Writers 
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
The first time David stole from someone, he told himself it was nothing serious.
It was just a phone.
He had seen it lying on a desk in the school library while its owner, Michael, stepped outside to answer a call. David looked around, slipped the phone into his bag, and walked away as though nothing had happened.
Michael searched everywhere for it. He even reported the matter to the teacher.
David remained silent.
When the teacher asked if anyone knew anything about the missing phone, David shook his head confidently.
“No, sir. I don't know anything about it.”
His friends admired him for getting away with it. David felt clever. From that day, he began to believe that life was about being smart enough to take advantage of others before they took advantage of you.
A few weeks later, David noticed that Michael had stopped bringing expensive things to school. David laughed about it with his friends.
“He has learned his lesson,” he joked.
But David had not learned his own.
As time passed, he became known for borrowing things and refusing to return them. He borrowed money, books, chargers and even school materials. Whenever someone confronted him, he always had an excuse.
“Tomorrow.”
“Next week.”
“I forgot.”
Eventually, people stopped trusting him.
One afternoon, David's mother gave him money to pay his school fees. She trusted him completely.
“Please, David,” she said, “make sure you pay it tomorrow. I don't want you to have problems at school.”
David promised.
But on his way to school, he saw a group of friends buying snacks and playing games at a nearby shop. He wanted to join them. Before long, the money meant for his school fees was gone.
Fear immediately replaced excitement.
He knew he had made a terrible mistake.
That evening, he returned home and told his mother that the school had changed the payment deadline.
She believed him.
The next morning, however, everything changed.
While David was walking to school, someone bumped into him and his bag fell to the ground. Before he could pick it up, another boy grabbed his wallet and ran.
David chased him, shouting.
“Stop! Please!”
But the boy disappeared around the corner.
David stood there helplessly.
When he finally reached school, he was already late. He entered the classroom quietly and sat down.
Then the teacher announced something that made his heart stop.
“Students, we have received reports about missing belongings. Anyone caught stealing will face serious consequences.”
David lowered his head.
For the first time, he understood how Michael had felt when his phone disappeared.
He remembered the fear, confusion and helplessness he had caused someone else.
Later that day, David saw Michael sitting alone.
David walked toward him.
“Michael,” he said quietly.
Michael looked up.
“I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
David swallowed hard.
“I took your phone.”
Michael stared at him in disbelief.
“I should have told the truth a long time ago.”
David returned the phone, which he had kept hidden at home.
“I am sorry.”
Michael was silent for a moment before saying, “You should have thought about how you would feel if someone did the same thing to you.”
Those words stayed with David.
He eventually confessed everything to his mother and teacher. He accepted the consequences and began working to regain everyone's trust.
It was not easy.
Trust, he discovered, was much harder to rebuild than it was to destroy.
From that day forward, David became more careful about how he treated people.
He learned that every action has a way of returning to us.
The kindness we give may come back when we need it most. The pain we cause may eventually find its way back to our own doorstep.
What goes around comes around.
So before you hurt someone, cheat someone, or take advantage of someone, pause and ask yourself:
“What if this comes back to me?”
