A successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Honda. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.
As his car passed, no children appeared, instead, a brick smashed into the Honda’s side door. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Honda back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown.
He jumped out of the car, grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?” Building up a head of steam, he went on.
“This is a new car and that brick you threw is gonna cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”
“Please, mister, please, I’m sorry – I didn’t know what else to do!” pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop.”Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”
Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his hand-kerchief and wiped the scraps and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay.
“Thank you, sir. And god bless you,” the grateful child said to him.
The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to his Honda.. a long, slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.
Life has been throwing stones left, right and centre. A not-so-old man died of heart attack suddenly - he was considered the most pious and as having the proper life-style. Then, there are accidents. Some illnesses for parents, making the stay in Gudalur uncertain. But, these stones just make dents only for brief moments; and then ignored. Some big stones have helped to focus attention on important things like Family and Vennila during the last one year. Thanks, God, for the stones.
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