By Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com
COLLINSVILLE, Ala. — Last weekend, Lee County Commissioner and brother to Fort Payne City Council candidate Randall Ham, Robert Ham Jr. made a stop on his way from Auburn in DeKalb County to gas up before picking up his brother and heading to the Nascar races in Bristol, Tenn.
After noticing how nice the Hi-Tech gas station, located at 3697 SR-68 in Collinsville, was where he stopped, he bought a snack. He was so excited about the homemade brownies that he wound up leaving his wallet with a large amount of cash and credit cards in it.
After picking up his brother Randall and driving to Bristol, the pair stopped to refuel, Ham noticed he didn’t have his wallet, and he thought he may have left his wallet in his camper; however, after tearing the camper apart, he did not find it. That’s when it dawned on him that “those homemade brownies caused him to leave his wallet behind in Collinsville.”
He panicked and Randall replied that he knew a police officer in Collinsville to call. After the call, it was discovered that his wallet had been found.
Collinsville Police Chief Rex Leath looked and stated that everything was accounted for, including the cash, cards, and Ham’s CDL license, thanks to one guy: Rickey Prajapati.
Prajapati, who works at Hi-Tech, turned in the wallet.
When coming back through Collinsville, Ham stopped to thank Prajapati for finding his wallet and offered him $500 for his kind gesture.
Prajapati, who is from India, stated that it would be insulting to accept money just for doing a good deed, based on his cultural beliefs.
“This is how God wants me to live my life,” said Prajapati. Ham didn’t want to offend, but insisted that it would offend him to not return the kind gesture, and offered to carry him out to lunch, but Prajapati insisted that he instead come to his house when he came back into town and allow him to cook for his family.
Commissioner Ham wanted this story told because he wanted everyone in DeKalb County to know, not only what an outstanding man Mr. Prajapati is, but also that even in dark times, there’s still a little light in the world.
