< RM > story - Circle of Love!

Circle of Love!

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, stand-
ing out there in the cold. He knew how she
felt.
It was that chill which only fear can put in
you. He said, "I'm here to help you ma'am.
Why don't you wait in the car where it's
warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an
old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled
under the car looking for a place to put the
jack, skinning 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 the 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.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.
She asked him how much she owed him. Any
amount would have been all right with her.
She had already imagined all the awful
things that could have happened had he not
stopped.
Bryan 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 want-
ed to pay him back, the next time she saw
someone who needed help, she could give
that person the assistance that they needed,
and Bryan 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 look-
ing 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 Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, and the
waitress went to get change for her 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 the
napkin under which was 4 $100 bills. There
were tears in her eyes when she read what
the lady wrote. It said "You don't owe me
anything, I have been there too. Somebody
once helped me out, the way I'm helping
you. If you really want to pay me back, here
is what you do; Do not let this 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 the lady 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 all right; I
love you, Bryan."