Struggling and surviving are unfortunately common ways of living in today's world. So many of us only have hardly any or just enough resources to get by. It can feel overwhelming and quite challenging at times. But small gestures can go a long way, and in “An Orange Matters" by Chainka, it's the random act of kindness that makes all the difference in someone's life.
Our speaker describes a girl who shared ‘a twin-sized mattress' with her mother; it's all they could seem to afford on her mom's waitress salary. On top of that, they couldn't stay in one place; “...they had to constantly pack their bags." (line 5) Always moving and uprooting one's life can make a person feel as if they don't belong anywhere. Nowhere feels like home to them. All they really had was each other; her father wasn't in the picture, which doesn't seem too concerning, given that “she hasn’t seen the other life / life on that side." (lines 8-9) She had never experienced having a father in her life, so it was hard for her to miss that part of her upbringing.
While there are people who have very little, our speaker is someone who actually was fortunate to have plenty. They mention that their “father overloaded my lunchbox, and i looked for someone to share it with around." (line 10) So not only did they have a father figure in their life growing up who treated them well and took care of them, but they also had enough to give away. More importantly, they wanted to share their abundance with others.
It can be hard to know exactly what's happening in another person's life, if they don't tell us directly. But not saying anything can be just as revealing. So when our speaker asked about the girl's day and the response was, “it was okay," they continue with, “i guess i knew it was the other way;" something in her voice must've obviously shown that she wasn't doing, as well as, she was trying to let on. We want to hide our flaws for fear that others will judge us for having them and see us as being weak. But instead of making her share how she was truly feeling that day or every day of her life, our speaker offers an orange for lunch, a gift that's gladly accepted.
But this small gesture is more than just an orange to her; it was the sign she needed to show her that someone actually cares. It takes years to finally discover what it truly meant and learn that “...on that day she was thinking about taking her life / and right at that time / when she got it all planned and finally plucked up the courage / i sat near her and shared my orange." To think that something so small and seemingly insignificant can make that kind of an impact on another is astonishing.
Chainka uses this memory of sharing an orange to show us how far our kind acts can go. Our good deeds carry so much power with them. And we never know just how much asking someone, “How are you today?" or opening a door for a stranger can affect another. Maybe even save them. It's the little things that leave behind the biggest footprints and stay in our hearts long afterwards.
Written by Rosella Weigand