Christine took another breath and explained the entire, unfortunate situation. She recounted the whole story, starting with the encounter with the elderly man, Louis, and finishing with the conversation with her manager and her sudden dismissal. As she was telling the story, her daughter, Louise, drifted into the room, drawn by the undeniable sadness in her mother’s voice. Louise, despite being only 10 years old, possessed an incredibly mature spirit for her age.
She walked right up to her mother and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. “Mum, you did the right thing,” Louise said, her voice firm with conviction. “What matters is that you helped someone who needed it. We’ll figure this out. I’m sure we will.”
Isabel, too, offered her full support, even though her mind was already racing with worries about the family’s finances. She knew her daughter’s generous and compassionate heart better than anyone. She truly believed that, in the end, everything would find a way to be all right. And Christine, hearing their support, felt her resolve strengthen. Even with the devastating news of her dismissal, she did not regret her compassionate act.
She knew she had demonstrated to her cynical co-workers, and more importantly, to her own daughter, the importance of doing good for those in need. The three of them would face the challenges to come, just as they always did: together, united by their love and by a shared conviction that kindness and compassion were always worthwhile.
Just as Christine, Isabel, and Louise were sitting together in the living room, trying to brainstorm ideas on how to face this new situation, the telephone rang. Its sudden sound broke the quiet, pensive mood in the room. Christine, with a curious look, picked up the receiver and glanced at the caller ID. It was an unknown number. She answered the call, a slight flicker of expectation in her voice.
A calm and friendly male voice spoke on the other end of the line. “Hello, my name is Olivier. I am the son of Louis, the gentleman you helped at the gas station earlier today.” Christine was completely surprised, and also deeply moved, to be hearing from him. “Oh, Olivier,” she replied, “it’s such a pleasure to talk to you. How is your father? Is he alright?”
Olivier explained, “My father was so deeply moved by your generosity and your help. He told me the entire story the moment he got home, and I knew I had to contact you immediately. I… I also found out that you were dismissed from your position because of it. I am truly, very sorry for that.”
Christine was quick to respond. “Please, don’t worry about me, Olivier. I have absolutely no regrets about what I did. Helping your father was the right thing to do, period.” Olivier continued, “I appreciate that, but I would still like to come over to make the payment my father owes you. He is so incredibly grateful for what you did, and I want you to know that we are honouring our word.”
Christine was touched by Olivier’s sincerity and his commitment to follow through. She gladly agreed to his visit. After she gave him her home address, Olivier promised he would be there very soon. True to his word, only a short time later, Olivier arrived at Christine’s house. He brought with him the exact amount for the fuel his father had used earlier, along with his family’s most heartfelt thanks…
