The world of Tzu Chi September-October 2021 (Vol.137)

2021 • 10 12 pecial Feature Narrated by Ch’ng Chung Seong Compiled by Yap Chai Hoon Translated by Jilly Bong Photo by Sam Pin Fook Your smile is my reward Although each shift lasted for ten hours, I remained steadfast because all I wanted to do was to help others and perform good deeds. I felt more than content to be rewarded with a smile. I had presumed that my role as a traffic control team volunteer was merely to wave the wand and direct traffic. As it turned out, it was not as simple as that. One day, a man arrived on a motorcycle, claiming to be a vaccinee. As it was getting late, he anxiously urged us to let him in immediately. For crowd control and to ensure a smooth process, the traffic control team volunteers had to ensure that only those with an appointment were allowed to enter the vaccination centre. Hence, I requested him to present his identity card. While verifying his identity with the registration counter via intercom, I reassured him, “Do not worry! I will verify it for you.” However, he lost patience and demanded to know why I did not allow him in even though he had rushed over from a long distance away. Such a situation is common in the