In Summary
Somboon Wu, who was working that night with his
father, remembers that the night was cold. He also remembers the man
buying beer, then asking for cigarettes. And when Wu’s father opened the
cash register, he remembers the customer pulling out a handgun and
demanding all the cash in the register.
About 12 years ago, a man in a hoodie with his
face almost covered came into the InterAsian Market and Deli on
Nolensville Pike Road in Nashville, Tennessee. It was near closing time.
Somboon Wu, who was working that night with his
father, remembers that the night was cold. He also remembers the man
buying beer, then asking for cigarettes. And when Wu’s father opened the
cash register, he remembers the customer pulling out a handgun and
demanding all the cash in the register.
Wu says his father, Keosavanh Xayarath, always
said two things: “Stay calm” and “Money can be replaced”. So he gave the
guy the cash. The store had been open for several years by that point
and had never been robbed before. That robbery was the only time his
father had been threatened with a gun, according to Wu.
Other than a deep gratitude that no one was hurt, the incident didn’t really change the family much.
Fast forward to September 6, 2013. Two men
approach the younger Wu at the market and explain they have something to
leave for the owner. One man places a white envelope on the counter.“He
told me to make sure the owner got it because there was money inside,”
Wu said. “I slid the envelope back toward him and told him he’d have to
come back when my dad came in. I was wary of these two.”
The two men retrieved the envelope and stepped
outside, where Wu watched them talk to each other. Then they walked back
in, dropped the envelope on the counter and walked away. “I didn’t know
what it was, so I took it to our attorney,” Wu said. “He was floored.”
In addition to $400, inside the envelope was a handwritten note on yellow notepaper. It begun, “I am a drug addict.”
The letter went on to explain, with a few
misspellings, that the money and letter were an attempt to make amends
to the store owner for the 12-year-old robbery.
The family posted a photo of the letter to
Instagram and Twitter with the caption, “To the anonymous person, we
want to tell you all is forgiven and thank you for the note. We don’t
care about the money. We are more inspired and touched by your act.
We hope you find peace in life and prosperity. Best wishes!”
Wu said his father wished he would have recognised
the man. When asked what the men looked like, Wu said he didn’t want to
go into too much detail out of respect for his wishes to remain
anonymous. Xayarath also told Wu he wished he had known then what the
robber was going through.
“We think he had a lot of courage to come back and
say he’s sorry,” Wu said. “He may not realise how many lives he’s
touched. If he happens to read this and if he ever wants to talk, he is
welcome back here.” (CNN).
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
