Reciprocating the kindness in the neighborhood here, translated…
Knock-knock-knock, there were three banging from the gates, and, I didn’t need to guess, it was Mrs. Bai, sending over the produce she’d grown. Reason why she’d knocked was because we didn’t have a doorbell. Opening the door, nice, there was a huge bundle of yam leaves, a bag of cabbage, and a bag of okra too, all were freshly picked, still with the dews. I’d tilted my head out, and, Mrs. Bai was, already gone.
Can’t imagine how Mrs. Bai was so very kind. Originally, we were only, acquaintances, but later because Mrs. Bai wanted to work as a kitchen lady in a local elementary, she’d asked me to communicate with the school principal. Mrs. Bai is an excellent cook, very careful too, I’d not needed to say anything on her behalf at all. But, as she got the job as the kitchen lady at the school, she’d started showing a ton of care and concern toward us, who’s not had the space to plant the produces and can only shop in the marketplaces.
illustration from the papers…Mrs. Bai is multitalented, hardworking, she is great at pickling the items like radish, salted pork, pickled olives, and she’d sundried the vegetables too herself. She’d worked in the fields diligently, but after her daughter-in-law gave birth and returned to the workforce, she’d quit her job as the cook, and started looking after her grandson wholeheartedly. Naturally, she’d had a more than full plate, but, every time I saw her, she always smiled so radiantly, like she’s a fish in water.
At the start, Mrs. Bai only handed the items to us after she’d knocked, not just the planted produce, but her pickled foods too. We’d wanted to give it back, but she’d told us, that it wasn’t a big deal, that if we don’t take it, then, we’re, belittling her, and so, we can all only, just take the items from her.
Later on, Mrs. Bai changed her ways. She’d left the produces by our doorsteps, on the pavements. The meats, the ready-to-eat items, she’d hung it on our doorknobs, knocked to let us know, then, she’d gone home.
Mrs. Bai put a lot of heart into the vegetables she’d delivered to us. She’d given us different produces based off of the seasons, in the summers, there were squashes and eggplants, in the winters, there were chives and radishes, with a wide variation. And about every three days, she’d estimated that we’re just about finished with what she’d left for us before, then, delivered even more to us. We’d not needed to shop for the groceries for the year.
Of course, we couldn’t just take from her all the time, and so, we’d returned small gifts to her from time to time. Sometimes, the mushrooms, sometimes, apples, sometimes, the pastries. She’d often turned us down, and we’d told her, “We’re returning the favors”, so she’s, forced to take them.
Knock-Knock, Knock-Knock-Knock, because a signal of love that passed between our two homes now, and, we’d become, more connected as neighbors too.
So, this is how the cycle of kindness got started, with the neighbor of this woman, she’d brought the food items that was in her own garden, to share with her neighbor, and, the neighbor felt her kindness, and, returned the kindness by giving something different back, and that, is how the cycle of kindness will keep going, from these actions so small…
Life, the Obstacle Course 