A Thing

You accept the man's offer and together you work towards your case. Over the next five years you and him fight a battle against the judge and eventually, you are pardoned of your crime. A few years later you and the man with the rags - who has never shown you his face before - are sitting on a beach on some remote island enjoying life to it's fullest when you ask him: "why?" The man sits up a bit and turns to you. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" he responds. You continue on and ask him why he would spend so much time of his life helping some random stranger win a case. The man laughs a little bit at a joke seemingly only he understands."Well," he says "think of it as a thank you." You don't understand, "a thank you for what?" you ask. The man looks down "well, its complicated. See, you've already done it, and yet you've also never done it, but there was something you did once that helped me a lot." Before you can respond, in the blink of an eye the man is gone, and you faintly smell almonds in the breeze.

You never do figure out why that man helped you, everyday for the rest of your life you ponder it, trying to think what you could have possibly done.

Years later, when you're lying on your death bed the man in rags comes to visit you one more time.You don't say anything and just watch as he talks to you."I never did tell you why, did I?" You shake your head. "Well" the man continues. "Lets just say that what you did for me was like a $100 tip." Then the man is gone again, and you die alone in your bed, confused, but happy.

You died.