Love Thy Neighbor

Twelve year-old Carmen, who had a kind heart, lived with her parents in a small house in a poor neighborhood of the city.

She once read that Jesus, when on earth, preached loving God, our neighbor and even enemies, so that His followers would be better than other people.

Thus Carmen wanted to do something nice for someone else but she did not know how to start. At night, she prayed to Jesus asking Him to help by showing her the way to charity.

One day, walking through the neighborhood, she went to a small street that ended by a fence. As there was no street, but wanting to get to know the place, she walked along a trail and saw a shack. She heard the noise of children and as she knew everyone in the area, but not those people, she decided to meet them.

- Hello! Is anyone there? - she said knocking on the door.

Soon three dirty and tattered children appeared. Carmen smiled and asked them their names.

- My name is Mary, I am six years old, the baby in my arms is Lucy, she's eight months-old, and this is four year-old Joseph.

- Nice to meet you! Is there anyone else in the house? Where are your parents?

- Mom is working on the farm, my father is in jail and grandpa is bed ridden. Would you like to meet him? - asked Mary, the oldest of them.

- I would love to. That is, if he doesn't mind.

Mary led Carmen by the hand into the small room where an old man was lying in bed. She greeted him, asking how he was, and he replied :
 

	- I am very sick, little girl. I cannot walk and I am the one who stays with the kids so my daughter can go to work. We haven't eaten anything yet today. We don't even have milk for little Lucy, who cries with hunger! With her heart sinking in pity, Carmen said she would solve the problem. She left the shack and went in search
of her friends. She walked around the neighborhood explaining the situation and collecting groceries for the family. She grabbed a cart that was her father's and carried all that she had collected. And as she had a piggy bank with some coins, she bought milk for the baby.

Returning to the shack, Carmen showed them what she had achieved, which was not much because they were all poor, but she even had milk for Lucy. Seeing her arrive, the children jumped up and down with joy. Carmen distributed bread for all, made some juice with the oranges she got and a bottle for Lucia. Everyone was happy and satisfied. Then, with this first problem solved, Carmen made a soup with the legumes and vegetables that she
received from the neighbors for the family to eat later. Not content yet, she cleaned the shack, washed their clothes and got everything sparkly clean.

Upon arriving home, their mother could not believe her eyes. Grandpa Bento explained that a young girl had come and had done everything in the house. They had the soup, accompanied by the left over bread, and then said a prayer of gratitude for the help received.

Carmen returned to her home feeling accomplished. She said nothing to her mother about what she had done. But from that day on, every afternoon, when returning home from school, she would run to Grandpa Bento's house, helping with the housework and childcare.

At school, Carmen explained the family's situation to all her friends and they were ready to help as well. So, they donated pans, blankets and whatever else was needed, including a bed for grandpa because his was broken.

Carmen's parents were concerned about the constant disappearance of their daughter. One day her mother came home from work early and saw her daughter leaving the house holding bags, and decided to follow her. Seeing Carmen enter a shack without asking permission, she went inside too. What she saw made her eyes fill with tears.

Her daughter was giving them what she had brought as she said to the kids, with a beautiful smile:

- Today I will make you a vegetable soup with noodles! Thanks to a friend, tonight you will have a better soup.

- Yay! Yay! ... - yelled the children, clapping their hands.

Carmen's mother appeared in the kitchen. Seeing her, the girl blushed:

- Mom? How did you get here? ...

Grandpa Bento, who had seen the lady arriving from the window, rose with difficulty and went into the kitchen.

- How come you never told me what you have been doing, dear?

Carmen lowered her head but Grandpa Bento explained, while leaning on a cane:

- Madam, your daughter has been our good angel. Since she entered this house, she never ceased to care for us. As you can see, we are very poor, and Carmen has arranged food for us and milk for my granddaughter. My daughter works a lot but earns little and comes home very late. However, your daughter will not let us lack anything. She even does the cleaning up!

- Why didn't you tell me, child? - the mother asked again, moved.

Carmen awkwardly explained:

- Because Jesus said that as we do good to others we should not disclose it, that is, the left hand should not know what the right hand does, isn't it? And actually, mom, my friends are the ones doing charity, because they are the ones who give me things to distribute.
 

	In tears, the mother held her daughter close to her heart, saying: - Carmen, you are much better than I thought, my dear. - Then, help me, mom! Let's ask Dad to go visit their father in prison to reassure him. He must be very worried about his family.
The mother agreed and said:

- From now on, I also want to help you do charity, honey. We are poor but we can always help those who have less than us.
 

MEIMEI
 

(Psychographed by Celia X. de Camargo on 19.09.2013.)