The kindness of strangers: my melons went flying and a group of old ladies came to the rescue

"But as I was crossing the chaotically busy main intersection into the market, the trolley got stuck on the traffic island in the middle of the road, and the box of melons fell to the ground. They went flying, spectacularly tumbling out towards pedestrians and waiting cars. As the little walking man changed from green to red, I was stunned, mouth agape, trying to process how I was going to collect the melons shooting in six different directions."

"Out of nowhere, a group of three or four older women came to my rescue. White hair, head scarves and one with a walking stick they looked like they had stepped out of the same babushka doll. They weren't deterred by the cars inching their way towards us. Utterly fearless, they just held up their hands to stop the traffic, in both directions. They collected all the melons for me, not missing a single one, as I fixed the box to hold them."

A person accompanies their mum to the local market and offers to take the weekly groceries back to the car in a small red trolley that holds surprising amounts. The trolley becomes heavy and a box of honeydew melons is placed on top. While crossing a chaotic main intersection the trolley catches on a traffic island and the melons spill spectacularly across the road. A group of three or four older women with white hair and headscarves step in, stopping traffic with raised hands and collecting every melon. The helper women smile, wave, and leave without speaking. The memory is cherished.

Read at www.theguardian.com