Summary
A simple laundry service in Bali reminded me that giving is not about money. Sometimes a small gesture can change the day of both parties.
My life has been transformed into a series of realizations.
I love when something completely ordinary teaches me something. Something that may not be new. We just repeat it while sitting on a bench with life.
This will be a short post, because although the experience is once again huge, the story behind it is quite simple.
I mentioned earlier that the laundry here is not self-service, but in home laundries.
Wherever I have been, there are 3 price categories. Two-day, one-day and half-day laundry. Logically, the fastest is the most expensive.
The clothes are weighed on a scale and the owner sets the prices based on that. At my usual place, this means 40,000, 50,000 and 60,000 IDR per kilogram.
Yesterday I went to wash one last time because I didn’t have a single clean T-shirt left today.
I had about two kilograms of clothes, I planned to wash them for a day, so I was prepared that the whole thing would cost about 100,000 rupees.
However, the shop was closed without any explanation.
After doing the laundry, I wanted to eat, so I took my small package and headed towards the Japanese restaurant, where I planned to have lunch today. In the meantime, I decided to drop off my clothes at the next laundromat.
I soon came across a small workshop open to the street, where a woman was ironing when I got there. As I see it, there is nothing comfortable in these shops, only work and the people working there. For some reason, I was immediately struck by the quiet humility with which I saw the woman working.
Of course, she stopped working immediately to be at my disposal. We weighed the clothes, and they did indeed weigh two kilograms.
The price she asked for the laundry was a steal!
She asked for 30,000 IDR (600 HUF, 1.8 USD). Not even a third of what I usually pay at the other place.
I wanted to settle the bill immediately and gave her a 50,000 rupiah note, saying that it was fine, I wouldn’t ask for a refund.
With that 20,000 rupiah (200 HUF, 0.6 USD), I almost doubled what the woman asked for.
And with that 20,000 rupiah, I gave myself another gift.
Not with money. With a moment.
The incredulous amazement, then the respectful joy with which the washerwoman took the money would be worth anything to me, to see it as many times as possible.
Not for my own pleasure. For hers. For the other person.
Today, when I went back to get the clothes, she greeted me with my name on her lips and a smile on her lips.
I didn’t know yet how my day would turn out.
Now I’m sitting in a cafe and at 5:30 PM it’s clear what awaits me today.
So I can clearly see that before my trip to Thailand tomorrow, I don’t need the 65,000 IDR (1,300 HUF, 4 USD) that I have in my pocket.
I’m going back to her.
And I’m giving both of us a shared experience.
…
I had no intention of writing what happened in the laundry. But the story demands a second ending.
The washerwoman was working. I don’t know her name – that’s fine – but she immediately greeted me by name.
I told her that I was leaving tomorrow and that I had some money that I no longer needed, that I wanted to give it to her, please accept it. She understood what I was saying, but she saw the 50,000 rupees on top of the three banknotes. I sensed that she didn’t believe me, and then – when she was able to speak – she asked why?
I lied to her that it was for my pleasure. It was a lot, she said. I assured her that it was nothing, but that was another lie, because her tears showed how much money it was.
We both smiled through our tears.
And I quickly left her there, showing many wai. I held her last words in my heart: “Thank you, Steve!”
On the way back to the coffee shop – while my tears dried – I thought about how little it takes for a miracle to happen.
Today taught me that miracles don’t happen often. It’s simply a choice.Buy me a coffee?
If you enjoyed this story, you can buy me a coffee. You don’t have to – but it means a lot and I always turn it into a new adventure.
Buy a coffee for Steve
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