UNEXPECTED GUEST Today on Tuesday, 02nd February around 10.45am Br. Glinson knocked on my work room door and said that a Kannada speaking person has come. I went to the entrance door. Outside the door, a youngster in his late twenties, was standing holding a small black coloured plastic bag with clothes. When I asked him what he wanted, he narrated me his story in Konknni. The summary is as follows. His name is Stephen Fernandes from Hulekal village near Sirsi, Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. He discontinued his studies of B.A. first year and was working in Bengaluru. During the lockdown period he came down to his native place Hulekal. From Sirsi he was coming to Margão by bus to search for a job. He had a small bag with his clothes and Xerox copies of his Aadhar card, pan card and driving license. He kept his bag on the adjacent seat. Since he was tired, he fell asleep. When the bus reached Mazalli, a village outside Goa border, a few passengers got down. At that moment he got up and realized his bag is missing. He searched for his bag in the bus with the help of conductor without success. He got down from the bus and searched for his bag among those who got down at Mazalli. But he could not get it. He asked a restaurant owner to give him a job. But the owner asked him identity proof. Since there was no identity proof, the owner refused to employ him. Out of pity he gave Stephen two pairs of old trousers and two shirts and bought for him a ticket to Panaji and told him to try his luck in Goa. He arrived at Panaji on 01 February. Nobody was ready to employ him as a waiter in any restaurant due to the absence of identity proof. Night he slept on Miramar beach. Nobody was ready to help him financially to go back to Sirsi. He asked me to give him money to go back to his native village. Since I am used to these kinds of stealing bag or purse stories, I told him that I would take him to Panaji Police station and request the police to make arrangements for him to send back to his place. He hesitated for a moment and then said, “Brother (he didn’t know that I am a priest. It didn’t matter to me because we are all brothers and sisters) why don’t you make arrangement for me to go back to Sirsi?” I wanted to test him. So, I said, “I don’t know who you are. You may be an honest or a dishonest person. Besides, I didn’t ask you to come to Goa. So, I can’t help you.” Then he earnestly pleaded with me to buy a bus ticket for him from Panaji to Sirsi. At this moment my inner voice told me that he was a genuine person caught up in difficult situation. I told him that I would do it. I took him on my motorcycle to Panaji bus stand. There was no direct bus in the afternoon to Sirsi. The only option was to go to Karwar or Kumta. Karwar bus was at 2pm. So, meanwhile I bought for him snacks and coffee, because lunch was not available in the vicinity. From 11.30 am to 1.30 pm both of us waited at the bus stand. Finally, the Kumta bus arrived. I met the driver and conductor of the bus and explained the case of Stephen. They were surprised to see that I was ready to help an unknown person. I bought the ticket for Kumta and gave to Stephen. I was told by the conductor that from Kumta to Sirsi there are buses for every half an hour. I gave the bus fare plus extra amount to Stephen to go to Sirsi. The conductor took the responsibility to see that Stephen reaches Kumta and then he would see that Stephen gets into a Sirsi bus. Stephen thanked me for my help. I returned home at 1.45pm after spending 3 hours for Stephen. But I was happy that I reached out to a person who was in need. I have done similar acts in the past even for Hindus whom I don’t know. While reaching out to the needy, I do not see their religion, language, region, gender, colour, etc. I see them as persons in need or to use my term 3L. According to Jesus the person who needs you becomes your neighbour. I am glad that I became the neighbour to Stephen. Pratap Naik, sj
