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."
This was a (many times) forwarded email
which dozens of people wanted to share, now I share it with you, to forward
to your friends. The author is unknown......