Never Forget

It was a bright sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. Heat lay thick in the air all around, mixed with the saltiness of the sea that surrounded them as far as the eye could see, in front and on both sides. Twenty feet to the rear lay a beach all but abandoned for the day was that hot.



On a shabby wooden pier that had seen better days, stood several people fishing along on either side and at the end, toward the middle stood a family of six, fishing. I was a fifteen year old girl back then, who simply loved fishing. I stood there patiently with my pole in the glistening water. But upon my face was a frown. I loved fishing, it was exciting and relaxing. I just really wasn’t looking forward to eating seafood again. For the past twelve months my family and I, literally had lived off whatever we caught. Day in and day out it was- fish, shark, eels, crabs, and shrimp. A variety, but still seafood none the less.



The boys no longer cared to fish; the fun had worn off long ago for them. It was no longer a game, it had become a chore. All they wanted was to go play on the beach normally, like boys their ages did. My two younger brothers sat there bored out of their wits. Over an hour ago they had ceased whining about wanting to go play and were now pouting at again having been told no.



My sister and I sat waiting, wondering what we would soon have for dinner, hoping a shark would bite this time. We really didn’t want fish again that night. At the end of the wooden pier stood an old man whose weathered face watched our family intently. He wondered why the boys hadn’t been allowed to play as young as they were. That was what had first caught his attention. Then his gaze was drawn to the bucket of fish that stood upright beside me. Every now and then, I would glance to the end of the pier wondering why the old man, seemed so interested in my family.



A few times, I saw him look at the bucket next to me and smile, so I figured he probably wanted our fish. I was an angry, hurting, and sad teenager all rolled into one. My life never has been easy, but this had been a particularly hard time for me. I was still trying to grasp all the hell I’d been through in the past five years. Sighing I looked back out at the sea and thought, 'Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the world doesn’t care anymore.'



Next thing I knew, I’d been staring at the fishing pole for twenty minutes. Sadly even fishing was beginning to lose my interest. The six of us, along with two dogs on a Pomeranian, the other a red Doberman, had lived in the back of a camper on the beach for a full year. Getting outside to fish or play at the beach was a welcome relief to the cramped living space and constantly hogged covers.



We had to wait until the beach goers were all gone, before we’d be able to go into the bathroom and use the public showers, so of course we’d go in our bathing suits. There were two other families that lived on the beach both in campers, but they were young couples and only one had any kids, a single 4 yrs old child.



Every morning when we woke up, the beach over about a foot from where the water rose to, would have broken beer bottles, glass was everywhere, so we had to be careful where we stepped. Anyways, I’d been staring off into the water, praying a shark would be on the end when I got my next bite. Anything but more fish, by this time we were all sick of fish.



Mama’s pole started bouncing like crazy. The six of us got up to find out why. Mama reeled it in and on the end was a large eel. We were excited, something besides fish for dinner. Mama and my step-dad pulled it up out of the water and were getting ready to prepare it for dinner. Hearing the commotion out little family was making, the old man walked over and frowning asked, “You’re not really going to feed that to the kids are you?” as he stared at my mother.



She answered, “It’s this or fish, and they are sick of fish. “ staring at him.



The old man smiled and asked, “But why are ya’ll eating out of the ocean to begin with?”



My step father looked at him and explained rather bluntly, “We’ve been doing so for over a year. My wife and I both have no jobs. We barely make the rent for the camper as it is from collecting aluminum.”



The old man grinned setting his pole down and said, “Put that ell and the bucket of fish away. You can have those tomorrow night.” winking at my mother who blinked. Laying an arm over my step dad’s shoulder he said, “You come with me, and I’ll tell you why.” My step father shocked, nodded and allowed the old man to lead him away.



Mama was skeptical and kept the eel telling us kids not to get our hopes up. I looked back out to the sea and waited just watching the waves ripple. I stared out to nowhere for a good thirty minutes. I sat there debating inside my head and my heart whether there were still any decent people left in the world, and if so why I always seemed to meet the worst ones, instead of the nice ones. Not guys, just people in general.



Now let me make something clear here, at fifteen I didn’t want anything to do with boys, my entire life had been one bad thing after another. If my family wasn’t bullying me, then the rest of the world was. I’d already been through a hell no child should have ever gone through. That was part of my anger and sadness.



Anyways back on track, the old man and my step father came back arms loaded with stuff from McDonald’s. The boys had each been given two full happy meals; the rest of us had cheese burgers, french fries and drink- real sodas. He had even gotten us some ice creams- two each.



My mother was shocked and looked at my step father who nodded that it was okay. She smiled and thanked the old man, setting the eel aside for the next night’s food, along with the bucket of fish. We kids were absolutely thrilled. We dug into the unexpected treats ravenously. We ate until we were full. The old man sat with us eating with us and grinned. He laughed at our antics, rejoicing simply because we didn’t have to eat seafood for the night.



I remember I danced around spinning in circles grinning, so did my sister. My brothers bounced up and down and ran around loving that they had also gotten toys to play with. The old man, when we were ready to go in for the night, looked at my mother and said, “You have your husband meet me here in the morning, and by tomorrow evening, he will have a job.” ending with a smile. My mother’s eyes lit up, and she thanked him.



We all went inside our little camper and went to bed for the night. Two days later, my stepfather was working his new job as a wielder. My mother had a job nursing, and we were moving. We moved to a place two hour away. We moved into a three bedroom house. No more cramped camper on a beach for us.



We girls had a room, the boys had a room, and my mother and step father had a room. We had room for the dogs inside, but also had a fenced in porch. After helping us move everything into the house and showing us where everything was, the old man walked back out to his pickup truck. He stood outside his truck by the driver’s door and all six of us went out to thank him. My mother smiled at him and asked, “How? How can we possibly ever repay you?”



The old man grinned at us kids, then smiled at my mother and said, "Simple, next time you see someone who needs help, don’t hesitate, do for them like I’ve done for you- help however you can and ask nothing in return." With that he climbed into his pick up and drove away. We never did see that old man again.



I found out years later, that house was his. We lived there almost four full years, and never paid any rent. All he asked in return for us living there, was that whenever the yard front or back needed tending, we’d do it- and we did. We even had a two car garage there. I know now, that had been his summer retreat.



That kind generous old man, had completely restored my faith in mankind. I never will forget this day or all he did for us. Now I know a lot of you don’t believe in God, but I do. And I will always think that was God’s way of reminding me, that not everyone is bad, selfish, mean and cruel.



Out in the world, there are still some good people out there. I never lost my faith in God, just in mankind as a whole- I knew that I shouldn't lose hope in humanity even in the darkest of times. But the one old man, completely restored a broken, weary, teenage girl’s faith in mankind, and changed my life as well as my siblings lives forever. All through one simple act of kindness. And that had such a profound effect on me, that I will never forget that day, or that kind man.