What are the chances?

What are the chances that I would get my $50 back from a stranger?

I was praying alone in the adoration chapel of the Church of St. Teresa when a man in his late 30s entered the room and started explaining to me that he was in a difficult situation. I could not fully follow his story so I asked him what he wanted from me. He asked if I could spare him $20 to use for petrol top up. I was hesitant to give him any amount because of the possibility that he was just trying to fool me. But I was not really thinking that much and eventually found myself opening my wallet to check whether I have $20. I only saw 10 and 50-dollar bills in my wallet. I gave him the 50-dollar bill with a kind request that he would pay me back. He asked for my phone number but I didn't have a pen and I really didn't rely on his memory to remember my number. Instead, I asked for his hand phone number and promised to give him a call so he will know how to contact me. Grateful, he left immediately.

I continued with my praying, praying as well that this man would return me my money. After I finished praying, I gave him a call but he canceled it. That was when I started doubting about my behavior. Was I just naive and gullible to be carried away by this man's plea? However, a minute or two later, I received a message from the man explaining that he couldn't answer my call that time because he was busy. Around 20 minutes passed, we finally were able to talk over the phone. He apologized for being unable to answer my call. He asked me to sms him my bank account number so he can transfer the money to me.

I have just sent him my bank account number. I hope he will, indeed, pay me. The story here is beyond the money already. I want to see that people can still be trusted. 'Coz, after all, that's what I truly believe in. A stranger I met in Bangkok whom I met again in Singapore because he is a local here, told me this: If you only have kindness and sincerity in your heart, then you can be assured that these are what you get from others as well. Kindness begets kindness; sincerity begets sincerity. Wherever I go, I always get reminded of his words. When I got lost in Ho Chi Minh City and ended up in the outskirts of the city where hardly anyone was able to speak English, I just held on to his words and of course, prayed. Eventually, I found a security guard who was trying to learn English through his electronic dictionary. Asking for directions, I typed my questions, word for word, in his gadget as he translated each word into the local language. Yet despite having finally understood my question, I didn't get the pertinent information from him because he just didn't know. It was already getting dark. Disappointed, I left and decided to find my own way back to the hostel. While waiting for the bus that would hopefully take me back to my hostel, I saw the guard approaching me. He apologized for being unable to give me the right answers to my questions earlier and that he already had the right answers with him. He led me to a motorcycle driver who would then take me to my desired destination, finally! Really, God bless the soul of that kind-hearted security guard! (I finally made it to the Water Puppet Theater from the Dam Sen Water Park.)

That was not the only instance in my travel escapades that I encountered sincerely helpful people. When I carelessly left my handbag that contained my passport in the bus that dropped me and my companion in Malacca, there was a Malaysian policeman that stood out among the many incompetent ones at the Malacca Bus Terminal. After desperate pleas before the many policemen stationed at the terminal, one man took us to his office and promised to help me recover my bag. He let me use his office phone so I could call the Singapore office of the bus company. Eventually, I did get my bag with everything in it. The bus driver was an angel, too, for waiting for me!

These are the moments that make me believe that this world is filled with innately wonderful people. I am not saying, of course, that you be careless and complacent for having acknowledged this fact. We still need to take care. What I am trying to say is for us to keep on believing that we can live in our own ideal place. This is my ideal place - a place of warm-hearted individuals, who wouldn't stop you, even encourage you, in achieving your dreams, be they big or small, modest or grand.

So for you, stranger, please prove me right. Transfer that 50 dollars to my bank account soon.