A week ago, I happened to go out early in the morning to check the work of the bricklayers for the construction of the classrooms. The number of pupils at the Sainte Marie school has increased and new classrooms are needed.

I returned home around 10 am and, when opening the gate from the courtyard, I saw two strangers get up from under a tree and head towards me. Their sudden appearance and their way of moving made a certain impression on me. If someone had told me they were brigands, I would not have hesitated to believe him: the aspect is there they had it all.

I became serious and asked, “Are you looking for someone?”

“We are looking for you” – they replied. This didn’t really please me.

I looked them over carefully and said, “I don’t remember ever seeing you.”

“But we saw you when you crossed over the great river” – was their reply. The place where I had made that bridge was the ford of the brigands, a place easy to cross for those who flee with stolen oxen.  These gentlemen therefore came from the villages of the brigands. This revelation of where they had come from did nothing to give me certain calm.

“Is there a problem?” – I immediately asked.

“No, we have no do problems, we just want to ask you a question,” they answered simply.  I now understood that they were in no hurry and this reassured me a little: I began to think that, perhaps, they had no bad intentions.

I invited them to sit down and we crouched down on simple big stones under a tree in the courtyard.

As we sat down, I imagined that they wanted to ask me to take an interest in some of their relatives arrested by the gendarmes and taken to Ihosy for being involved in the theft of oxen.  The people of those villages always had some requests of that kind; whenever I returned there I expected from them some request regarding their children: for example, about them attending school.

As soon as they were seated, they said to me: «We came to the market and we have to sell rice. We have heard that you always are looking out for children.   So, before selling the rice to others, we have come to ask you if you want to buy it.  We’d rather sell it to you, who are mpanao soa [benefactor] of our children ».

Now, I never would have imagined that these men could have this kind altruistic thoughts.  I was speechless and gave them a big smile. They immediately smiled back at me too.

“We have been looking for rice for a long time – I explained – because we have more than 500 children who are at risk of starvation and malaria”.

They replied, “Some friends here at the market told us the same, and we so decided to come looking for you.” 

I thanked them on behalf of all the children who would now be saved by their laughter.

We immediately entered into negotiations and I agreed to purchase all eleven bags they had brought in their carts.  After settling accounts, I greeted them with great warmth and thanked them again.

I was so pleased to hear their parting words: « Mompera, the children you help are our children,: it is we who must thank you. Veloma. ” So they left.

But this story doesn’t end there. What happened now remains etched in my memory in every detail and never ceases to surprise me.  Even today, a week later, I am still asking myself: how did these wild people, who came from the brigands’ villages, over 20 km. away, having left home with the carts since 3:00 am, still have the desire to go look for the Mompera to find out if he needed rice for the children?

So, who did place in the hearts of these rough gentlemen such a rare, delicate concern for the suffering of the little ones?

Can anyone tell me now that Providence doesn’t exist!

Father Tonino, Jangany. South Madagascar

Trans:  P. Dan Paul Borlik, cm