Hard Cash That Isn’t Cold

(I have just finished withdrawing some money at the ATM. A clearly poor man approaches me from behind. Usually, I would expect someone to come up to me to beg for money.)

Man: “I do not know how to use the machine. Can you help me?”

Me: “Sure!”

(The man hands me his card, and I insert it into the machine.)

Man: “Can you check how much I have on my account?”

Me: “Okay. It is asking for your pin.”

Man: *without even thinking about it* “It is 1234.”

Me: “It says you have 20 Namibian Dollars.”

(Note: A loaf of bread cost N$ 5.)

Man: “I’d like all of it.”

(I withdraw the money, and give him back his card and the money. He immediately hands me back N$ 10.)

Man: “This is for you, because you helped me.”

(I hand it back to him.)

Me: “Please, keep it!”

(It is one of the most touching things to ever happen to me.)