You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of
the road.  But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed
help.

So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out.  His Pontiac was
still sputtering when he approached her.  Even with the smile on his
face, she was worried.  No one had stopped to help for the last hour or
so. Was he going to hurt her?

He didn't look safe, he looked poor and hungry.  He could see that she
was frightened, standing out there in the cold.  He knew how she felt.
It was that chill which only fear can put in you.  He said, "I'm here
to help you ma'am.  Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm?  By
the way, my name is Bryan."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad
enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the
jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two.  Soon he was able to change
the tire.

But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.  As he was tightening up
the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She
told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through.

She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.  Bryan just smiled
as he closed her trunk.  She asked him how much she owed him.  Any
amount would have been all right with her.  She had already imagined
all the awful  things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about the money; he was just helping someone
in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in
the past... 
He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to
act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time
she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the
assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me."  He
waited until she started her car and drove off.  It had been a cold and
depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing
into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe.  She went in to
grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg
of her trip home.   It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two
old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her.  The cash
register was like the telephone of an out of work actor-it didn't ring
much.  Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet
hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the
whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly
eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change
her attitude.  The old  lady wondered how someone who had so little could
be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan.  After the lady finished her meal, and the
waitress went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, the lady
slipped right out the door.

She was gone by the time the waitress came back.  She wondered where
the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin
under which were four $100 bills.  There were tears in her eyes when
she read what the lady wrote.

It said: "You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody
once helped me out, the way I'm helping you.  If you really want to pay
me back, here is what you do: Make sure this chain of care and love
doesn't end with you."

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to
serve, but the waitress made it through another day.  That night when
she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the
money and what the lady had written.  How could the lady have known how
much she and her husband needed it?  With the baby due next month, it
was going to be hard.

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to
her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered, "It's gonna be all right;
I love you, Bryan."