Biscuit Crumbs on the Sidewalk..

A little boy stops by me, begging for alms, with a pained look in his eyes. I look at him and brush past him, ignoring his presence. I walked to the cafe across the road. As I sipped on a hot cappuccino, I was getting down to my office assignment. I looked up from my assignment and gazed at the surroundings, my eyes rested at the little child across the road.

He was standing on the street, with nimble arms outstretched to receive compassion and a few coins... It was a sweltering noon, and it was interesting to watch him. With his gloomy expression on his face, he sat at the sidewalk, and started counting his collection for the day. From a distance, I could see that he had a miserable day. It would not be enough to buy a decent meal to fill his stomach. He simply sat there, and watched the traffic drag by.

Until.

I saw a scrawny little dog stop by the child, with a pained look in its eyes. It sniffed at the child's tattered clothes, trying to pick up a scent of care. I saw the little child's face transform to a cheery face as he turned to pat the dog. The dog responded by lapping the child's face. The child let out a laugh and the dog barked in return. I smile came across my face. But I wasn't ready for the shock I was to receive.

I saw the child get up, and dust his dirty pants. He went over to a small shop and took out his entire collection. He managed a few biscuits with that money. I saw the dog look at the child, slowly wagging its tail. The child gave the biscuits to the dog. The creature downed the biscuits in one go, and started to wag its tail furiously. It pranced around the boy in joy, and the child responded by jumping and clapping his hands. He caught the dog by the collar and gave it a hug.

Together, they were the dirtiest duo on the street, but shared a strong bond of longing between them.

My coffee got cold, but my hard heart warmed up to the scene that played out in front of my eyes. I was ashamed of myself I was better bestowed than the child, and yet the little one showed more compassion to the dog than I had shown to him. With a new light in my heart, I walked out of the cafe to give the boy some extra help in cash. But as I crossed the lanes, the child was gone. And so was the dog. Dejected, I turned to walk back to my coffee. But something caught my sight, bringing tears to my eyes.

Biscuit crumbs on the sidewalk.