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 just 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 was 4 $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 softly
"It's gonna be all right; I love you, Bryan." ------------------------------------------------------------------------
