Cardboard on the Pavement

The story is about a girl who travelled to London to watch a musical. On her way to the theatre with her parents, she saw a small boy with his mother lying on a piece of cardboard on the pavement. The girl sought how she could help these homeless people.

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Kartun fuq Bankina

Christina tgħidx kemm tħobb tara wieħed mill-films klassiċi ta’ Disney, bl-isem ‘The Lion King’. Lill-iljun Simba tħobbu ħafna. Anke soft toy kbir tiegħu għandha. Fil-vaganzi tal-Milied, il-familja tagħha qalulha li ser isiefru l-Ingilterra u kif ikunu hemm ser jeħduha tara l-musical tant sabiħ ta’ ‘The Lion King’ f’wieħed mit-teatri li hemm ġewwa Londra. Kemm ferħet Christina b’din l-aħbar!

Hekk kif kienu jduru fit-toroq ta’ Londra, Christina bdiet tistagħġeb bl-ammont ta’ nies li kienu deħlin u ħerġin ġo tant ħwienet differenti, bħal ħwienet tat-toys, ħwienet tal-ħwejjeġ, jew dawk li jbigħu ċ-ċikkulata u l-ħelu, biex jixtru rigali lil xulxin.

Hija u miexja mal-ġenituri tagħha lejn it-teatru biex jaraw il-musical ta’ ‘The Lion King’, Christina rat tifel tampara, li kien mimdud fuq biċċa kartuna fl-art fuq il-bankina.

F’idu kellu bott żgħir biex min ikun għaddej, forsi jagħtih xi ħaġa tal-flus. Ħdejh fuq biċċa kartuna oħra kien hemm il-mamà tiegħu li kienet tidher għajjiena ħafna. F’idha kellha kartellun żgħir b’dawn il-kelmiet miktubin fuqu: Please help us.

Kien hemm ħafna nies għaddejjin minn fuq il-bankina.

‘Possibbli ħadd ma jieqaf jitfagħlu xi ħaġa tal-flus?’ qalet f’qalbha Christina waqt li ħarset lejh b’ħarsa ta’ ħniena.
Imma ħadd minn dawk in-nies kollha ma waqaf jgħin lil dak it-tifel u lil ommu. Kienu wisq mgħaġġlin jixtru r-rigali mill-ħwienet enormi li kien hemm f’dawn it-toroq. Tant kulħadd kien miexi aljenat u moħħu fix-xiri tar-rigali tiegħu li lanqas biss taw kasu lil dan it-tifel.

Christina bħal donnha ħasset f’qalbha lil xi ħadd jgħidilha, ‘Ieqaf ftit u għid lill-ġenituri tiegħek jagħtuk xi ħaġa tal-flus għal dak it-tifel.

Se tonfqu tant flus f’biljetti għall-musical li ser taraw u f’rigali li ser tixtru! Dan it-tifel u ommu bħalissa għandhom bżonn min jgħinhom u int jekk trid tista’ tgħinu.’

Għal dawn il-kelmiet, waqqfet lill-ġenituri tagħha milli jkomplu mexjin u qaltilhom biex jagħtuha xi ħaġa tal-flus flimkien ma’ xi ikel u xarba milli kienu għadhom kemm jixtru għalihom. Imbagħad resqet lejn it-tifel u tathomlu. Għajnejn dak it-tifel xegħlu bil-ferħ meta ra l-ikel. Kellu ħafna ħafna ġuħ. Kemm kien kuntent li sa fl-aħħar minn fost dawk in-nies kollha mexjin quddiemu kien hemm xi ħadd li waqaf u ħaseb fih u f’ommu. Mal-ħoss tal-flus neżlin fil-bott, it-tifel beda jirringrazzja lil Christina, imma mhux biss. Huwa tbissmilha u berikha wkoll filwaqt li qalilha: “God bless you, God bless you!”

Għal dal-kliem Christina ħassitha emozzjonata ħafna u għajnejha mtlewlha bid-dmugħ. Xtaqet kieku tkellmu ftit imma bejn li ma kenitx taf x’se taqbad tgħidlu u bejn li kien qed isir il-ħin biex jidħlu ġot-teatru, kellha titlaq minn ħdejh.

Hekk kif kompliet miexja mal-ġenituri tagħha, bejnha u bejn ruħha bdiet tgħid, ‘Kif jista’ jkun li dak it-tifel, bil-ġuħ, bil-għatx mitluq fuq il-bankina flimkien m’ommu, irnexxielu jgħidli God bless you?’
Christina fehmet li bil-mod tiegħu, dan it-tifel għaraf japprezza l-ftit tal-flus, l-ikel u x-xarba li kien irċieva mingħandha, u ta’ dan il-ftit, li għalih seta’ jfisser ħafna, irringrazzjaha u berikha wkoll!

Bdiet taħseb kemm kienet qed taħli flus tal-ġenituri tagħha fix-xejn u f’dak li mhux tassew essenzjali. Bħal meta tkun trid tixtri ħwejjeġ ġodda, toys minn kull tip u anke xi mowbajl ieħor ġdid.

Lil Christina tant impressjonawha dawk il-kelmiet God bless you, li xtaqet li wara li jaraw il-musical ta’ ‘The Lion King’, tgħid lill-ġenituri tagħha xi ħaġa sabiħa. Qaltilhom li minflok jixtru ħwejjeġ għaliha minn dawk il-ħwienet kbar, jixtru ġakketta u sleeping bag ħoxna kemm għat-tifel kif ukoll għal ommu.

U hekk għamlu. Xtrawhom u reġgħu marru ħdejhom. Kif waslu, Christina resqet lejn it-tifel, kellmitu ftit u staqsietu jekk xtaqx xi ħaġa li setgħet tixtrilu bħala rigal tal-Milied. Hu qalilha, “Bħalissa għandi bżonn par ingwanti, xalla u beritta tas-suf għax kesħa wisq. Għandi bżonn ukoll tfal qalbhom tajba bħalek li jistgħu jgħinuni b’kull mod li jistgħu”.

Dak il-lejl meta daħlu lura biex jorqdu fil-lukanda, Christina baqgħet taħseb ħafna dwar dak it-tifel. Ħasbet f’tant nies oħra madwar id-dinja li bħalu m’għandhomx saqaf fuq rashom. Għal diversi raġunijiet, dawn m’għandhomx għażla oħra u jkollhom jgħixu barra fit-toroq ġo xi kaxxa tal-kartun, kemm fil-kesħa tremenda tax-xitwa kif ukoll fis-sħana qalila tas-sajf, waqt li hi tgħix komda mal-familja tagħha ġo dar komda fejn ma jonqosha xejn. Dak il-lejl talbet ħafna għalih u għall-persuni li m’għandhomx dar fejn joqogħdu.

Issa ħassitha involuta wisq u ma setgħetx tħalli kollox għaddej. Iddeċidiet li meta terġa’ lura Malta, tibqa’ tgħin lil xi għaqda li tagħti kenn lill-persuni bla saqaf fuq rashom, bħal dak it-tifel. B’dan il-ġest sabiħ li ser tagħmel, se tagħti l-isbaħ rigali li qatt tista’ tagħti: ħinha u lilha nnifisha biex tgħin lil min hu fil-bżonn.

Christina issa qed tistaqi lilek. Taf xi persuni li għandhom bżonn l-għajnuna? X’tista’ tagħmel inti biex tgħin lit-tfal u lill-kbar li m’għandhomx dar bħalma għandek inti u għalhekk ikollhom jgħixu barra fit-triq fuq xi bankina?

Christina likes to watch one of Disney’s classic movies, The Lion King. She so loves Simba the lion cub that she also has a large soft toy of him. Her parents had told her that during the Christmas holidays, they were going to travel to England and that they would take her to watch the amazing musical The Lion King, in one of the theaters in London.

Oh, how happy Christina felt about this!

Walking through the streets of London, Christina was surprised at the number of people who were buying presents. They were going in and coming out from different shops such as toy stores, clothing stores and shops that sell chocolates and sweets.

As she walked with her parents to the theater to see The Lion King musical, Christina saw a small boy lying on a cardboard on the pavement. He had a small can in his hand so that anyone who passed by might give him some money. Beside him on another cardboard there was his mum who looked very tired. She held a small sign with the words “Please help us.”

Although there were lots of people passing by, no one stopped to help them. Christina looked with pity in her eyes at the boy and thought to herself, “How is it possible that from all these people passing by, no one is giving them some money?”

Nobody stopped to help them. Passers-by were so busy going into huge stores to buy presents that they did not notice the boy and his mother on the pavement.

In her heart, Christina heard a voice saying, “Stop for a moment and tell your parents to give you some money and then give it to the boy. You are spending a lot of money on tickets to see the musical and to buy presents! This boy and his mother need help and if you want to, you can help them.”

At these words, she stopped her parents and asked them to give her some money along with some food and drink which they had just bought for themselves. Then she approached the boy and handed them to him. The boy’s eyes lit up with joy when he saw the food. He was very, very hungry. He was so glad that at last, out of all those passers-by, someone had stopped and thought of him and his mother.

With the sound of money dropping in the can, the boy thanked Christina. He also smiled and told her, “God bless you, God bless you!”

At these words, Christina felt moved, and her eyes filled with tears. She wished that she could have a chat with the boy but since she did not know what to tell him and it was also time to enter the theater, she had to go.

As she walked with her parents, she said to herself, “How could this be that a hungry, thirsty boy who is living on the pavement with his mother tells me God bless you?”

Christina understood that this boy appreciated the money, the food, and the drink he had received from her. This small gesture from the girl meant a lot to him and so he thanked her and blessed her too!

She became aware of how much she was wasting her parents’ money on things that were not important, like when she bought lots of clothes, toys or another new mobile.

Christina was so impressed by the words ‘God Bless You’, that after watching The Lion King musical, she wanted to tell her parents about her idea. She told them that instead of buying clothes from the big stores, she wished to buy a thick jacket and a sleeping bag for both the boy and his mother.

And so they did. They bought the jackets and the sleeping bags and went over to them again. When they arrived, Christina approached the boy, had a short chat with him and asked him what he wished for as a Christmas present. He told her, “Right now I need a pair of gloves, a scarf and a woolen hat because it is too cold outside.

I also need a kind-hearted child like you who can help me in any way.” That night, back at the hotel, Christina kept wondering about that boy. She thought of people and especially children around the world that are homeless. For different reasons, they have no choice but to live on the streets in cardboard boxes in the cold winter and the scorching summer, while she lived in a comfortable home with her family. Before she slept, she said a prayer for him and for the homeless around the world.

Now she was too involved. So she decided that when she returned to Malta, she would continue to help an organization that shelters homeless people by offering her time to help those in need. By doing such a good deed, she would be giving the best gift ever to the needy.

Christina is now asking you: Do you know anyone who needs help? What can you do to help children and adults who unlike you are homeless and must live on the streets?

Cartone sul marciapiedi

A Cristina piace assistere ad uno dei film classici di Disney, Il re leone. Ama tanto Simba, il cucciolo di leone, che ne ha addirittura uno grande di peluche. I suoi genitori le avevano detto che durante le vacanze natalizie avrebbero fatto un viaggio in Inghilterra e l’avrebbero portata ad assistere allo splendido musical Il re leone in uno dei teatri di Londra.

Camminando lungo le strade di Londra, Cristina rimase sbalordita dal gran numero di persone che compravano regali. Entravano e uscivano da negozi diversi: di giocattoli, di abbigliamento, di cioccolato e dolci.

Mentre procedeva insieme ai suoi genitori verso il teatro per assistere al musical Il re leone, Cristina vide un ragazzino che giaceva su un cartone sul marciapiedi. Teneva una lattina nella mano affinché chiunque passasse davanti a lui gli desse qualche moneta. Accanto a lui su un altro cartone c’era sua madre che appariva esausta. Teneva un cartellino con la scritta “Per favore aiutateci”.

Sebbene tanta gente passasse di là, nessuno si fermava ad aiutarli. Cristina provava compassione per il ragazzo e rifletteva, “Com’è possibile che fra tutte queste persone che passano di qua, nessuna dia loro qualche monetina?”

Nessuno si fermava ad aiutarli. I passanti erano così presi dall’entrare nei negozi per comprare regali che non s’accorgevano del ragazzo e di sua madre sul marciapiedi.

Nel suo cuore Cristina sentì una voce che le diceva, “Fermati per un attimo e di’ ai tuoi genitori di darti qualche moneta, e poi dalla al ragazzo. Stai spendendo molto denaro per assistere al musical e per comprare regali! Questo ragazzo e sua madre hanno bisogno d’aiuto, e se vuoi, puoi aiiutarli”.

A queste parole, lei fermò i suoi genitori e chiese loro qualche moneta e qualcosa da mangiare e da bere che avevano appena comprato per se stessi. Poi s’accostò al ragazzo e glieli porse. Gli occhi del ragazzo s’illuminarono di gioia quando vide il cibo. Era tanto, tanto affamato. Era contentissimo che finalmente fra tutti quei passanti qualcuno si fosse fermato e avesse pensato a lui e a sua madre.

Sentendo il lieve tonfo con cui cadevano le monetine nella lattina, il ragazzo sorrise e le disse, “Che Dio la benedica, che Dio la benedica!”

A queste parole Cristina si commosse mentre gli occhi le si riempivano di lacrime. Avrebbe voluto fare una chiacchierata con il ragazzo, ma, procedé oltre, non sapendo che cosa dirgli ed essendo costretta a entrare nel teatro per assistere al musical.

Mentre procedeva assieme ai genitori, diceva fra sé e sé, “Come mai che un ragazzo affamato e assetato che vivacchia sul marciapiedi con la madre mi dica ‘Che Dio mi benedica”.

Cristina comprese che questo ragazzo apprezzava il denaro, il cibo e la bevanda che aveva ricevuto da lei. Questo piccolo gesto dalla ragazza significava molto per lui, perciò la ringraziò e la benedisse pure!

Lei divenne conscia di quanto sperperasse il denaro dei suoi genitori su cose che non erano importanti, come quella volta che comprò parecchi vestiti, giocattoli e un telefonino nuovo.

Cristina rimase così colpita dalle parole ‘Dio ti benedica’ che, dopo aver assistito al musical Il re leone, era ansiosa di comunicare ai suoi genitori una sua idea. Disse loro che invece di comprare vestiti dai grandi magazzini, a lei premeva comprare una giacca pesante e un sacco a pelo sia per il ragazzo sia per la madre.

E così fecero. Acquistarono le giacche e i sacchi a pelo, e andarono a trovarli. Appena furono arrivati, Cristina s’accostò al bambino, ebbe una chiacchierata con lui e gli chiese cosa volesse come regalo di Natale. LE DISSE, “Proprio ora ho bisogno di un paio di guanti, una sciarpa e un cappello di lana perché fuori si sente molto il freddo. Ho anche bisogno di ragazzo generoso come te che mi aiuti in qualunque modo”.

Quella notte, di nuovo in albergo, Cristina rimuginava le precarie condizioni in cui versava il ragazzo. Pensava di gente, specialmente bambini nel mondo, che sono senztetto. Per ragioni diverse, questi non hanno scelta se non di vivacchiare nelle strade in scatole di cartone nel freddo dell’inverno o nell’estate torrida, mentre lei viveva in una casa comoda insieme alla sua famglia. Prime di addormentarsi, recitò una preghiera per lui e per coloro che non hanno dimora intorno al mondo.

Allora era diventata troppo coinvolta. Decise che una volta arrivata a Malta, avrebbe continuato ad aiutare un’organizzazione che offre rifugio ai senzatetto offrendo il suo tempo a coloro che sono bisognosi. Facendo questa buona opera, lei darebbe il miglior regalo che si possa dare ai poveri.

Cristina ora vi chiede: Conoscete qualcuno che necessita d’aiuto? Che cosa potete fare per aiutare bambini e grandi i quali, non come voi, sono senza dimora e devono vivere di stenti per la strada?

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