A Cup of Chai At 3AM

--by MS, posted Aug 22, 2006

The third round of flooding came at night. Residents kept vigil all night, waiting and watching the water level rise. Would it enter their home? As the water rose, people moved to the street, but still they wouldn't sleep. The water level continued it climb upwards, displacing more people as the hours passed. The stores were closed and traffic on the street minimal, but activity was in the air as people moved to help their relatives and neighbours.

A distance away, a man heard the news. He jumped on his scooter and instead of heading to the flooded slum, he drove in the opposite direction to Lal Darwaja (7-8km away from the slum), where food stands were open.

Dus chai dedo (10 chais please).

Packing the chai for travel, he then jumped back on his scooter and headed to the tekra. When he found the family he was looking for, he handed out chai to them and those around them before even asking how they were. They simply looked at the man and smiled. At 3AM, a cup of chai was exactly what they needed.

4243 Reads

Posted by MS
Aug 22, 2006
Comments (3)

Readers Comments

Lorrine wrote: Actions speak louder than words and sometimes that's all that is needed.

Suchitra wrote: Good thinking.A small gesture of goodwill at the appropriate moment discovers the hidden smiles.

Thata wrote: A benevolent heart understands without telling or asking the needs of people in distress.

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