A woman had two daughters of almost the same age. One had a blooming beautiful look with a healthy glowing skin. But the other looked pale and very malnourished. As it happened, she birthed one of the girls but the other was adopted.
Every weekend, the woman would bring the girls to a restaurant to eat. She would order chicken sandwiches and coconut ice cream for the blooming daughter but the ill-looking daughter got only a bottle of water.
At some point, the waiters in the restaurant noticed this and they became concerned. One morning, they discussed the issue.
“She’s mean and wicked to that poor girl… What kind of a mother would treat a child so badly?” one of the waiters professed.
“I think the poor girl was adopted unlike the other, which could explain why she treats them differently. So heartbreaking,” another waiter chipped in.
“We are the only ones who could save that child from a toxic mother. She really needs our help” the third waiter said.
The waiters then reported the issue to the restaurant manager who was a former ‘child protective services’ (CPS) worker. He contacted the police immediately. The police decided to wait until the woman’s next visit to the restaurant.
The following weekend, the mother brought her girls to the restaurant as usual. But this time around, she was surprised when some policemen showed up and accused her of child abuse. She was utterly confused.
When the woman understood the situation, she requested the presence of all the waiters. Soon, everyone gathered including the restaurant manager. Then she began to speak.
“All of you have judged me without knowing the whole story… Yes, I have an adopted daughter but you don’t even know who among them the adopted one is. Well, I would like to inform you that this sickly-looking girl here is actually the biological daughter. She was born with congenital heart disease, and has been sick all through her life. May I also inform you that she just went through a heart transplant few months ago? Now listen, I usually do not let her eat here because I know how detrimental these fast foods can be to her new heart. Your foods are healthy, but not healthy enough for a young girl with a donor’s heart. So, I have taken it upon myself to always make special meals for her. My daughter is bravely fighting her illness and she will come out victorious. So, you all need to know that I love both my daughters so dearly, and I won’t treat anyone less favorably”.
Moral: Don’t accuse a person without full understanding of the situation. Sometimes, the people you accuse or judge are the same people who could prove you wrong and teach you a valuable lesson.
CHIMA DICKSON (From Nigeria)
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 22 DECEMBER 2023
