It’s good to know that good ol’ fashioned hospitality still exists in this modern age of ours. If you look around most cities today, you might be inclined to think there aint one nice person left. It hasn’t always been that way of course. I remember one trip down to Central America a few decades back when I met about the nicest set a folks I ever did know.
My unit was keepin’ tabs on a little town a few hours out of the capitol. These poor folks had been through the business and they were actually happy to have us “gringos” around keepin’ things calm for a bit. One afternoon I found myself with a broken axel, stranded by the side of the road in 100 degree heat. My water was running a little low and help was still more than an hour away.
I was stuck there in a pool of my own sweat, just as miserable as man could be, when a little tike came by on his bicycle. He couldn’t have been more than ten and he lit up like Christmas when he saw my big ol’ jeep. I lifted the little guy into the driver seat and he commenced a’ bouncin’ around like he was driving 80 through the jungle. After a minute or two he must have noticed my sweaty condition ‘cause he started making hand motions like he was drinking. I figured he was askin’ if I was thirsty so I said yes and mimicked the same pantomime. That little guy jumped down and took off like a bat outa’ you know where. Not five minutes later three or four of what I assumed were his relatives came by with a pitcher of lemonade bigger than my head. It was about the best thing I ever did taste at the time. The water made me sicker than a dog for about a week after but I surely did appreciate the gesture.
It wasn’t the jungle, but it sure was hot this afternoon and I was just as stuck. The sun was beatin’ down on me like a hammer and my truck was out of commission. The wrecker was still a ways out so I had nothin’ to do but wait, with no shade for a mile. It wasn’t a little boy on a bike this time but Mrs. Henrickson in her big ol’ suburban who came to the rescue. We sat in the air conditioning, sipping cold bottled water, chewin’ the fat like two old biddies for almost an hour. Thank you Mrs. Henrickson I sure did appreciate it.
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