This is true story as told to me by my wife...she was the woman in this
story! She told me it at least five times, and I have attempted to
describe via written prose the extraordinary events of that special day!
It was just another ordinary day as she performed her tasks at a large
university as an administrator working with Hall Monitors and residents.
It wasn't uncommon for students to pop in to say a welcomed "Hello" or
the like.
This particular day would bring something entirely new her
way. As the workday neared its end, she sat at her desk as she
completed some paper work. She heard a sheepish giggle and looked up
startled by what she saw.
This was not one of the many students that
would drop in routinely to ask her a question about dorm life or
complain about a given Hall Monitor. Standing there at the door of her
office was a very short black man who, by most standards, would be
considered unseemly to look at as he clearly had been born with birth
defects.
He was unusually small and his face was deformed as he stood
holding a cane. Obviously his eyesight was impaired as well. Trying to
keep her composure she asked, "Hello, can I help you with something?"
He smiled and replied, "No Ma'am, I just like to come to campus to make
friends but most people won't talk to me because I think they are scared
of me by the way I look."
Trying to be tactful, she replied, "Not at
all! I am not scared of you. You look just fine to me." He giggled again
as he placed his backpack on the floor. "Are you having a problem or is
there something going on at your dorm that I can help you with?," she
asked.
"No Ma'am. You see, I am not a student. I carry this backpack
around with me so that the other students will talk with me and be my
friend but I don't think it's working very well because no one wants to
talk with me very long. I come to campus because there are alot of
people here and I want to make friends."
As she looked at him, her eyes
began to tear up but she desperately tried to hold her emotions back for
fear that he would think she felt sorry for him. The conversation went
on as he told her about himself and she told him more about her life and
the things that had occurred while dealing with students.
His laugh was
infectious and his childlike innocence was so delightful. Before she
knew it, she realized that she no longer saw him in the same light as
she first did. "Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time so I
better leave. You have better things to do than talk with me."
As he
reached down to the floor to pick up his backpack, she began to tear up
again but this time the tears came not from her feeling sorry for him,
but from the respect she had for his being so incredibly brave. Holding
back the tears she stated, "You are one of the most kind and beautiful
individuals that I've ever met. Promise me that you will come back and
visit again as I enjoy talking with you. Do you promise?," she asked.
He
smiled and callowly looked down for a moment. "Yes, I promise I will but
I have a hard time climbing the stairs. Can I ask you a question Ma'am?"
She stood up, as she wanted to shake his hand before he left and replied,
"Of course you can. What do you want to know?"
He stood very still as
his eyes turned her direction. "Did you really mean what you just said
about me?," he asked. Without hesitation she quickly replied, "I've
never said anything more true in all my life and I mean that!" He
positioned his cane and began to walk out of the door but suddenly
stopped and looked her way again.
"I can't see you very good, but for
the first time in my life, I believe someone. Thanks for talking to me
and being my friend. I'll be back, I believe in someone now!" As he
walked slowly out of her office he giggled, smiled, and uttered very
softly....."I believe."
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have
entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2
