Late Night on a Rickshaw: The Heartwarming Happiness of Jestham Treating a Rickshaw Father Who Scrapes for a Living for His Children

Medan City, North Sumatra—(03/17/26) The night was already quite late, and the streets were starting to get quiet. Only occasionally did the sound of a passing vehicle break the silence. In the midst of this solitude, Jestham came across a scene that immediately touched her heart. A middle-aged father was fast asleep on top of his old rickshaw. He looked exhausted; perhaps he had been pedaling around since the afternoon, yet not a single passenger had approached him.

Jestham couldn't hold back her feelings. She approached him and gently woke the father up. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I have some blessings from God. May I treat you to shop for basic necessities as much as you'd like over there?" Jestham asked, pointing to a minimarket. With sleepy but starting-to-sparkle eyes, the father replied, "Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), sure." Jestham then took the father's rough hand and led him into the store, a place he might have never entered before. "I've never been inside here before," the father said innocently, revealing how foreign the simple luxury of a supermarket was to him.

Upon entering, Jestham immediately invited the father to choose. "Shop for your household needs. What is the most important thing for you right now?" Jestham asked. Without thinking long, the father answered, "Rice. Cooking oil." Jestham quickly guided him towards the shelves. Along the way, it was revealed that he was 59 years old. Jestham then decided not to set a time limit, letting the father choose calmly. Item by item—rice, cooking oil, and eggs—they went into the basket.

Even though Jestham kept putting items in, the father repeatedly looked uncomfortable. "This is too much," he said in disbelief. However, Jestham kept reassuring him, "It's okay, let me add some more." Similarly, when asked about coffee, sardines, sweet soy sauce, and sugar. "Don't put too much, Ma'am," the father said with a small laugh because Jestham kept adding soap and other necessities. Jestham just laughed and replied, "Relax, Sir, it's fine. Stock up at home." She even attentively took some bread, saying, "So the kids at home can be happy eating bread in the morning."

In between shopping, Jestham went deeper into his story. It turned out the father had four children at home. He hadn't gone home even though the night was late because he hadn't gotten any passengers. "So I wait until late like this," he said softly. Jestham then asked, "If you could say something to your children, what would you want to tell them?" With eyes starting to moisten, the father replied, "I hope my children won't end up like their father." That they can become better. Father is sorry for not making the children too happy." Jestham immediately encouraged him, "But you diligently work until late at night for your family." That already makes them happy."

The emotion grew even stronger when Jestham asked about preparations for Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr). It turned out the father hadn't bought Lebaran clothes for his children yet. In fact, the shirt he was wearing was a gift from someone and was already 20 years old. "This is an election shirt," he joked bitterly. Jestham couldn't hold back her tears. She then gave a little extra sustenance. "I have a little blessing for you to take home to buy Lebaran clothes," Jestham said. As soon as the money was in his hand, the father could hardly believe it. "Ma'am, I have never held this much money before," he said with a trembling voice, repeatedly saying, "Alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin (Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds)."

Not stopping there, Jestham also bought dates, syrup, and cookies to prepare for the holiday. "Have you bought Lebaran cookies yet? Not yet. Let me buy them for you," Jestham said. The father could only nod with a radiant face, his mouth continuously uttering thanks. The cold, tiring night turned into a night full of warmth. Jestham had transformed a simple grocery shopping trip into a moment that reminds us all that behind every parked rickshaw, there is the tireless struggle of a father.

Let us support the struggle of this rickshaw father and see how a small act of kindness can bring about a big change for a family. Because behind the fatigue visible on his face lies a father's simple prayer: that his children will not experience hardship like his own. And that night, Jestham became the answer to a prayer that the father had perhaps been silently offering for a long time."