The Happening..

Let me beginning this New Year with this beautiful story. It was a day before Christmas and I was waiting for a friend to arrive in front of the payment counter at the Kinokuniya book store at the KLCC. It was just after eleven in the morning and yet the counter was already thronging with folks queuing to pay for their purchases. While waiting I notice the queue was getting longer. In fact it had stalled while the one at the second cashier was running smoothly. I was wondering why. I took a second look and saw what look like a strange person trying to make his payment and the cashier seem to have some problems.  That person look odd; he dress funny in a two tone black trouser and brown shirt, the like of an Elf, that is not normally worn by folks here. It could be sort of a fashion dress of his own and rather shabbily dressed. I notice on his head or neck there is a growth protruding like some tumour. I believe others noticed that too. I look and saw that he does not look real in the row of people queuing for making payment.  He looks out of place from the rest; sort of weird.  He was standing right in front of the first cashier and making payment for a book with a RM50 note that look old and crumple. The young cashier was telling him that she could not accept the note but I believe he insisted on paying with that note; most probably he did not have any other. Soon the process of payment at the first cashier stalled and the queue became longer as the cashier was trying to find a way to solve this problem. She went to make a call perhaps to her boss while the second cashier was attending to the other queue. At that moment in time my intuition was telling me to do something to save the situation of becoming an embarrassment. In those split seconds I decided I could help. I then went to the counter and ask the second cashier how much the cost is. She looks at the monitor and said it RM30.00. I told her that I would help and ask the first cashier who was holding the crumple note to see me at the end of the counter.  She came over and shows me the old spoiled RM50 note. I gave her my RM50.00 and told her to settle the matter and that I am happy to help and I left the counter. With my friend who had arrived just minutes earlier we move on taking the stairway to the Coffee club at the mezzanine floor above and sat there to chat over coffee and later lunch. Since it was sort of a meeting of two strangers meeting for the first time the chat went on for almost four hours. I had completely forgotten about the happening at the cashier's counter that day not until I got home that evening while watching the TV. Anyway I was happy I did what I did; life is beautiful indeed.

Have a nice day.