Theme: The left hand does not know what the right does

The help in disguise

- Mr. Peter! Mr. Peter! Are you at home? – Paul called in a loud voice, at the neighbor's door.

	From inside, an elderly man came walking, with struggle, and greeted the boy with a smile. - Good morning, Mr. Peter! Mom is cooking
lunch and needs two spoons of salt. She wants to know if you can borrow it, please - said the boy, showing a cup.

– Yes, I can. Yes, I can! - Said the man, with good will.

Walking slowly and speaking in a weak voice, Mr. Peter called Paul to follow him to the kitchen. There he took a spoon from a pot and took two very full spoons of salt, which he deposited in the boy's cup.

- Thank you, Mr. Peter!

- You're welcome! Tell Marcia I'm not lending it. I'm giving! No need to return.

The boy thanked him once more, went home and handed the salt to his mother.

- Here, Mom! I did what you asked me. Can I go back playing now?

- Yes, you can! Thank you, son, you helped me a lot.

Marcia finished preparing the food, called the family and everyone had lunch with satisfaction.

When Paul went to take his plate to the sink, he saw the cup he had brought from the neighbor's house. She was still full of salt. Turning to his mother, curious, he asked:

- Mom, I didn't know it needed so little salt to make lunch. The cup still seems to have the same amount of salt as I went to get it from Mr. Peter's house.

The mother smiled, noticing the boy's cleverness, and replied:

- It's not like that, son! Salt is not an ingredient you use in large amounts, but at least a few level spoons I did use. It's just that I didn't take from the salt you brought, but from our own.

- What?! - exclaimed the boy, indignantly - Did I have to stop playing to go to the neighbor's house to ask for some salt that we didn't even need it? You ask me from time to time to go there and ask for things. From now on I won't go anymore!

Marcia, realizing that her son became angry, decided to explain the situation.

“Paul, Mr. Peter is a very good man who has already helped many people, including us, when we moved to this house. Now he is elderly and has lived alone since his wife died. He doesn't like to give much trouble or bother anyone. I've already been there, at lunchtime, and I saw him eating bread and drinking milk. I don't think he's always in the mood to cook. He is very tired. So, I often make food and give him some. But as he doesn't get upset seeing that I've noticed his need, I try to hide it. I ask for something that he won't miss and then I take what I want, as if to repay the help he gave me.

“Like the other day, I asked if he could pick a lemon from the lemon tree in the backyard. He went with me there and he chose three very large lemons to give me. I could tell he was glad he could help me. Then I fried some fish seasoned with lemon and took them to him. He loved it.

“Today, I asked you to go to get salt because I want to give him some pancakes I made for lunch. His wife, Maria, used to say that pancakes with tomato sauce are his favorite dish.”

The boy looked at his mother for a few moments. All his nerve had passed. In a few seconds he remembered when he went to ask for a cup of sugar, then he took a piece of cake and so many other things.

Paulinho understood his mother's intention, hugged her, and replied with affection:

– Yes, I do help!

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com