Little Stories...

A little story that was accepted for a website:  littlestoriesnow.wordpress.com

Check it out. Mine should be on there in a couple of days.


 On the Underground

I occasionally travel to London from Kent.  As I travel on the underground it’s not 

uncommon to see homeless people hunched in any little space where they can 

rest and beg for sustenance. I always wonder whether or not I should give anything. 

  Many say that they would only use the money for drink. Yet it always causes a dilemma in my 

heart.  I've been  meaning  to have food with me that I can offer, but I've yet to get into that habit. It’s hard to see people in need and do nothing.

So last week, when a lady came down the carriage I was in, leaving a message on the seats,

 I did take a second look. She'd stuck a piece of paper onto a small packet of tissues on 

which she'd written a note which explained that she was a young mother with a small

 child who had no work although she was trying to get some. She needed money to pay the rent 

or she and her child would be homeless.

Well, normally, when confronted with such a story I would want to ask all sorts of questions

 finding it hard to trust what she was saying. But, for some reason, my heart

went out to her and when she came back down the carriage to collect her tissues, I stopped

 her, took out my purse and gave her something. I hadn't, up to then, seen anyone else take any

 notice of her.  In fact most people turned away, pretending she wasn't there. She looked in my eyes

with tender gratitude, took my small donation and tried to give me the tissues,

 which I promptly passed back to her.She could use them again, after all. Meanwhile, a man 

sitting a few seats away from me got out his wallet, maybe gaining courage from my action,

 and handed her five pounds. 

Who knows if her story was true or not. What I do know, is that it made me feel good.

  And I’m sure my neighbour also went on with his day more satisfied with himself.

End

And here are the two Posters for the London Underground in case you didn't see them on facebook:

Two posters for the London Underground