I had stopped because the light turned red. He was in the sun selling his kites and flying one. The flying kite caught her attention. “Mummy, I want one” pointing and beckoning to him. “I need one. Oh how I would love to fly the kite, the six year old chimed in her cartoon acquired accent at the back.
Happy he had a child pestering a parent to buy his kite, he rushed to the car. Then, he started starring. He stared and smiled at her and said “wuba no brofu ye me de. (I like the way your child speaks english), he repeated it again and then took out a kit, and said because of the way she speaks, pay half the price.
To my mind, here was a desparate hawker trying to make a sale. I paid for one to quieten her running commentary. He handed a kite to her and she joyfully responded “medaase. “Hey, so she can speak twi too? The dude was smitten, all smiley and he starred in complete awe and admiration as she rhymed about how she was going to enjoy flying the kite.
The lights turned green, and as he turned to leave, he said “madam, maintainee wu ba no wai, ne brofu ye me de paaa (madam, maintain your child, I like her english). I drove off and I reflected on the rarity of the character I had just encountered.
To meet one who is able to identify a quality in another, to appreciate and enjoy it, acknowledge it sincerely and then to call for the nurturing of that quality in another is rare. In a world of envy, jealously, negativity and pull him downs, to meet one so positive is humbling.
I am glad I met him today. His positive attitude gifted me a smile, I beamed and she asked, why are you smiling. I told her of the admiration I had for the kite seller and told her of the life lesson I had learnt from the brief encounter. She smiled too and said, I pray he sells all his kites so he can make more people happy. Amen, I whispered.
It was a brief encounter but it was a blessed one. He was happy he had made a sale but most importantly he was happy to have had his audible nerves tickled. She got her kite, and I got a big smile and a great life lesson. Lord gift me this rare trait, I pray. #lessonsontheroad
Source: Yawa Sarfo