Lost kindness, I declare it null and void

For as long as I can remember, I have relied on kindness in my relationships with other people. I am not the most talkative of people, but kindness has, until recently, gotten me out of many possible troubles.

On Sunday, in a consistently cold weather, I went with a colleague to one of the fairs where old, new, lost, found, recycled, borrowed things are sold and bought. Since integrating into the atmosphere is best done by asking and, if possible, buying, I got to the point of purchasing a battery for a semi-functional radio (in the sense that it is made not to bother the neighbors: the speaker is mute, but you can hear it very well if you put headphones on it), in turn taken from the fair.

I asked what the price of the battery was, I confirmed that I was buying it, the salesman struggled a bit to install it, but he succeeded, after which I thanked him.

Major mistake!

"Wait a minute," the salesman said, continuing: "Here, if you take something, you pay, not "thank you' and that's it. Give me the money!". I explained that the thanks were for the effort and did not exclude payment. I admit that I was prepared for this moment. Lately, I have slammed a few pleasantries into the wall, including in stores where I was informed that "you don't have to, I'm paid for this". I admit, I have also gotten a "with love", but this is no longer an answer, but a verbal tic.

In the subway, at the entrance to the apartment building or at the market, I have also gotten some questioning-accusatory looks after some simple pleasantries.

One thing is certain: politeness is no longer fashionable. Indifference is in power, cold, efficient and without a reply.

I declare kindness lost.

If anyone finds it, let them know that I am not offering a reward. Anyway, it has become null and void.