A pen without a pen

It was late evening, I had stopped at the local supermarket to buy a few things. As I hastily walked towards the car to leave, a man approached me. He was in his late 30s or probably early 40s. He looked haggard and had a stubble. His clothes were soiled & bag hung across his shoulder & chest. He had some thing in his hand... a thick handkerchief. I grew wary as he neared me.

He started speaking softly & discreetly. He said that he had lost his job & is doing odd jobs now to sustain himself. He was carrying some pens (new) covered in piece of cloth and said that he is selling them. Each one was costing 5 Dhs & requested me to buy. Every sale would help reduce the burden on his brother & that he will make "du'a" for me.

I paused for a moment, trying to figure out whether he was genuine or a fake, and then decided to buy one. I gave him the money & asked him to keep the pen so as to sell to someone else. The refusal to take the pen might have offended him. He said that he was not begging, to which I responded that he can accept it as a gift. He agreed and walked away.

As I drove back home, my mind was searching for some answers - Was it sympathy or fear that made me do this? Was he saying the truth or was it a deceptive move?

Answers, possibly, I could never find...