When I posted my post on Sunday Slice- Plant the good, I remembered the below incident that happened at our home recently. Thought to share it with you all.
My dad who is 72, has been using a Sunny, an old small bike of my younger sister which aged gracefully. Though the bike is very old and out of fashion my dad never gave up on it.
One fine day, a stranger came to him and said that he stays nearby and if he can lend the vehicle for few days so that he can teach his wife driving a two wheeler. What would you reply a stranger if asked you? I would never risk even if the vehicle is of no use. My dad immediately agreed to it and gave him the key and told him not to hurry up and give it back but let his wife learn slowly and safely.
[No one in my family would be surprised to hear this statement from dad as he was always like this. My mom told me once that he had only 4 shirts and he gave 2 to a poor guy and lived with only two shirts for many months as they were going through a struggling phase. There are many stories like this which we have been hearing since our childhood.]
The man took it and gave it back after few weeks and my dad never tried contacting him. One fine day, the guy came back and handed over the vehicle, thanked dad and left.
The story did not end here. Looking at this the building watchman started asking for vehicle. My dad gave the key and told them to use. If he wanted to use it, he went down and collected the key from the watchman. If the bike wasn’t available he took a bus or an auto rickshaw. One day when the watchman said that he is leaving the job and going to a different location my dad gave away the bike as a gift.
After a couple of months this guy came to dad with a brand new trending two wheeler. He said, ‘Sir, I go to work in the night and comeback by early morning. I do not need this vehicle during the day. Here is the duplicate key and the copy of the RC. You may use it till 6:30pm’. My dad refused to take but this guy insisted to keep the key and the RC.
I came home after many years to see my dad who survived a stroke and is recovering This vehicle was so useful for us to commute from home to hospital or just to go and get some stuff from out-side for the visitors etc., I saw this guy when he came to meet my dad with a basket of fruits. A very simple, down to earth guy. After his leaving, when I asked who he was, my mom and nephew told me all the above.
I know it is rare in this age to trust anyone but there are few people like my dad who believe that there is still good in the world and they just trust anyone and everyone even after many people cheating. All they believe is to plant the good and reap what they sowed.
the tin trunk 