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| Everything's Gonna Be All Right |
He was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road. Work
in this small mid-western community, was almost as slow as his
beat-up Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory
closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter raging on, the chill
had finally hit home. It was a lonely road. Not very many people had
a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends
had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill.
But he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and
father. He was born here and he knew the country. He could go down
this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his
headlights not working, which came in handy.
It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down.
He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the old
lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of
day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her
Mercedes and got out.
His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with
the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help
for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look
safe, he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened,
standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that
chill which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you
ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way,
my name is Bryan".
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad
enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the
jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change
the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was
tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to
talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only
just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to
her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how
much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her.
She had already imagined all the awful things that could have
happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about the
money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need,
and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the
past... He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred
to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time
she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the
assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me".
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold
and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home,
disappearing into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to
grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last
leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were
two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash
register was like the telephone of an out of work actor- it didn't
ring much.
Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet
hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for
the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress
was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and
aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who
had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered
Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get
change for her hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the
door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered
where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the
napkin under which were 4 more $100 bills. There were tears in her
eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It said:
"You don't owe me anything, I
have been there too. Somebody
once helped me out, the way I'm
helping you. If you really want to
pay me back, here is what you
do: Do not let this chain of love
end with you".
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to
serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when
she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about
the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have
known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next
month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband
was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss
and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right; I
love you, Bryan." |
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