Mauro is a taxi driver in São Paulo, Brazil. This is a true story.

One day, Mauro picked up a woman and her two children from a poor neighborhood in Zona Leste, a region in the eastern part of São Paulo, and drove them to Hospital das Clínicas. The fare was about four dollars (twenty reais).

As soon as she got into the car, she handed him a folded twenty-real bill, paying in advance. One of the boys was very talkative and articulate; the other, slightly older, was completely silent. The mother explained that they were heading to a consultation at the hospital and that mental health appointments usually take a long time. She added that the older boy was six years old and still did not speak.

They stopped at a red light. While they were waiting, another child walked up to the car and placed a small bag of peanut candy¹ — known in Brazil as paçoca — against the window, trying to sell it. The talkative boy asked his mother to buy it. She explained that she didn't have any extra money. The only money she had was what the children's grandmother had given her to pay for the taxi so they wouldn't miss the appointment. They had left home late and couldn't afford to lose the consultation. The boy grumbled and insisted, saying he could even share the candy with his brother (who doesn't speak yet). His mother gently repeated that she didn't have any money. Just then, the seller returned to retrieve the small bag from the window.

At that moment, Mauro rolled down the window and handed the boy a bill of two reais. Then he passed the small bag back to the children in the rear seat. A small celebration erupted in the back seat. The mother asked, "What do we say when someone gives us something?" "Thank you, sir!", the boy replied enthusiastically. She explained that they had left home early and hadn’t even had breakfast, and the boy thanked Mauro again profusely.

The older boy, who still did not speak, smiled broadly and (believe it or not) leaned forward and kissed the driver on the cheek. His mother smiled and said, "That’s just the way he is. What he lacks in words, he makes up for in affection".

1. That peanut candy is called paçoca, a traditional Brazilian sweet made from ground peanuts, sugar, and a pinch of salt. It has a soft, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth and a rich, nutty flavor. It’s simple, homemade, and surprisingly delicious. ↩︎