Folktale: The Teacher and the bus thief

A Teacher Mr Chivakanenyama boarded the early morning CAG bus from Zvipani going to Bulawayo so he could reach the banks early in Karoi to withdraw his salary.After doing his shopping he decided to wait and catch the CAG bus from Bulawayo to Zvipani so he could go back home as he loved this bus as it was always reliable and on time always.

At exactly 3pm the bus arrived and Mr Chivakanenyama boarded.As he sat down a thief saw money on the teachers back pocket and stole it.

The bus left Karoi and went with its journey.As Mr Chivakanenyama was nearing his destination to Zvipani, the conductor Nxele asked for his fare and the Mr Chivakanenyama put his hand into his pocket and found nothing.

The teacher blushed, and his tongue became heavy, he was so embarrassed. Nxele who was now angry said mockingly to the Teacher: "shame on you, you consider yourself a respected person while you can not afford your transport fare!."

The Teacher was again very much embarrassed.


As this was going on, pride hit a potion of the thief's ego, and he was moved to say to the angry Conductor: "My brother, the teacher's fare is on me!."

That is, the thief offered to help the teacher, who was his victim. He helped not out of pity for the poor teacher but to buy other passengers' trust and confidence and to use some of the stolen money to earn respect before the rest of the passengers on the bus. 

The poor Teacher who did not understand what was happening smiled and said to the thief: "May GOD bless you and multiply your wealth, sir!."

Lesson 

We are all on a bus where thieves are stealing from us and using the stolen money to buy our trust and earn our respect in a way that we keep thanking them for their "kindness".

 

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