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One weekend morning, I accompanied my mother to the nearby market for our regular fruit and veg shop. My mother continued browsing when I offered to take the groceries back to the vehicle, which was stuffed into a little red trolley. It resembled a magical bag – quite a small thing, but it was astonishing how much you could fit inside. Or so we thought.

With the trolley heaving under the weight of an packed load of groceries, my mum placed a box of sweet melons on top. She cautioned me to be cautious taking it back to the car.

All was going well as I weaved my way through the throngs of people and out of the market. But as I was crossing the chaotically busy main crossing into the market, the trolley got stuck on the road divider in the middle of the road, and the box of melons tumbled to the ground. They scattered, dramatically rolling out towards passersby and waiting cars.

As the pedestrian signal changed from go to stop, I was shocked, speechless, trying to figure out how I was going to retrieve the melons rolling in six different directions.

Suddenly, a group of several older women came to my assistance. White hair, head scarves and one with a cane – they appeared as if they had emerged of the same nesting doll. They weren’t deterred by the cars creeping their way towards us. Completely brave, they just held up their hands to stop the vehicles, in each direction. They gathered all the melons for me, not missing a single one, as I fixed the box to contain them.

I thanked them and they didn’t say a word, just smiled and gestured me goodbye. I didn’t eat the melons – I was never a real fan of honeydew melon – but I share this anecdote all the time because I adore it so much.

What is the Kindest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?

Whether it brightened your day to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have remained in your memory.

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