Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

 Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in www.connectme.com.fj/news/opinion. I thank Allen and Connect for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.

Kindness of Strangers

It is being echoed in all quarters of Fiji that times are hard. I was at the Lautoka Fiji Electricity Authority  office paying my bill having a yarn with a fellow citizen and lamenting our high electricity bills. He said that family members from the islands were home for Christmas and that he had to stretch his pay. He wished he could spend Christmas with just his with his wife and two kids.

As I followed him out a beggar was having a meal on the footpath outside. It looked like an empty bag of chicken bones and chips that had been discarded by an uncaring person. He also had a nearly empty and dirty bottle of coke. We stopped, feeling sorry for the man who was oblivious to our presence. My friend didn't hesitate and pulled out a five dollar bill and gave it to him. I gave him two dollars.

There are times when the heart weeps for unfortunate citizens and I noticed that my mate didn't check to see if he had smaller change. It seemed that his giving was straight from the heart. He is a simple labourer in a construction company. He earns about $140 net per week, yet when it came to giving he didn't hesitate even though he probably couldn't afford to give anybody anything.

During this festive season many people will go to bed hungry. My fellow citizen's act reminded me that there are still some good people in Fiji.
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