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Stranded
He was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road.
Work, in this small mid-western community, was almost as slow
as his beat-up Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since
the Levis factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter
raging on, the chill had finally hit home.
It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be
on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already
left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill. But he
stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and
father. He was born here and knew the country. He could go
down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and
with his headlights not working, that came in handy. It was
starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down.
He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the
old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim
light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in
front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still
sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his
face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last
hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe, he
looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened,
standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that
chill that only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you
m'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm. By the way, my
name is Joe." Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady,
that was bad enough. Joe crawled under the car looking for a place to put
the jack, skining his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able
to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down her
window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was
from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't
thank him enough for coming to her aid. Joe just smiled as he
closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him.
Any amount would have been alright with her. She had already
imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he
not stopped. Joe never thought twice about the money.This was
not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God
knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past.
He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him
to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay
him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help,
she could give that person the assistance that they needed,
and Joe added "...and think of me". He waited until she started
her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day,
but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the
twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went
in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made
the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant.
Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was
unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an
out of work actor, it didn't ring much. Her waitress came over
and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet
smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't
erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight
months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change
her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so
little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered
Joe. After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to
get her change from a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right
out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came
back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed
something written on a napkin. There were tears in her eyes,
when she read what the lady wrote. It said, "You don't owe me a
thing, I've been there too. Someone once helped me out, the
way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here's
what you do. Don't let the chain of love end with you." Well,
there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to
serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night
when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was
thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How
could she have known how much she and her husband needed
it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She
knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping
next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and
low, "Everything's gonna be alright, I love you Joe."
Submitted by Johnny Edward
 
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