THE GIRL, WITH THE MISSING Purse... "Kindness is all we need."

I woke up this morning with an unhappy feeling, working with Bernard has been such a heavy burden. His so rude, egocentric, and harsh. I dread going to work each day because of him, this morning of course, wasn't an exception as I thought of how to handle him. Normally, I'm used to listening to inspirational music to help stir up my spirit to face Bernard positively each day but today, I didn't feel like it. I decided to clean up my wardrobe even if it means I won't go to work today. I started with my book shelf section, taking out some books I don't need again, as I saw my old memory book, I had back in my university days, I flipped through the pages, as something caught my attention. I went back to the page, and read through the short memory from the past which says, "The Girl With the missing purse "... Suddenly I smiled, for the first time since I woke up, the thought of what happened that faithful day flashed through my mind...

Sometime in September 2010, I was going back to school from Lagos to Enugu of Nigeria. My mum and immediate younger sister dropped me off at the bus park, as I paid for my ticket and got a window seat. I love sitting close to the window so I can comfortably enjoy the road view. I was so happy with how the day was going already for me as I sat in the bus waiting patiently for the other passengers to get in and fill up the bus. And suddenly, I remembered I forgot my jacket in my mum's car, I quickly ran out of the bus leaving my little black purse on my seat. Thank God my Mum hasn't drove off as i met up with them, opened the car and took my Jacket I left at the back seat as they finally drove off and i went back into the bus and noticed that my little black purse was gone. I looked around the seat corner for my purse, i checked under the seat, and still couldn't find it . I had a Nokia small phone and cash about two thousand naira (Nigerian Currency) inside the purse . I quickly went to report to the transport security as the made an announcement that the journey won't commence until my purse is found. The passengers were given 20mins to find the purse or forfeit the travel as their fares won't be returned to them as punishment. The chief security man took me out of the bus to console me because I was already crying. This wasn't funny at all and this wasn't how I planned the journey. I couldn't call my mum to let her know what was happening to me because my phone was in my little purse. I couldn't believe it, my purse is gone, likewise my money and phone, I cried more harder as I explained myself to the security chief who was with me as he tried to calm me down. In summary my purse was found as the passenger who found it claimed he saw it under one of the seat that wasn't mine. The security chief opened the purse, my phone was there but my money was gone.

I started crying again, the security chief took me outside again , as he encourage me to make due with the fact that I have found my purse and phone and he gave me a thousand naira for my feeding.

At this point, I was angry and wished that I didn't travel that day, my day was ruined, so I thought. I went inside the bus as I saw all the passengers as thieves. I didn't speak or intend to interact with any of them even my seat partner, that was seated now . I was angry at all of them.

I sat down trying to mind my business. I try to send my mum a text and realized that my battery was flat, what happened? My battery was full when I left home as I tried looking for a solution...

Hello? ...i heard a voice spoke to me. I didn't look around to see who was talking, but I knew it was a female voice and I knew it was my seat partner considering how close the sound of her voice came from...

Hello?? You ain't talking to me? Are you mad at me? Well, if you won't speak to me, I understand, but, I will share my thoughts anyway. As she began to chat and snack on her peanut.. You know, It hasn't been long I entered the bus, because the bus was shut down, no one was allowed to leave or enter, she said. My Dad ask why? they said, a passenger lost her purse, and if the purse isn't found the journey won't commence and the fares won't be returned.

My Dad was like,.. she gesticulated with her hands as she describes how her father reacted to the bus attendants. why didn't you guys tell me before you let me pay for my daughter's ticket, she mimicked and giggled. And the funny part, is that, the passenger who lost her purse in the bus, is my seat partner... She laughed to herself, isn't that funny, she said. At this time, I was already irritated, as I continued looking out of the window with no plans of replying to her dry jokes.

She continued, My Dad would be glad to hear that my seat partner is "The girl with the missing purse" she giggled again. So who found the purse by the way? She asked, oh.. I forgot, you ain't talking, she Continued eating her peanut. So that means if you found your purse in the bus, then one of the passengers is a thief, and who could that be? She asked again as she looked around the bus like she's searching for the thief, I turned to look at her and then face the window again. She continues, this means we have to be careful who we talk to, she whispers to me.

As I couldn't help but respond, the thief took my money and returned only my purse and phone, I finally spoke. She stared at me in shock and said, Did you just speak to me? She laughed and said, that's cool, am glad you can confide in me...like I said, there's a thief in this bus... , Wait a minute, you mean the transport security let the thief get away? She asked? I explained to her what the security man said to me earlier and showed her the money he gave me.

That's bad... So how much was in your purse, she asked. A thousand, nine hundred and some change, almost two thousand naira. I said.

I'm so sorry, I can only imagine how you feel, I guess you see everyone now as a suspect including me, she giggled again ...

I gave her an apologetic look as she responded; and waved it off with her hand and said it's normal to react the way you did, I will do the same if I were in your shoes... My name is Faith by the way, student of Ebonyi State University, she introduced herself. Ebonyi state is a state after Enugu State. I smiled and replied, my name is Diane, student of IMT Enugu. We giggled as she made me laugh to her jokes.

Faith was such a kind and lovely soul. She paid for every food I ate on my way to Enugu. She didn't let me spend the one thousand naira the security chief gave me. She called her father and told her about me, of course, "The girl with the missing purse " was how she described me to her father. I didn't pick offence with the title because, I got to understand her to be someone who makes a difficult situation seem easy.

She turned my sad Saturday morning journey to Enugu, a joyful one.

In less than two hours we started the journey, we forgot totally that there was a thief in the bus as we started talking to everyone. The quiet and lonely journey became a friendly and joyous one, thanks to Faith for lifting my spirit. I dreaded for the journey to end as I prayed for the bus to go slower so i could stay a bit longer in the bus with Faith. Faith would still continue to the next state and i still wanted to stay in the bus and enjoy her company some more. But the more I wish for the bus to go slower, the more the bus goes faster and before you say Jack, I was in Enugu. We exchanged numbers and said our goodbyes, I thanked her for making my journey worthwhile, and for her kindness as she laughed, the same way she has been laughing since I met her in the bus, then she said, its nothing Diane, what I did for you its something you can do for someone else, right? I pondered that question in a split seconds as I replied, Yes!. That's what am talking about , Faith exclaimed as she put something in my Jean Short and said bye Diane. I didn't get the chance to check what she put in my pocket as I struggled to get down the bus with my small luggage that was inside the bus. Immediately the Enugu passengers lighted out of the bus at Enugu bus park, the bus took off to Ebonyi. Instantly I knew I was going to miss Faith with her funny laughs and giggles. I quickly remembered she dropped something in my jean pocket as I dipped my hand in my pocket and brought out.., money! Two thousand naira wrapped with a note that said, " this is for your cab to your hostel, with Love from Faith. I didn't know how to react or explain how I felt that moment as I felt a hot dripping tears down my cheeks, What!! I exclaimed in joy. I couldn't even get the chance to say thank you for this one. 3hours after I got to my hostel, I try to call, just to say thank you but her number never connected, the number was switched off, till I graduated from IMT a year after, I never heard from Faith, her phone number never connected as I never got the chance to say thank you for the transport fare to my hostel.

I didn't run into her again or get in touch because I couldn't, but her kindness still lingers in my heart and mind.

Now, as I stood in my room staring at my memory book and the weird sentence in it, brought back the sweet memory of how she showered me with her compassion when I needed it the most. I remembered the lesson learnt from her action, "that Kindness makes the world go round in a beautiful way". I learnt that a "Little kindness is all we need" in this cruel world of ours. I also learnt from Faith, not to be quick to judge people, I left the bus that day, forgiving every suspected thief for my lost money. I still feel the need to return the favor any time I come across someone in need today . How she made me feel is how I want to make others feel.

However , I have come to believe that we have the power to give kindness to ourself and to others too and immediately, I knew how to handle Bernard.

So let me ask, What is kindness? According to the English offline dictionary meaning, kindness is the state of being kind, an instance of kindness or charitable.

Other definition states that Kindness is ones inherent nature, character, natural disposition. Kindness is the act of being benevolent. Kindness is an act of being courteous, friendly, generous, gentle, liberally sympathetic or warm hearted nature or disposition marked by consideration for and of service to others.

Now, what is kindness to me? kindness is the compassion we render to someone in need of what we have ; no matter what the need may be, as long as we have it and we are compassionate enough to want to share it or give it to someone in need of it, whether we know this person personally or not.

In conclusion, Kindness is spontaneous in action, there's no time to think if you should assist someone in need or not. Kindness is on the spot ; someone is in need and I have what he/she needs, so you give it immediately, without much consideration. And we all have it in us to be kind.

This is a new year and it's paramount we start this year with Kindness for ourselves and for others. How we begin this year determines how we end the year, so I urge everyone reading this article to go on and be Kind to yourself and to someone, anybody... choose Kindness this year. From my team and I, I wish you all a Happy Prosperous New Year.