helping?

Today when i was going to school, via Clementi Interchange, from the bus I saw a blind man with a stick milling about the interchange looking lost. When I alighted, he was still wandering around, so I approached him and offered to bring him to where he wants to go.

He said he needs to go to the MRT, so I held his hand and guided him there. On the way he asked me if I am working, and have I eaten my lunch. I replied politely in the negative to both.

When we reached the MRT, he told me that he lives in Clementi, that he had no business here (I assume he is talking about selling tissues etc.) and so he is going over to Jurong Point to have lunch and try his luck there. Then he asked me if I have some change, in Hokkien. (to my surprise, I found myself able to converse pretty well in Hokkien.)

So I was pondering if I should give him some money, then he asked again if I have 2 dollar coins. Then I said yea, and looking thru my wallet, I found a 2 dollar note and gave him that. Then I wanted to guide him up the escalator to the MRT, but he declined, saying that I am rushing for time (which I didnt say), and that he would ask another person around for help.

So okay, I left at that point. Then the aunty at the newspaper stall nearby who saw everything, told me in Hokkien:

"That guy is a conman."
"He can see, not blind."
"His father is very rich loh, a businessman who drives a Mercedes."
"His sisters also very rich one."
"He always take a cab, and wear loud orange clothes with girls in his arms." (not sure if I caught this properly, cos my Hokkien is after all, not very good)
"A lot of conmen in Clementi."

ahh... nvm loh, 2 dollar nia.

"2 dollar also alot loh. When you hungry then you short of 2 dollars, then you will know that."

That's true.

So I was wondering: who to believe? Probably the aunty, then it would mean I was cheated. But does that mean we should be cautious of helping blind/handicapped people? Maybe.

What's the moral of the story? There is no moral of the story; morals are for fiction. Reality has too many grey areas to draw any substantial morals from it. Just be cautious bah. If you ask me, maybe what I learnt is that helping people is ok, but when they ask you for money.... depends on the situation loh.