As a blessing.

I remember what my publisher had told me before.

"You know, you don't have to raise money for every single book. Sometimes, you'll meet people whom you need to give it away to- as a blessing, you know. As a blessing. You never know the extent to which you may bless them. The money'll be taken care of, don't worry about that."

So I listened to him, and along the way, have given away copies to various strangers, people hidden in angels' cloaks whom I meet along the way. A cab driver, Hideo, and other random strangers who become friends.

Some three months back, I was on a train, on my way to visit a church. It was a fairly empty train carriage, and he caught my eye- He, a black man in a pearly white shirt with a large bible clasped under his armpit. Our eyes met, so I smiled.

It was obvious we were both heading in the same direction, so we started talking.

"Where're you from and what're you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm from Johannesburg," he replied chirply. He had a spring in both his step and voice. " I love it here. I'm working at Unilever."

"Unilever?" I said in disbelief. "You mean the company linked to Dove? I'm doing a project for them... well, sort of. "

So we talked. About our lives, work and God.

He asked me what I'd been up to, and so I told him about Nepal, the children whom I'll never forget, and Kitesong. I had a copy with me then, and when he saw it, he asked if he could have it. He wanted to write a book, too.

"Give me your account number, I'll drop some money into your bank sometime," he said.

I thought to myself that I would not blame him if he did not remember, and as I signed it for him, I felt I was giving it away. But I remember what my publisher had said- that sometimes, you cannot measure the fruit of your work in coins and dollars. Some people just need inspiration, he told me, and I ought to give it to them.

Three months passed.

Last night, I received an email.

Hi Wai Jia,

How are you doing? Trust all is well with you. Hope the ministry is prospering. Just to let you know I deposited SGD100 in your POSB account on Sat. No worries, it's a seed I'm sowing into your life and your ministry. Don't bother with a receipt.

Cheers,
C