It feels good to be able to help

My wife and I enjoy spending time in the California desert in the winter.

On one such drive south, we stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Nevada.

As I gassed up, Carol went into the convenience store to buy a newspaper. When she returned to the car she pointed out a 60ish Asian gentleman standing next to his SUV, at one of the pumps.

While she was inside, she had witnessed him trying to trade his watch for gas, which the attendant had refused.

She said to me, “I think that man is in some trouble. Maybe you should see if we can help.”

I still have such a strong picture in my brain about how defeated, distressed and overwhelmed he looked and how close he was to tears.

He was well-dressed, well-groomed and his SUV was an expensive one. I asked him if he needed help. He nodded. I also asked him, “Do you need money?” He said yes.

I gave him $40. Through broken English and gestures, he conveyed to me that he’d been at a convention in Las Vegas and had forgotten his wallet and phone in the safe in his room.

He had tried to explain to the attendant that he would return and pay for borrowed gas, leaving his watch as collateral, but the little brat wasn’t interested in taking on the poor guy’s problems.

It felt good to be able to help. He insisted we exchange emails and phone numbers. A week later, we received a phone call at our rented condo. It was the man’s son. He said, in fluent English, that his mom and dad wished to come from their home in Anaheim to Palm Springs to see us. I said, “Don’t be silly, that’s too far to drive for forty bucks.” But his parents were insistent. So, they came; he with an envelope containing two 20s, she with a beautiful Korean gift for Carol.

They visited for about half an hour. Conversation was difficult, but lots of smiles, and some bows and hugs made up for the lack of verbal understanding.

Fred Trainor is a retired broadcaster living in Okanagan Falls. Email: fredtrainor@shaw.ca