I held in my hand the calendar I had just been given.
I walked to the other table and proudly displayed it for all the other fencers to see.
"It even has 6 more months to use!" I said happily.
Some of the fencers scoffed at how cheapskate I looked, but others who knew what happened the week before were quite moved.
You see, I was eating supper with 2 of the fencing guys at another table, talking to them about what it means to be missional - helping the poor and needy not just in poorer countries, but wherever we may be - when the same old lady pushing tissue paper approached me, trying to make a sale. I had looked for her the last time I was here without any success, so I was so happy to see her this round.
"Hello auntie! 你还记得我吗？前个星期我们给你蛋糕吃。"
She looked up shyly from beneath her hat, and her countenance slowly lit up as she looked at my face, telling me that she did recognise us.
I quickly bought the tissue from her, giving her more than her asking price. She thanked me again and said she wanted to give me something. I told her not to, seeing how little she had on her person anyway.
A while later she came back to our table, this time holding a calendar in her hands. I got up as she handed it to me and asked her for her name.
"我叫 Madam Lee."
After she left and I had showed the calendar to the fencers, I sat back down at my table away from the rest. "She came all the way back just to give that to you," said one of the two guys at my table.
I held the calendar in my hands and felt tears rising up.
I walked to the other table and proudly displayed it for all the other fencers to see.
"It even has 6 more months to use!" I said happily.
Some of the fencers scoffed at how cheapskate I looked, but others who knew what happened the week before were quite moved.
You see, I was eating supper with 2 of the fencing guys at another table, talking to them about what it means to be missional - helping the poor and needy not just in poorer countries, but wherever we may be - when the same old lady pushing tissue paper approached me, trying to make a sale. I had looked for her the last time I was here without any success, so I was so happy to see her this round.
"Hello auntie! 你还记得我吗？前个星期我们给你蛋糕吃。"
She looked up shyly from beneath her hat, and her countenance slowly lit up as she looked at my face, telling me that she did recognise us.
I quickly bought the tissue from her, giving her more than her asking price. She thanked me again and said she wanted to give me something. I told her not to, seeing how little she had on her person anyway.
A while later she came back to our table, this time holding a calendar in her hands. I got up as she handed it to me and asked her for her name.
"我叫 Madam Lee."
After she left and I had showed the calendar to the fencers, I sat back down at my table away from the rest. "She came all the way back just to give that to you," said one of the two guys at my table.
I held the calendar in my hands and felt tears rising up.
"They all gave out of their wealth;
but she, out of her poverty, put in
everything—all she had to live on."
Such a great reminder of the past times...although disheartening to see it happening even now despite a life that split history into two.
ReplyDeleteTook me a while to get that. Well said.
ReplyDelete