The Kind Fool

I Went walking by the street. Stood in a queue to buy some bread. Felt a tug in my pocket and turned, then saw a man running with my wallet. “Stop!” I screamed and chased him. He looked back at me while running. He twisted his leg on a pothole and fell. I rushed and was about to stretch my hand, when a man by my side said: “Hey! he stole your wallet .. don’t help him!”. I was astonished, “but are we not supposed to help all? irrespective of what they do?” asked the man. “No! That is not the way we live. He was rude to you, then why be kind ” the man replied. ‘Oh! So I should not be kind to others, if they are rude to me’ I thought. I learned a lesson.

Continued walking, and I felt hungry. Stopped by a shop to buy doughnuts. Then remembered my wallet was stolen. Stood near the shop pondering, and then saw a friend come walking from the other end. We talked to each other, and he lent me some money. I bought a doughnut and was about to eat it when saw a poor boy sitting near the shop. He looked at me pleadingly. So, I felt sorry and gave him the doughnut without any delay. My friend, who was watching all this screamed at me “Why did you give doughnut? You were hungry! Isn’t it?” I was shocked! I had never thought of this! “But he looked hungrier than I was!” I said. “No! think about yourself before others.” My friend replied. I learned a new lesson. I looked at the poor boy one last time and he looked back at me gratefully.  

Again continued, on the street. Soon, the street got very crowded. As I bent, a man pushed me purposefully. “Oh! Look out!” I told the man, as he hurried past me. “What? Are you a fool? That man just pushed you and you replied politely?” asked a man beside me. “Yes, so what should have I done?” I asked him, politely. “You should have hit him!” the man replied. “But why should I hit? I thought we should respond! Not react!” I asked him. “No!, you are wrong! A push should be responded with a hit!” told the man.

Lost deep in my thoughts. ‘So far, I had been kind to all, but why do they tell me I am wrong?’. The street ended and I approached my home. I was stolen, pushed, and misbehaved but still, I felt that what I did was good. I felt what everyone told me might be right for them. I felt happy, being kind and polite to all. I didn’t understand why we had to reciprocate others. Why, is being kind and understanding wrong? An eye for an eye would make the world blind. But today, everyone told me, I was wrong.

I did not understand, maybe I am a fool or kind….

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