Kindness is a Good Virtue

It was scorching. I could feel the heat was actually grilling my skin. A part of my body that was exposed to the sun looked darker than it should be. I hated this time of the year. I was walking towards a store near my house to buy some fever patches for myself. I'm not having fever right now, but the heat was making me buying it for the sake of cooling my body.

I will have to continue the study that was postponed. Even though the air conditioner was set at the lowest temperature possible, I still feel hot. Sitting on a chair and study for hours made it worse. The strolling to a local store was actually quite refreshing even though I could feel my back drenched in my own sweat. I couldn't keep my focus for a long time due to heat. What the heck?

As I walking, I saw an old lady bringing loads of groceries. She had a completely grey hair and it looked like she was trying to cross the road. Maybe she was in her 70s. My instinct pulled my legs towards her, I unconsciously extended my hands, picking up the groceries in her hands. "It's a hot day, isn't it? Let me help you bringing these babies." I asked her the question.

"O Lord, thank you for helping me young man. I do think that it is a hot day. Do you mind if I want to take you for a drink?" The old lady asked me.

Oh my God. Free drink? Damn, I'm in! "Oh my, can I?"

"Only if you are free right now, young lad." The old lady said again. My heart was jumping in joy. I was saved from self restriction on expensive food to save money. I need to survive on the 15 Samdir that was left in my bank account for at least three weeks. The other money that I got from the cleaner job was either sent to my parents at Malaysia or being used for the unit trusts of company that I bought. I stopped working for three weeks to focus on my examination.

"Indeed, I am free right now. Thank you for the consideration, however." I said while bringing the whole groceries in my hand crossed the road with the old lady beside me.

I was actually amazed by how unbothered the old lady is. I was pretty sure that most people here would give people with exotic feature of mine a second class treatment. The old lady led the way, and we walked to the patisserie across the road. She walked to a table inside the shop and put her handbag on the table.

"I am going to order. Anything that interests you young man?"

"I am good with anything you buy, thank you anyway."

She nodded in understanding and stroll to the counter. I looked around the interior of the patisserie. The smell of bread went into my nose and I felt hungry. The interior looked quite old, as if I was currently in the 60s.The smell of bread and pastry actually my mind relaxed a little, without having to stressed over the current heatwave. The shop had a pretty good ventilation. I felt the coolness when sitting even though it was scorching outside.

"Here are my treats, young man." The old lady put the tray on the table, two cups of latte and bunches of pastry could be seen. Damn. I'm a sucker for pastries.

"Thank you" I received the cup of latte and sipped a little. The fluffiness of the steamed milk went down my throat. It's hot.

"So, my name is Hildegar Howard. May I know yours?" The old lady started the conversation. I take a Portuguese egg tart while saying, "My name is Azreen Azli. You can call me whatever you want." While biting through the egg tart, I realized she was stunned. Seems like she was struggling to pronounce my name.

"Ay-zreen?" She tried. Hildegar frowned.

"No, no. it's the a at the back of the word Australia. So it's Ah-zreen."

Hildegar was quiet. Maybe she wanted to try pronouncing it again.

"Ah- Azreen..?"

I smiled. She was the first person to get my name right after one time fail.

"Yes, that's my name."

Hildegar chuckled. "I have lived long. But I still think it is not enough knowledge that I have acquired throughout all the years. You have given me a new one. Where are you from?"

"The southeast Asia. A country called Malaysia."

The conversation went long. I tell her everything that I do at people's place, why am I not in my home country, my problems and my examination that is coming up. She heard me attentively.

She told me that she was the only one left in her family. She lost her only son in a crash few years ago. Her husband was currently in the ICU in need of special attention from the doctors after his surgery last month. She lived in an apartment near mine, so that was a surprise. I felt sorry for her as she was the only one left to take care of the household. She also told me that I was reminding her of her own son, and she fall into tears too, telling me her story.

Maybe being the last one to die or incapable of going on living is the worst feeling a human can feel because we are attached to each other during our lives.

She said that she is going to attend my graduation too for I will always come to her house and be her godson. I was feeling okay with it. It's not like Mother and Father are going to be here all time. I'm going to introduce her to my parents. I will. And I swear in my name. The hottest day of the year cannot block Hildegar Howard from trying to live her life. Let the world know that she is the sweetest human ever.