I would like to share with you out there a very touching story from a friend of mine which I think reveals a lot about human values. May all of us will benefit from this incident.
Allah's message in Bangi Kopitiam, Ampang
by Harshita Aini Haroon on Tuesday, 05 April 2011 at 09:38
It was nearly 2.00 pm today when I sat myself in Bangi Kopitiam in Ampang. All I wanted was a big mug of iced juice, while waiting for the two kids to finish their lessons upstairs. I was given the menu, and as I was browsing through, I realised someone was making his way towards me. He had a limp. "Kak, Assalamualaikum'. I looked up, answered his salam, and saw this young man, about 20-ish. He is an OKU - the official term is Orang Kurang Upaya, but I'd rather use the term that is more apt, and propagated by many in academia - Orang Kelainan Upaya. Nothing 'less' about them; only 'different'. He was sweating, and he had a red rucksack on his back (a heavy one, looked like) and a huge green shopper in his hand. He showed me his Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat identity card - from Kuala Kedah, Alor Setar. He skirted around my table, trying to find space to put his rucksack, so that he could reach properly into the green shopper. I asked him "Ada apa dik?" And he took out his 'crafts', "saya jual ni kak, " - lacy tissue box covers - purple, green, pink, blue - you name the colour, he had it. Anyone who knows me well will know that I don't do lace of any kind, as much as I don't ruffles and flowers. But i cannot say no. And he started talking, and it broke my heart. His speech was slurred, but he attempted a conversation with me. "Kak orang mana?" "Orang Kedah" And his eyes lit. And he started saying something, and he was grimacing - he wanted to say something, but the words could not come out- and when they finally did, he said "Tak sangka, Tuhan bagi saya jumpa dengan orang Kedah kat sini." I smiled, already very much conscious of the fact that my tears were just there, about to fall - and so I asked him how much his tissue box covers were. 'Sepuluh ringgit kak". I gave him some money, and I said, "Dik, ambik ni, tapi yang ni, adik pi jual. Saya tak payah ambik lah," - pushing him back the covers that he was about to give me in exchange for the money. He smiled, and said, "Tapi kak, saya bukan minta derma - saya nak jual kak - saya tak boleh buat macam ni kak." And one tear fell - and I quickly wiped it off, pretending that I was sneezing. In the end, after much 'haggling', he took the money, and the covers. And I was left with a very strong message and reminder from Allah - here was this young man, who makes his living based on his handiwork, and then the sympathy of others, who is not sure of what he will get at the end of each and every day, limping, can hardly talk to express himself - carrying himself with more integrity, honesty and humility than many who we all know in our everyday lives. He puts his trust and faith in Allah. He refused a 'short-cut'. A lesson in humanity and it took me all the strength I had not to cry in Bangi Kopitiam.
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