Love thy neighbour as yourself!

HarmanKardon · #1 09-10-2015, 01:31 AM

So we got 31 Syrian refugees in our hometown now. The house in my neighbourhood they will live in for the next time is 200 meters away from mine. I've been asking myself what I could do for them and the first thing is that I will give them one of my bicycles. A good one. Quite a lot of the refugees speak a pretty good English, perhaps I will talk with one of them. Of course I will talk with the organisators and volunteers what else than my bicycle I can give. Winter clothes for sure. Let's see...

HarmanKardon · #2 09-10-2015, 05:15 AM

I phoned with the organizer and she said that there is indeed one of them longing for a bicycle. So I cycled to the house of the refugees. On a window there stood a young boy and I told him via finger signals to come down. It took several minutes, obviously he was anxious.

Finally he stood in front of me, looking at the bicycle. A beautiful very shy about sixteen years old boy from Afghanistan (there are people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan) who did not understand what the hell is happening here. He does not understand English, nor German. So I told him with finger signals that the bike is for him. He anxiously stared in disbelief and in this moment I wanted to hug him, but that would have been too much for him, so I hold my hand towards him and he took it and shake it. And then he said: "Danke!"

Two hours later - three kids, about eight years, four years and sixteen years are coming across the street where I live. Shouting and laughing. The eight years old boy with a little scooter, and the young man, with the little boy on the back - with my old blue-green bicycle - shouting happily "Hallo" when he noticed me. The glance of him I will remember for a long time.

Yesterday a businessman from Heidelberg gave one million euros for refugees in his region. But as you see - sometimes just a bike is enough to make someone happy.

Tom Joad · #3 09-10-2015, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

I phoned with the organizer and she said that there is indeed one of them longing for a bicycle. So I cycled to the house of the refugees. On a window there stood a young boy and I told him via finger signals to come down. It took several minutes, obviously he was anxious.

Finally he stood in front of me, looking at the bicycle. A beautiful very shy about sixteen years old boy from Afghanistan (there are people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan) who did not understand what the hell is happening here. He does not understand English, nor German. So I told him with finger signals that the bike is for him. He anxiously stared in disbelief and in this moment I wanted to hug him, but that would have been too much for him, so I hold my hand towards him and he took it and shake it. And then he said: "Danke!"

Two hours later - three kids, about eight years, four years and sixteen years are coming across the street where I live. Shouting and laughing. The eight years old boy with a little scooter, and the young man, with the little boy on the back - with my old blue-green bicycle - shouting happily "Hallo" when he noticed me. The glance of him I will remember for a long time.

Yesterday a businessman from Heidelberg gave one million euros for refugees in his region. But as you see - sometimes just a bike is enough to make someone happy.

You're a good man Dude.

Better than me.