It was a wet day in summer. Having quarrelled fiercely with Mum, I darted out without an umbrella. I loitered in the rain along the street until it was time for me to get back to school for afternoon classes.

I stopped my steps at a bus shelter, where few people were waiting. The menacing clouds darkened both the sky and my heart. I was soaked through by then. When a gust of wind blew over, I could not help shivering. I expected that I would develop a cold the next day.

Just at this moment an umbrella reached over my head. I felt a bit surprised because I had no acquaintances at the bus shelter. Turning around, I was greeted by a smartly dressed lady. Seeing my puzzled expression, she explained in a soft voice, “Girl, it is raining so hard. Why aren’t you carrying an umbrella? You might get a cold. You are wet through.”

The lady’s tender words sent a wave of warmth down my spine. I forced a weak smile but stayed silent. Her little umbrella seemed to have dispelled not only the bad weather but also the doom and gloom from my heart.

A few minutes later, my bus pulled over. Before I boarded, I turned to the stranger and said in an appreciative voice, “Thank you, Madame. God bless you. Have a nice day.”