The Stranger I Met Today

A boy, about eight or nine years old, walked up to the counter.  He had a stuffed animal – a bull – tucked underneath one arm.  He put the bull on the counter next to the cash register.  Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills and coins.  The paper money was crumpled and the coins seemed unruly in his clenched hand. His fist, like an excavator arm dropping debris, opened and the coins dinged and rolled when they hit the counter. The boy only had about $8.00 and needed more money to purchase the white and brown longhorn.  He was developmentally disabled and didn’t seem to understand that he wouldn’t be able to purchase the toy without another $6.00. 

A guy stood beside the register and came over after the boy said “buy bull” a third time. 

“Whatcha got there, buddy?” the man asked.  He asked in a familiar way, so at first I thought he was the boy’s caretaker or relative.  The boy was fascinated by the beautiful underwater scene on the man’s bicep (it really was stunning, I stared too) sandwiched between the rest of the art running up and down the man’s tattoo sleeve.  While the boy stared up at him, the man pulled out a twenty and laid it on the counter. 

“You’re all set,” he said.  The boy grabbed his bull and bounded off with his treasure.  The man with the sleeves motioned for his girlfriend, who had been looking at the t-shirts.  She joined him at the counter. 

I just had to ask. 

“Excuse me, did you know that little boy?  The one with the bull?”

“No.”

“And you just gave him what he needed to buy it?”

“Yeah.  Look at how happy it made him.” 

Lesson Learned

There really are good people out there.