The Kindness of Strangers

It happened quite some time ago. I had just raised my hands in prayer after the morning prayer in the waiting room of Amsterdam Central Station when a veiled girl entered the room. After the prayer, I jumped up and rushed out of the room without answering her. I was extremely worried due to the vicissitudes of life. My opponents were bent on harming me because of a business dispute.

I thought to myself that perhaps they had sent this woman after me to trap me in some way, because my opponents had also arrived at the station to board the same train to Brussels that I had boarded at midnight. On the platform, they sat on a bench near the one where I was sitting.

The train arrived, but I remained seated.

I thought that when they sat down in a compartment, I would board another one, but their expressions were not good. They wanted to board the same compartment as me.

When the train whistled, I ran across the tracks and boarded the compartment near the engine, running. They were not going to leave me alone easily. Searching, when they reached near that compartment, I went to the toilet.

Not finding me there, they boarded another compartment. The train started moving. When I reached Amsterdam at four in the morning, my opponents had taken control of both the doors leading out of the platform. But I managed to escape their sight and reached the waiting room. I had just finished my prayers when this girl disturbed me.

The local council had revoked my business permit and put me in trouble merely for the sake of favoritism.

I had to file an appeal against this in Amsterdam. My opponents wanted to remove me from their path at any cost. I was alone. Except for God, no one cared about me. Only the prayers of my parents were with me.

Meanwhile, thousands of appeals were pending in the court of the magistrate in Amsterdam. The turn for hearing did not come for years. I had gone to Amsterdam to get a date for the hearing.

That girl was also badly troubled by her opponents in connection with her housing permit and had come inside to ask me for the address of the magistrate's office and to get guidance. When I ran out, she also came out in a panic. I asked her sternly, "What do you mean by coming into the men's waiting room like this?" In a very soft voice and with extreme humility, she said, "Sir... Sir... I... I... I just wanted to ask you one thing." It seemed that her senses and strength were failing her. When I saw her condition, I encouraged her and said, "Yes! Yes! Tell me what you want to say." Then she told the whole story of the cancellation of her housing permit and the oppression of her opponents.

When I had heard the whole story, I said that both you and I are victims of injustice. Have faith, there is delay, but not injustice in the court of God.

We set off for the magistrate's office. It was not easy to find the file there. Meanwhile, the girl said that her mother's last piece of jewelry had also been sold, out of which she only had fifty euros left. After that, we would have nothing to eat. My financial condition was also similar, but my heart testified that the time for the days of trouble was near. Our files had been found.

Now a lawyer was needed for the hearing of the case, but we did not have the money to hire a lawyer.

Coincidentally, my case was heard first. The officer was extremely just. He listened to each of my points carefully and gave the verdict in my favor. I was happy to get justice, but at the same time, my heart was sinking at the thought of the hearing of the other case. So, when the hearing of the second case started, I just wanted to explain the case.

On this, the girl's opponents objected that he is neither a lawyer nor a plaintiff. In what capacity is he speaking? When the officer asked, I said that the people afflicted by the injustices of society do not have the money to pay the lawyer's fees. The plaintiff and her daughter are present in the court. As a son of a mother, I should be allowed to speak on their behalf.

On this, the officer granted permission. The matter was brief. Despite giving long legal arguments in an hour-long speech, the opponent's lawyer could not convince the court, and the court gave the verdict in favor of the mother and daughter.

When we came out of the courtroom, two big tears fell at my feet. I felt like both mother and daughter were crying. They hugged me with intense emotion.

The mother was kissing my forehead. The daughter was clinging to my arm. She was looking at me with grateful eyes. A young man from the group that had enmity with their opposing party came to us and offered twenty-five hundred euros as a lease for their property. He also said that we would take care of the possession, etc.; our job is to take the money and write a receipt. We took the lease money at the same time and wrote the receipt. I wanted to go home soon and give the good news to my parents, so I took permission from them and returned home. I have not been able to forget those moments of joy that I had at that time till today.