Kindness is not obligation but an action.

There is this guy that always helps out but no one realises about what he did, do or will do. He is so unnoticeable even when everyone knows he is there, just ignore him. He is there, collecting scraps and recyclables even though he has a proper job as cashier in a convenience store and another delivery service job. Somehow, everyone thinks he is just searching for some extra money with their rose tinted glasses.

“Here you go. This is some of cans that I have,” some people that helps out with his recyclables and yet no one knows of his name.

“There he goes again, collecting trash,” some of the harsher side of people that judges his actions without knowing anything.

Even though with all the negative and positive thinking of others, there is this young woman who knows him since child and even knows of his name, home and the reason why he is collecting scraps on top of two jobs. She knows by accident and with this accident, she is fortunate to live up to her current age and get to know this humble man.

That day was a windy day. The little girl was walking back home with her mother. The wind blew and it shook the hanging flower pots. The chain was fragile and rusty, with a huge gust of wind, and the chain snapped. One of the flower pots fell and hit the little girl’s head. She was bleeding so much that her clothes began to dye red.

“Hurry up. The hospital is nearby,” the kind guy quickly picked up the little girl and rushed to the nearby hospital with the mother. He didn’t care that the blood was seeping into his shirt and ran with all his strength.

They reached the hospital and the little girl was quickly rushed into the emergency room. The mother was sobbing but the guy didn’t rushed back to work instead he stayed and kept the mother company. A moment passed but still no news of the little girl. Finally, when the night came, the doctors exited and gave the mother a good and a bad news.

“Madam, we save her life but the next operation will cost a lot of money and take a lot of time,” the doctor told the mother gravely. The mother explained that her husband left her and the little girl for a better and richer wife. She would try to collect the money to pay for the operation fees.

Days passed but the mother couldn’t even collect enough money. Her relatives abandoned her and her friends did nothing to help. Somehow, the bills were paid in full and the operation was a success.

“Sir, thank you so much. Thank you so much,” the mother was kneeling in gratitude when she found the kind guy was the one paid the bills after she asked the nurse for further details. She was so grateful and the little girl was saved.

Since then, the little girl will always help the kind guy collect recyclables and craft them into something useable to sell. She knows his kindness and in return she wants to repay them. The kind guy never tells the little girl where the money comes from or where it will go. She understands as she grows up. She knows the kind guy donates to the nearby orphanage when there is lack of food, he donates to the kids in need of operation fees like her and he tries to cook enough food for all the unfortunate homeless people.

The little girl sometime wonder why the kind guy don’t say out that it was his money the orphans has clothes or food when they need it most or it was his help that some of the homeless people found small jobs to survive, in the end it is still a job. She doesn’t understand why the kind guy needs to make himself suffer for others.

She sees so clearly how he rush to save the people from rainy day by providing umbrellas and shelter, how he pickups cats and dogs to bring to shelter, how he keep an eye on the kids in playground as they climb the trees and how he offer to help the elders with their grocery.

When there is good of community, there is also the bad side. People takes advantages of his kind heart, pretends to be out of work and ask for money, give excuses for trying to spoil his reputation and say unkind words to him. The kind guy is nice but at least he will always find proof whether they are lying to him or not. He knows some people are greedy and ungrateful but he don’t think everyone is the same.

He never asks for people gratitude or asks them to repay his kindness. He always smiles so happily when receiving thanks from people. A simple thank you makes his day happier and him more cheerful, knowing that his hard work pays off.

“Uncle, thank you,” some of the kinder people will often say when they sees him helping to take out the recyclables, helping the elders or even when picking up the trash after a successful outdoor festival.

“Hey, thanks again for your help the other day,” the rougher way of thanking by some people who are shy in nature or embarrass by their actions such drunk vomiting and the kind guy helped out cleaning.

To the little girl, he is a superhero, without super abilities, without wealth but he has a heart that loves to help other in need. Now the young woman always helps the kind guy who grows old with grey and white hair all over his head. She is a businesswoman that sells crafts that she handmade across internet and people loves her unique crafts will often buy as decorations or souvenir.

However life is not immortal or long lasting even for a kind person. This is a eulogy from the little girl who was once saved by this kind guy to him, her superhero. He was gone just like how ash was blown away by the wind. He saves lives and yet only this young woman remembers his kindness, his smile and his determination to help others. Believe in humanity that there is still some kindness left unspoken or unheard, it just need a push to do the right and kind actions. Kindness is not an obligation but an action that people is willing to do; be it small or huge actions.