As Hasan started to get ready for school, he yelled out to his mother. “Mum! Did you take my shoes to the cobbler?”

His mother sighed as she came into the room. “I’m so sorry son. I’ll take them today,” she said, although, she knew that it was a lie. She didn’t have enough money to pay the cobbler. She knew she’d have to do it herself.

She tried to spread the cold butter on dry bread, and then packed it for her son.

Grabbing his lunch, Hasan waved his mother goodbye and ran off to school.

Scoring excellent marks in a test at school, Hasan was eager to get back home. He started running, but suddenly he fell. He screamed in pain as his worn-out shoes had come apart and he had scraped his knees really badly on the ground. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he wiped the blood with a piece of tissue he found in his pocket.

“Oh dear, let me help,” a voice was heard. Hasan looked up and saw a tall man, wearing a black suit peering at him.

He smiled, “You need new shoes and some medicine for that wound.”

Taking him to the nearest store, the man bought some bandages for Hasan. Next, he took him to a shoe store and bought Hasan a new pair of shoes.

Hasan stared at him in disbelief. “Am I dreaming? Are you an angel?” he asked hesitantly.

The man laughed. “I’m George.” He helped Hasan put on his new shoes and patted the boys head. “Off you go now!” he said.

“Thank you so much!” Hasan replied with a smile.

George stood smiling as Hasan skipped back home. When he was out of sight, George returned home to his eight-year-old daughter who came running to greet him.

“Dad! Mum’s made spaghetti!” she announced, happily.

After lunch, George sat down with his daughter and told her about how he had helped a little boy.

“You’re so amazing Dad!” she said.

“Now, Lily, tell me about your day at school.”

She told him how they had talked about jobs that day in class. “And you know what?! I want to be a doctor when I grow up.”

This was the precise moment that Lily was thinking about, 15 years later, as she drove back home from the hospital. Her father had supported her throughout, helping her to fulfil her dream to become a doctor.

Lost in her thoughts, Lily didn’t hear the silent hiss after which all of a sudden, her car stopped.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed as she looked out of the window.

The car had stopped in a deserted area, with no houses or shops to be seen nearby. Lily felt a bit scared. She got out of the car and realised that something was wrong with the engine.

Out of nowhere a car appeared and came to a stop behind her. A man stepped out with a child and walked up to her.

“May I help you?” he asked, adding, “Looks like something’s wrong with the engine.”

“Can you fix it?” Lily asked just as her phone rang. She opened her bag quickly to take it out and with it her wallet fell on the ground too.

The man bent down and picked it up. The wallet had flipped open and her family picture which she always kept in it, was clearly visible. He handed the wallet back to her as she quickly finished off the call.

“Yes. Can you check the car now please?” she asked again and he told her to sit inside and start the engine when he tells her to.

He looked at the engine and fiddled with a few wires here and there. Soon the engine came to life.

“Thank you! How can I pay you back?” asked Lily.

The man stared at her and then smiled. “You look so much like your dad,” he said. “Don’t worry, your dad paid me 15 years ago with a pair of shoes and some bandages.”

With that, he hopped into his car and drove away. Lily stood staring at her car and then she smiled as she too recalled an incident her father had told her long ago. She quickly drove back home, eager to tell her father about her day and about how his small act kindness years ago had brought her help that day.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 5th, 2019