Learning from a little poor girl

There is a wise word saying" Just see and listen to what someone just said, do not see who did say it".

This story is giving us a noble experience for all of us.

After a long vacation in my own village, I had to go back to Jakarta. For the reason of avoiding dense traffic in main road, I took an old road a shortcut way to go back. Feeling so sleepy then I stopped in a little restaurant in the edge of the road to get some foods. While I ordering some meals to eat, a little girl coming with her wide basket offering some traditional food and snacks. She was about 12 year old appearing in front of me. "Don't you want to buy some snacks or foods?" she said with her best smiling, trying to catch my attention. Her tiny hand took out a banana leaf that was appeared as the cover to show the snacks in the basket. "Oh I am sorry my dear little girl, I already ordered some meals to eat," I said softly and then she passed away.

My ordered foods then came in and I eat it without taking a while. After 20 minutes passing by, I finished my meal, I saw that little girl came by taking her basket to other visitors, seemed like a husband and his wife. They rejected to buy it too, and she walking away. "You already got your meal, don't you to get some snacks of mine?" she asked me mildly while approaching my table. "I got my meal yet, my stomach is still full" I said it and puffing my stomach. Then she went away, but only around the restaurant, then she stopped in a corner and put the basket down that was still full of food. To each person passing the way, she always said" don't you want to buy my foods sir, mom, brother, sister?" it is so polite words.

The restaurant's owner did not even want to warn her to go in and out his restaurant approaching his customers. I was looking at her, when the sense of proud and misery slipped in my heart seeing how hard she tried to sell it. I could not see the sense of desperate or misery face in her, even though each person she offered, did not want to buy it. After paying my bill for the foods and the drink, I went to my vehicle that was a little bit far from where I eat. I saw that little girl in a little bit far. I opened the door and then trying to sit comfortably in my car, and then closing the door. Before I started up the engine, that little girl was already standing beside my car. She was giving me her beautiful smile. I put down the window and gave her back my smile.

"Your stomach is full now, but maybe you need this kind of food for your brother or sister or for your parent at home." She said politely and smiling. Once more time she showed me her foods in her wide basket by taking out the banana leaf as its cover. Staring at her eyes, she is so pure and full of dignity. I felt pity on her, touching my heart then I opened my wallet, took out a single piece of 20.000 rupiah and gave it to her. "Please take it; it is just alms from me ...... I don't have to buy these foods,". I said it pure from bottom of my heart for my feeling of pity getting raised accidentally. That little poor girl then said "thank you" and took the money and walked back to the food stall. I was so glad and happy could help her. After the engine started I went back warded my car. How shocked I was when seeing that little girl giving that money I gave to her to a beggar which his two eyes were blind. I was so surprised, stopping my car, and then calling that little girl. "What's up sir, do you want to buy my foods?" she asked me enthusiastically. "Why did you give the money I gave to you to that beggar? I gave it to you not to that beggar!!" I said without answering her question. "I am sorry sir I can not take that money, my mother will be very mad if she knows I was begging for money. She said that we must working to get money to live because of GOD (Moslem word=ALLAH). If she knows I brought back that sum of money while my stuff stills plenty, she will be very angry. My mother always says that begging is a work of someone who does not want to try or does not have any effort, I still strong sir, and I could do many things!" she said it very clearly. I was so surprised and also respected for what she holding in her life principle. Without wondering and asking any question then I asked her how much I have to pay for all her foods in her basket.

"Do you want to buy all?" she asked me with disbelieve and I just nodded, my tongue was so limb to say anything. "It is only 30 thousand....." After putting one by one all the foods into plastic bag, then I gave her my 30 thousand rupiah. She said "thank you" and then left. I was looking at her until she disappeared from my view. During my trip I was wondering what she is actually.... Was she an orphan? Who was the noble hearted woman who looking after and gave her such beautiful education? How happy the woman who born her to this poor world and teached her with her own great hand. Honestly, I bought the foods was not caused by my pity, but because of my respect and my amazing like to her attitude, life principals that making her works as an honorable thing, some thing that has to be respected as a holy duty for us.

How incredible she was, I have to admire her, as her manner, her attitude was making me realize how worth the life is to be missed.