Kindness gets repaid – you reap what you sow

We did encounter this tale of a woman named Penelope Eddy repaying a kindness to a homeless man who had once helped her, when she was down in poverty and luck,  a couple of years ago. The version circulated on the Internet was perhaps picked up verbatim from the 2008 book Reminisces of Happy Times by Robert Wiley, where it appeared under the title "The Lifestyle of a Street Man”. The incident touches once heart. Today I got another opportunity to read it when someone shared it on what’s up and it did connect with my emotions. I thought of sharing this beautiful piece with my friends, colleagues, relatives and even those unknown characters whom I am yet to meet or who are yet to partner with me in this short journey of life.

 One day a woman was walking down the street when she spied a beggar sitting on the corner. The man was elderly, unshaven, and ragged. As he sat there, pedestrians walked by him giving him dirty looks they clearly wanted nothing to do with him because of who he was — a dirty, homeless man. But when she saw him, the woman was moved to compassion. It was very cold that day and the man had his tattered coat — more like an old suit coat rather than a warm coat — wrapped around him. She stopped and looked down. "Good morning," said a woman as she walked up to the man sitting on the ground. The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. "Leave me alone," he growled. To his amazement, the woman continued standing.  She was smiling — her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked.  "No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."  The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.  "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.  Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked.  "No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"  The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?" "See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for a while." "Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."  "This is a good deal for you, Jack" the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

 Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"  "This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered. "Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."  Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place." The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?" "Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."  "And do you make a godly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?" "What business is that of yours?"  I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."  "Oh." Said the manager becoming almost expressionless.

 The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"  "No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty." "Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"  "Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice."  The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."  The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said. "That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."  She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently. "Jack, do you remember me?"  Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."  "I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."  "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.  "I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

 Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said.. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."  "I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble... Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."  "So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.  "I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered."

 She opened her purse and pulled out a business card.. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."  There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.  "Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank him. He led me to you."

 Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.  "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee."  She frowned. "I forgot to ask you whether you used cream or sugar. That's black."  The officer looked at the steaming cup of coffee in his hand. "Yes, I do take cream and sugar — perhaps more sugar than is good for me." He patted his ample stomach. "I'm sorry," she said.  "I don't need it now," he replied smiling. "I've got the feeling that this coffee you bought me is going to taste as sweet as sugar."

Folks, I do not know if the incident is really true. It looks like one. It has once again rekindled the emotional connect with the gracious character. Good deeds to get repaid in one’s lifetime. What I really appreciate is that Jack had no motive in helping a poor and hungry girl and he did not expect anything in return, not even the gratitude. How many humans are willing to give this kind of service to such helpless people? Well the number may not be very inspiring. Human to human connect even connect with the animals may give us the ultimate satisfaction and happiness. In an introspection, one is bound to appreciate own goodness. What Ms Eddy did was simply great. While moving up in life, people normally forget their past, their associates of bad times and prefer to make friends with people of similar status and like to move in their new found circle. They prefer to move on even in relationships be it friends, associates or relatives. In this incident, two unknowns support each other without any chemistry. Was it the will of the God or destiny or their goodness that prevailed upon. This is something to be deciphered by us individually. Suffice to say that world needs goodness and good human beings a kind of paradigm shift from the current reality.