The Wrong Transfer

Lina sent her father some money on her phone. She meant to send 200 pounds. But she sent 2,000 pounds by mistake. Her father, Sami, called her right away. "Why did you send so much?" he asked. "I do not need this money." Lina said it was fine. She wanted to help him. But her voice was quiet.

On Sunday, they had dinner at his small flat. The table was full of food. Sami cooked rice and chicken. They ate and talked about the weather. Then Lina looked at his old sofa. It had a big hole in the middle. "You must buy a new sofa," she said. Sami put down his fork. "I do not want your money," he said. "I worked hard all my life. I am not a poor man." His face was red.

Lina felt hurt. "I never said you were poor," she said. "When I was little, you worked every night. You came home tired. Now I have a good job. I just want to say thank you." Her eyes were wet. Sami said nothing for a minute.

Then he spoke slowly. "Your mother and I came here with nothing," he said. "We shared one room. I washed dishes. I drove a taxi. It was hard. But I always paid for my family. That was my job. If I take your money, I feel small."

Lina understood. She touched his hand. "You are not small," she said. "You are the strongest man I know." Sami smiled a little. He stood up and went to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, he came back with a bowl of hot soup. "Your mother's recipe," he said. "Eat. You look tired." Lina ate the soup. It was warm and salty. She felt like a child again.