I don't know if anybody has met a stranger who showed kindness beyond measure. Especially when they have lost hope, like someone who helps you without expecting anything in return. Mind you, they don't know you from Adam. They didn't help you to receive praise, but because they saw your need and chose to help. These kinds of people are rare and difficult to come by. They do leave a mark in our lives that time cannot erase. I once had that encounter, and until today, if there is anything to call him more than an angel, then he is that.
I remember during my industrial training (I. T) placement, I decided to work in a lounge because my father's business was destroyed by fire, and if I want to go back to school, then I must hustle twice. Life felt very heavy. I had dreams to continue school, but reality was saying otherwise, especially my empty pockets. Every day I smile, I work, and I try to stay hopeful, but deep down I am worried. School fees, house rent, and other fees were standing between me and my future. No matter how hard I tried to gather at least half the money, it became more impossible. How much was my salary then? Just twenty-five thousand.
Where I was working, there was this man that always preferred that i serve him; if I am not there, he leaves. He wasn't flashy or loud; he carried himself calmly like someone who had seen life and understood its seasons. I never knew that he was observing me all this while, and then one fateful day he called me aside; his words caught me off guard. He said, “Why are you not in school?; I smiled politely and told him I was in school. He then asked what I was doing here. I told him, and he said, You need to go back to school. I told him I was trying to gather money.
That was when the unexpected happened. He looked at me and said words I never imagined hearing from a stranger: "I want you to go back, and I will pay for you until you finish.” At first I thought he was just cracking a joke. After all, people make promises they never intend to keep. I didn't even know his name, and he didn't know anything about me. Yet there was something sincere in his eyes.
I believed him and went back to school. True to his words, he paid, not once, not halfway, but he paid until I finished. You might wonder if he ever brings out any hidden conditions—never. He never reminded me of what he has done for me, no demand for loyalty or repayment. He simply helped me and allowed me to move on with my life. After I graduated, he quietly stepped back, just as angels are said to do.
He was just an angel I don't think I will ever meet again in my life. I don't even know where he lives or whether he's alive or not. Even when I say that I want to visit him, he told me to just focus on building a better me. Until till date, I pray he never lacks, and his kids will find favor everywhere they go. Because people like him are rare to find in this current generation. That act changed my life. Not only because of the education, but because it restored my faith in humanity. It reminded me that kindness still exists in a world that often feels harsh and selfish.
Until today, whenever I feel discouraged, I remember that moment. I remember that someone once believed in me when I was struggling to believe in myself. I pray to be an angel to someone one day.
Image is Ai generated.
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