He was driving home one evening,
on a two-lane country road.
Work in this small Midwestern community
was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac.
But he never quit looking.
Ever since the 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 he 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 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 wanted
to pay him, 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 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,
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,
and 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."
This story was sent to me by a very special friend. I don't
know the author but if anyone does, please let me know and I'll
be more than happy to give them credit for this heartwarming story.
I always try to give the proper credit for all graphics, poetry, etc.
on all of my webpages. If I've missed anyone, my sincerest
apologies to you and if you would be so kind as to
e-mail me, I would promtly see that you receive the credit due
or remove the item, whichever you'd prefer. Of course,
I'm hoping you will graciously allow me to use them . Thank you and God Bless
