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Jamila took a step back, suddenly realizing that she may have put herself in a dangerous position. She raised her arms, ready to defend herself as the man continued to glare at her like a wild animal ready to attack.
But instead, Tom covered his face with his hands and groaned. “Aargh! Okay! Okay! You win! Just wait here.” When he put his hands down Jamila could see that his face was damp from the tears he tried to cover up.
He disappeared into the other room. He left the door ajar so Jamila could see him grabbing something from under the bed. He came back out to the front room and he revealed what he had stolen from her car. It was her tablet, her headphones, and a small toolbox. He handed them back to Jamila and she gave him the money.
Suddenly, tears escaped his eyes. “I’m really sorry,” he said as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “We’ve been having a really hard time,” he explained. “I’m a construction worker and I lost my job a couple of months ago. We hardly have any food and we don’t have any money left. I don’t know how I will pay the rent or my bills. I’m struggling to take care of my family. So I got desperate. I started stealing stuff and selling them to pawn shops so I could make some money to support my family. That’s why I stole all of that stuff from your car.”
Jamila sighed wearily. “I understand what you’re going through,” I replied. “I know how hard it is to take care of your family when you don’t have a job. But stealing doesn’t make it right. It can only make matters worse. What if you got caught by the police? You would be put in jail and then there would be no one to help your family.”
“I know!” Tom exclaimed. “But what else was I supposed to do to take care of my family? I’ve been trying to get another job but people keep turning me down. I don’t know what to do!”
“You keep looking for a job and don’t give up,” Jamila replied. “And don’t just look for construction jobs. There are other jobs that you can do. You could get a job as a warehouse operator, a delivery driver, or a postal worker. There are jobs out there, you just need to know where and what to look for.”
“I never really thought about applying for other jobs other than construction. But I will try to find and apply for those other jobs you suggested. Thanks for the advice,” said Tom with a smile.
“You’re welcome,” Jamila replied as she turned to leave. “Well, I’d better get going. I wish you all the best and I hope that you can find another job as soon as possible. And thanks for giving me back my stuff.”
“Thank you, ma’am, for not calling the police on my husband,” said Louise gratefully. “He’s really a good man.”
“Yes, thanks for not doing that,” Tom agreed, “and thanks for the money. We really appreciate your help.”
“Bye!” the two little girls waved and went back to their coloring. The baby had fallen back asleep.
Jamila smiled and then she walked out the door. She crossed the street and walked back to her car. She looked back at the house she just left and wondered how she could help that family while Tom tried to find a job. Then suddenly, she got an idea. She jumped into her car and headed towards the grocery store to do some shopping.
The next morning she parked across the street from the same house where she was yesterday. She took out six heavy bags full of groceries and carefully crossed the street. It was early in the morning. The sun had just risen and the streets did not have many people or cars about.
Jamila placed all of the bags of groceries in front of the door and knocked loudly. She felt sure that Tom and Louise were up by now. She did not wait for them to answer the door. She left the groceries and rushed carefully back across the street to her car. As she opened the door to get in, she saw Tom had opened the door and she saw the shock on his face when he saw the bags of groceries at his door.
“Hey, Louise!” Jamila could hear him call his wife from across the street. “Come on out here! There’s six bags of groceries out here and I’m gonna need your help carrying them all in.”
Then suddenly, as if by instinct, he looked out across the street and his eyes met Jamila’s. Tom smiled at her. He gave her a thumbs-up and waved.
Jamila smiled and then got into her car and started the engine. She felt a warmth in her heart as she drove away. It felt good to help someone in need.
As she thought about Tom and his family, a Bible verse came to mind:
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16, NIV).
Click here to read A Desperate Thief – Part 1
Click here to read A Desperate Thief – Part 2
FURTHER READING
Last Chance – A contemporary romance novel
