It is a chilly Tuesday morning. The homeless locals gather in the courtyard in front of the ancient temple on Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, in Hong Kong. The courtyard is infamous for being a hangout for drug addicts, outlaws and the homeless. Drug addicts will come here to wait for the local Methadone Dispensing Service to open, if they run short of money to buy heroin. The people sitting in the courtyard look bored, possibly by the cold and the clouds which are predicted to hang around all week, bringing with them a depressed mood around the courtyard.
Seventy-five year old Nancy Tang, a regular visitor to the courtyard lightens up the courtyard with her visit. Year after year she turns up on mornings when the hong kong observatory issues a cold temperature warning. She comes to give away fifty or so gift bags containing food and scarves knitted by two of her equally elderly girl-friends. Nancy moves slowly because of the cold and her little left vision. She gives out the gift packs with the warmest smile on her face to chase the clouds away. For the weaker recipients, she wraps the scarves around their necks. Her children at work have never been told about her visits, in case they should be worried about her safety.
It's difficult not to believe in angels if you have seen one.
Image credit: www.appledaily.com
