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.)
