I was returning home from the market two days ago when I met a mom with her two boys at our bus stop, under a scorching sun. The boys were dressed in their school uniforms, obviously returning from school with their mom, who looked stressed and stranded.
These people live very close to my house, and they also attend the same school as my kids, and so I called out to the mom and questioned her on why she left the kids under the scorching sun.She started to explain her frustration, and it happened that she boarded a public bus with her boys to our bus stop, and her eldest son forgot his school lunch bag inside the bus.
According to the mom, she just bought the lunch pack with a lot inside the bag. She was almost crying at such a loss and refused to go home, hoping that the bus driver might see the lunch bag and turn back. She kept scolding the boy and threatened to leave them with their dad and run away. The more I try to calm her down, the more she gives me many reasons why she is planning to run away from home and have her sanity. As if her complaints weren't enough, she put a call across to her husband immediately to explain what happened, and along the line the man hung the call on her. She called back several times, but the man didn't pick up. She felt more terrible the more.
I told her that this is a Nigerian bus driver, and coupled with the high cost of petrol, it will be rare to see such a driver who will drive back searching for whoever forgot a lunch bag inside his bus.
At this point, I had to come in and ease her worries. I saw a woman whose heart is so heavy and frustrated. It's a pity. I had an extra new lunch bag, food flask, and water bottle in my home, which I haven't used at all. I told her to go home with the kids and rest, then visit my home in the evening to come pick up the new items her son lost on the bus. She felt so relieved at my statement..
Finally, she visited my home that evening, and I handed over the new items to her. I watched her smile so high, and she said, "Nkem, you just added a smile on my face this evening." God bless and reward you.I felt peace and fulfillment within me hearing that from her. It might not be something too big that I did for her, but hearing that I added a smile to her face was a lot for me.
At times, a little act of kindness can restore a wandering soul, and I have learned this and hope to keep practicing it whenever I can.