How much for kindness?

'How much for kindness?' asked a young man to a shopkeeper. The old shopkeeper looked a bit perplexed yet irritated but answered- "Excuse me sir! Is kindness a thing that you can buy and keep in your pockets...?"

"I wish someone could buy it and gift it to you."

"Excuse me sir, I'm being polite with you so don't make me blow up."

The young man then stated- "You threw that little girl out from your shop in a very rude way, may I know why? She only asked for some simple medicines to treat her ill mother. She was just aged five to six years and I don't believe that a child of that age can lie in that way."

Hearing this the old man laughed hard and said, "It would be better for you if someone could gift you a little wisdom. You lack it young man! I've been running this shop for more than a score so don't teach me who deserves kindness and who doesn't."

The young man was going to say something in reply, but the shopkeeper stopped him and asked him to move out of his shop and not to waste his time. Finally, while moving out, he spoke to the old chap and made him remember that day, twenty-five years back when he was thrown out from his own house by his stepfather, who gave him a false notoriety about a robbery. No one supported him by giving a work and he hardly used to get something to eat on those days. But one day the young man's father noticed him and offered a job to work on his medical shop.

"I guess my father was a fool to give you this opportunity; to do something good for a living from this shop. If my father had the same intelligence as you, you would have never seen a happier day today," said the young man. He called the little girl and provided her the medicines that she needed with a box of cookies. Now the shopkeeper was ashamed for his deed and repented for his bad behavior towards that little girl.

We must always remember that there's a thin line between being a fool and showing kindness by helping others. It takes nothing to be patient, well behaved and kind with others.

--- Ankita Halder