Charity

We have funny ideas about charity.

I was on the train home this evening, eating crisps and listening to my ipod. A little girl, about three, wandered over to where I was sitting and stared at me intently. I waved, sweetly, disinterestedly. I was hoping she would go away. She was cute and all, but I could see she had designs on my crisps, and I was pretty hungry. She didn't go away. She had very clear designs on my crisps.
Eventually I paused my ipod and asked her name. No answer. No interest. Sigh. I offered her a crisp (salt and vinegar hunky dorys). She grabbed, and left.

Two minutes later, she returned with her big sister - about six, I reckon. Adorable kids, with bright red hair and sweet faces... I handed over the rest of the bag. Shortly after this, at the back of the carriage, I could hear them being chastised by their dad for being cheeky.

Across the aisle from me sat an African lady with a small boy, who must have been seven or eight, munching contentedly on sweets and slurping on a can of coke. The lady had observed the exchange without comment. Now that I was relieved of food, the two girls returned, and focussed their attention on the little boy, until he too voluntarily handed over some of his sweets (I was pretty impressed - either at his capacity for guilt, or theirs for silently influencing). The girls retreat, and there's more chastising from papa at the back of the carriage.
When they returned to our section, the lady reached into her voluptuous bag, and pulled out a packet of bread rolls. Opening it, she handed one each to the two little girls. She looked really concerned. As they trailed away, she mouthed elaborately to me: "I think they're HUNGRY".

This was the second act of charity I saw this week from an African to an Irish person. The girls disappeared, either satisfied or banned from further forays, and we all lapsed back into our respective worlds. I felt warmed by the decency; I'm still not sure whether the kids were hungry or just very persuasive chancers.