As soon as she came out of the station and turned into the street she saw her.
An old lady, huddled in a blanket, sitting on the pavement with her back against a lamppost. Walking towards her she noticed that pedestrians were giving her a wide birth. The old woman hardly looked up as they passed. She couldn’t see her face and made no attempt to avoid walking close to her. The woman squinted up at her and gave a sad smile. She stopped just long enough to look at the old woman’s wrinkled features and tousled hair. Suddenly, from under the blanket a skinny arm came out holding a piece of paper. She went to see what it was, but it was quickly held to the old woman’s chest. She could see now; it was a photograph.
“My little girl,” she croaked. “Sick, she is. I’m saving, saving up for her operation.”
The woman wondered how true this was, but certainly felt for her. She rolled her head to one side with a smile and went for her purse.
“That’s very kind of you, dear,” she whispered.
She only seemed to have notes in her purse. She decided she’d give her a five. As she passed it down the arm came up so eagerly that the photo fluttered to the ground. She bent to pick it up. As she did, she managed to get a quick look at it before handing it back. Her face remained expressionless while the woman thanked her for her kindness.
As she walked on, she realised that she had been happy to give her something. The old beggar was right, she had done it out of kindness.
After all, the photo… it was a picture of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.
