Saturday 27 / April / 2024
I often hear the phrase that money drops from the sky and I did not believe it until I met this old gentleman who changed my mind for good.
It was a pure coincidence when this man, with a toothless grin, stopped me while I was running to a shop last week and I learned the truth about the rain. As a matter of fact, I was running for shelter from the heavy rain when he blocked my path.
When I stopped, he asked me with a big smile on his face, why was I rushing? When I told him the reason, he laughed very loudly and pulled me under the shelter of his fruits and vegetables stall. No one was on the street because it was covered with rainwater but his stall was dry because he had sandbags around it.
When I was under his shelter, he stretched his arm and let the rain dropped on his hand. Then he splashed the water on his face and gave me that toothy grin again. When I was beginning to think that he lost his mind, he told me that, without the rain, he would not have grown all the fruits and vegetables that he was selling.
He quickly added that “the rainwater was money dropping from the sky.’ I could not argue with that. He was totally right. I stretched my right hand and shook his hand. To show my gratitude to his words of wisdom, I bought a few bags of fruits and vegetables.
He gave me yet another toothy grin and asked me if I learned something new. I said indeed I did and thanked him for it. I paid him and left but this time I did not mind the rain that was splashing on me as I walked to my car. He waved at me as I was driving away with his toothy grin still on place.
Later that evening, I smiled to myself when the television newscaster announced that there would be more rain the next day.
I said aloud “more money to everyone tomorrow.” My wife gave me a quick, quizzical look. I explained my interesting but brief discussion with the fruit seller that morning.
She smiled and said that the man was very clever and he outwitted me. It was my turn to look puzzled. She quickly explained that all he wanted from me was to buy his fruits and vegetables and I fell for his ‘money from the sky’ selling trick.
I scratched my cheek and thought about it. Yes, he was a clever salesman. He saw an opportunity and turned rain to his advantage. But I did not feel offended. I still think now his philosophy about rain is right. Rain grows food to keep ourselves alive. Farmers get water from the sky free and eventually sell their crops to all of us.
So rainwater, for a clever man like him, is as good as money falling from the sky. We cannot argue about it. I also learned from him that it takes a simple but philosophical person like him to teach us something that we all take for granted.
