In a crowded part of the city, where small houses stood close like matchboxes, lived a poor man named Kunle. His room was so tiny that he could touch the walls without even standing up. He had no bed, just a mat. No fan, only fresh air from a small broken window.
Kunle was a shoemaker. Every day, he sat in front of his small wooden shop, fixing people’s shoes. He didn’t have much, but he had a kind heart. If someone came and couldn’t pay, Kunle still helped them. He believed that one day, life would smile at him too.
He had no family, no helper, and no friend to lean on. But he was always cheerful, always thankful.
One hot afternoon, a man Kunle had never seen before stopped by his shop. He dropped a pair of shoes for repair and sat for a while. When the man stood up and left, he forgot a black bag beside the bench.
Kunle didn’t notice it until evening. He was about to close his shop when he saw the bag. Curious, he opened it slightly… and what he saw made him freeze.
Bundles of money. So much money that Kunle had never seen in his life.
His heart beat fast. “What should I do?” he whispered. He could run away. No one saw the man drop the bag. No one would know.
But Kunle shook his head. “This is not my own. I must wait.”
That night, Kunle didn’t sleep. He kept thinking about the money. But he still kept the bag safe, untouched.
The next morning, the same man returned.
“Good morning, sir,” he greeted politely. “Please, did I forget something here yesterday?”
Kunle took a deep breath and brought out the bag. “You forgot this, sir.”
The man opened it, counted the money, and looked at Kunle for a long time.
“You didn’t touch anything?” he asked.
Kunle shook his head. “No sir.”
The man smiled slowly. Then he said, “My name is Mr. Ade. I came here to test your heart. That bag… it was a test. I wanted to see if any good man still lives in this city.”
Kunle stood still, confused.
“I’m a businessman,” Mr. Ade said. “I’ve seen rich people steal, and poor people steal. But you… you chose honesty.”
Then, to Kunle’s shock, Mr. Ade pushed the bag back into his hands.
“This money… is now yours,” he said.
Kunle stepped back. “Sir? Please don’t joke with me,” he said, shaking.
“I’m not joking. I want to bless you. You deserve it.”
Tears filled Kunle’s eyes. He fell on his knees and cried and cried. Not because of the money alone, but because someone finally saw his good heart. All his years of struggle, his prayers, his honesty they were not wasted.
From that day, Kunle’s life changed. He moved out of the tiny room. He opened a big shoe factory and started helping others, the same way he had once wished someone would help him.
Moral of the story:
Goodness is never wasted. Even when no one is watching, be honest. One day, your reward will find you.
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