A 75-year-old man orders 14 bottles of mineral water every day, the delivery person gets suspicious and calls the police, everyone is shocked as soon as the door opens.
I am Manoj – I work for a small agency in a town in Uttar Pradesh that does mineral water delivery. This job is hard, but it helps me earn a steady living. Among my clients is a 75-year-old man who left an unforgettable impression on me.
He orders 14 bottles of 20 liters of mineral water every day. Regularly, without losing weight in a single day. When I first received the order, I thought maybe he opened a restaurant or was giving it to a group. But when I reached that address, I saw that it was a small and old house at the end of a deserted street.
The strange thing was that he didn’t let me in a little, he just opened the door a little and put the money in an envelope. I put the 14 bottles in front of the door and turned around, I didn’t hear any sound from inside. I kept thinking: How can an old man who lives alone use so much water every day?
After half a month, the case became more and more suspicious. Usually, a large family only consumes 1-2 bottles of water a week, but this old man consumed 14 bottles of water every day. Once I asked him gently:
Why do you use so much water?
He just smiled slightly, didn’t answer and quietly closed the door. There was something mysterious in his smile that made me think for a long time.
I was worried: Is there any benefit in that? Or is there something strange happening in that house? After a few days of thinking, I decided to call 112 and report it.
The next day, some policemen from the local police station arrived in front of the house. When I knocked on the door, the old man calmly came out. But when the policemen entered and asked to check, he stopped and then nodded slowly.
The door opened a little… And we were all surprised. There was no fear inside. In fact, dozens of large plastic bottles were neatly stacked, filled with pure mineral water. Each bottle was carefully labeled: “For the neighbors”, “for the public primary school”, “for the PHC health center”, “For the Anganwadi”, “For the Hanuman temple near the Bazaar”…
The policemen surprised us. Seeing our faces, the old man smiled gently:
“I’m old, I can’t help it. I just think that the poor people around here lack clean water. I ordered a lot of water, and every day I ask the children in the neighborhood to go and get water and distribute it. Those in need get free drinking water.
When I heard this, tears welled up in my eyes. It turns out that he has been quietly doing charity work for a long time. These 14 daily bottles of water are a symbol of his love for the poor, for the thirsty children in the scorching heat.
A police officer asked emotionally:
“What noble work are you doing?” But why didn’t you tell anyone, which is annoying to many people?
The old man smiled calmly, his voice trembling:
— I don’t want to show off. As long as everyone has clean water to drink, I’m resting.
It turned out that he was a former soldier of the Indian Army. Having joined the war, he understood the importance of every sip of water. When he got old, he bought mineral water from his pension and gave it to everyone around him.
That day, both the policeman and I were emotional. The image of that 75-year-old man, thin but with a kind heart, is one we will never forget.
From then on, I was no longer just a “water deliverer.” I helped him deliver water to the distribution centers and share it with the people. Gradually, many people in the city heard the story and joined in. Many donors gave money to help him continue his charity work.
A month later, when I returned, I found that the yard was more lively than before. Many children were holding water bottles, laughing, playing, talking innocently and talking. Next to him was an old man with gray hair and his eyes shining with joy.
I suddenly understood: Sometimes, there are beautiful things hidden behind seemingly strange things. If I hadn’t been suspicious that day and hadn’t called the police, I would never have known that there was such a tolerant heart hidden behind that half-closed door.
And every time I think of “the image of a 75-year-old man ordering 14 bottles of mineral water every day”, my heart rejoices. In the midst of a fast-paced life, there are still people today who quietly sow the seeds of goodness, making this world more relevant and lovable.