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 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 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 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 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 a
napkin. 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 going to be all
right; I love you, Bryan."
