting the money in my palm because it was not complete to get what I wanted to buy.

As a young boy, who was also hungry. I need to buy something I could be munching on on my way home. A woman who was also getting what she needed from the shop I was standing in front of said in our local language, “Are you short of money,” I smiled without a response. I couldn't tell her what exactly was going on because she was a total stranger. A face I have never seen before.

She placed a fifty naira note in my hand. And said, “Get what you want while still working. Before I could turn back to thank her, she was a bit far from me. But i ran towards her and said, "ma, thank you so much, I appreciate this"

She also smiled like I did and said, "When you have the ability, help somebody else." That was all safely said to my little self. At the time, I didn't have much understanding of what she said, but I understood her. Later, I got to know the bigger gift was the instructions she left me with without making it sound like a big deal.

Not long after that, I was still in the same primary school when a classmate of mine was hungry during break time and had lost his lunch money. He searched his pocket repeatedly, even checking inside his school bag. I remembered what happened inside the shop.

I brought enough food and some snacks, but not that much. I told him to join me; we shared my lunch food. He thanked me that day and even the next day. And I almost told him why I did what I did. But I didn't. I don't know why I didn't anyway because i was so much tempted to.

Since that very moment, I have noticed that kindness can go a very long way without the person who started it knowing. I'm sure that woman might not remember my face again, but I still recall hers. She might not even know that her decision contributed to how I responded when a mate needed some help.

I used to think that good deeds were about helping people. Now, I have seen a lot of sides ever since then. Because of those that I have helped, not all will return the kindness, and that is life. The good ones among them will also extend it to somewhere else, into a moment that I might not be a part of or witness.

Writing this now, I don't know that woman's name, but I know her face, what she said, and what she gave me. And sometimes, when I help someone quietly, I wonder if the person would recognize what the gesture became.

Thank you for reading.

_{Images created by Gemini AI}