Think With Caffeine #69: Strange Encounters

The clouds gathered together and was ready to water the earth. My mother and I were walking to get our lunch. Because it was late, we decided to get a fast food. We ordered chicken tendies and rice. We quickly ate and left the place.

In front of that fast food place, I saw a girl who was collecting trash. I approached the little girl and handed her a 2000 bill. I I probably should not do that but a part of me can not help it. She asked me, " Do you own the restaurant?"

" No, I just came to eat"

" Oh, okay" She smiled.

" I have to leave" I said and she smiled looking at me.

I wanted to ask her more about why she does that, or why is she roaming alone collecting trash. But I didn't want to come as weird, so I just left with my mother. That encounter still looms in my head. I am curious and I can't find a way to meet the girl. I am always curious about little kids who roam around begging or collecting trash. Why? What's wrong with my society?

The same day but two hours later, inside the uber.

We visited doctor to get myself and my mom checked. On the way we talked about how the govt based healthcare service was awful. We did not get the medicines that we wanted though it was prescribed and covered.

Inside the car, I was comparing the system that I had back where I lived versus the current place. I complained about the system in this town as I hated it. As we compared that, the driver suddenly said, " those people don't believe in the afterlife, hence they are committing corruption"

Me and my mom suddenly being quiet and I hold a chuckle. " they did not know the concept of afterlife. They don't believe in it. Religion is a way to control people's moral and life."

Half triggered, I just kept quiet. It reminded me what I used to fear, the growing intolerance and the hardliners who can't move on from the old age. They asked others to be tolerant to them but that doesn't work the other way round. They are not accepting to agnostics and atheist.

Perhaps he was not the common representation of the people in town. But, every year I am home, I always meet that kind of people. In every of my journey, there would always be this character that is hardliners and is intolerant of others belief. Maybe life tried to showed me that the reality, there are intolerant people out there.

But I always like my strange encounters. It reminds me of many things that I should do and shouldn't do.