Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Child's Innocence restored


--by blissfarmantique, posted Jan 23, 2015
I was standing in a long line at a cafe. In front of me stood a mom with her fidgety and clearly bored little boy.

He looked to be 6 or 7 years old. A police car drove by the cafe and suddenly he came to life. "Mom, mom," he said excitedly, "It's the police, we better go outside, they're probably looking for us!". The mom looked mortified, her face red, as she explained to the long line of people waiting for a hot cup of coffee. "My son's bicycle was stolen last night. Someone took it from the front porch, cut the lock and carried it away. When we realized it had been stolen we called the police.

He helped by describing what his bike looked like while the officer wrote the report. Now he thinks all the policemen in the city are out looking for his bike."

Everyone in the line chuckled a bit at the innocence of a little boy who thought the police had nothing better to do than find his stolen bike. I got my coffee, sat for while, sipping it and reading the paper. The mom and little boy bought something and left the cafe. I watched from my table as they walked down the street. For some reason I could not get that kid, and his innocence, out of my head. I thought about how this just might be his first lesson in reality-there are "bad guys" in the world and the police probably won't ever find his bike.

 I thought back to my own childhood-which was not happy-and remembered what it felt like to be the child whose innocence was betrayed.

I finished my coffee and hopped into my truck. I drove to a local store and bought a bike. I had a ball as I picked out every bell and whistle a bike could have! A helmet, a bell, a water bottle, streamers…you name it. If it could be attached to a bike I got it (including a big, fancy lock.) The man in the store agreed to assemble everything for me and when it was all together he loaded into the back of my truck.

I did not know where the little boy lived but I knew he must have lived near the cafe. I cruised the streets around the cafe and before long I saw them. Walking side by side, strolling down the street. I pulled my truck to the side of the street, got out and said "Are you the young man whose bike was stolen?" The little boy looked at his mom, then looked at me and said "Yes." I got down to his level, looked him in the eye and said "Sometimes bad things happen. That's life. But I want you to know that sometimes good things happen too."

I got up, lifted the bike out of the back of the truck and set it in front of him. "Take good care of your new bike, maybe keep it inside at night." As I drove away I could see the mom and the little boy still looking at each other in disbelief. He had a grin from ear to ear on his face. The story doesn't end there though. Many weeks later I was, once again, sitting at that cafe. In walked the mom and the little boy! He ran up to me and said "I've been looking for you!"

He gave me a note, hand-written in the charming way only a 6-7 year old can print, along with a gift. He'd decorated a clay pot with all manner of bits and bobs, globs of glue all over it. It was perfect! 
 
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Readers Comments

galhaut wrote: . Oh my goodness, thank you for sharing that story!
smileswithhope wrote: Thank you for this powerful story, reminder, and restoring a little boy's (and my) faith in humanity. :)
sakshimsweet03 wrote: Wow! . Simply amazing. I'm really moved after reading your story and i can completely understand the feelings of the little boy because i totally know what's the importance of a bicycle in a child's life.
Thanks for sharing the story.
Vanaporn Chonburi wrote: I felt awed by what you did. It was a nice spur-of-the-moment gesture. Thanks. But where is this cafe. I want to be around you if ever i lose my car. ^_^ lol. Be blessed.
butterfly4evr wrote: I was in awe, as i read your story. The world needs more people like you! I thank you also :-)
cyctw wrote: Tears are rolling down my cheeks. This is such a beautiful story of what all of us are capable of doing. We often have this initial thought of what we should do, but then too often we begin to think and talk ourselves out of it. You let your heart speak for you. The world is a better place because of your kindness, non judgement, compassion, and love. Thank you sharing your story and inspiring all of us to think with our hearts <3.
ctcy wrote: Tears are creeping down my cheeks. We all have these moments of what we "should" do, but then we sometimes talk ourselves out of it. You just let your heart do the talking. Thank you for this beautiful story. The universe is a better place because of your kindness, non judgement, and love <3.
liutianxue wrote: Thank you for the warm deed -- not only for the bike, but also for giving a child that amount of trust in people and the world! It inspired me a lot, and i wish more people would read it.
gkrb wrote: Heart warming!
hafboet wrote: Wow! I think that you really gave the boy a valuable lesson for the rest of his life. No, you can't ignore the bad in life, i think you have really set such a wonderful example by fighting back the evil with good. Thank you for inspiring me and reminding me to offset "bad karma".

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