She was one row over from me at the Food Fair, and I couldn't help but see she was wearing a tshirt with a political slogan.
To make her views even more explicit, she was talking (pretty loudly) on her phone and energetically stating her beliefs and her disdain for those who don't share them.
Wonderful. Just what I needed. I don't hear enough political jargon on the news and the endless TV commercials. I'm afraid I have to disagree with her views. To put it bluntly, I can't understand people who believe as she does, and her beliefs seem ludicrous to me.…. but it's a free country, so I bite my tongue. I try to drown out her talking by concentrating on today’s sudoku puzzle on my phone. But her voice penetrated my concentration, no matter what I did.
The minutes dragged on as The Talker droned on. Honestly, how can anyone believe the trash she’s spouting? What is WRONG with those people?
I was sure everyone in the market could hear her nonsense. I glanced around at the lines between us and spotted our pastor’s wife, Carmen, and her best friend, Lily. They smiled and said, “Hi,” and then Lily motioned her head over toward The Talker and rolled her eyes. Carmen winked. Yeah, they got it. We all wished she’d shush up.
Finally, I reached the cashier and unloaded my groceries. Thank God, I’d be out of here in a few minutes, and The Talker would be merely a brief memory of today. Except.
As I slid my debit card into the machine, a very unpleasant noise greeted me. My bank account was short. What? I quickly checked my balance on my phone and saw that the noise had revealed the truth - I had less money than I’d thought.
Oh, for goodness sake. Earl had told me he was taking money out of the bank this morning. Darn it, darn it.
Well, which of these things will I put back? I sighed and pushed aside my cookies and snack cakes. Maybe this was a sign that I needed to stay on my diet after all. As I pouted, Carmen and Lily passed me on their way out.
“Aww, honey, are you broke?” Lily giggled.
I blushed as red as the apples in my cart. “Not really,” I responded. Just a bit short, but it’s no big deal.”
Lily shrugged, and Carmen smiled. “Well, okay, sweetie. If you’re sure, well, Lord bless you!”
As they left, I sighed again. I put the sweet stuff aside and nodded to the cashier. I just wanted the morning to be done.
“Wait,” I heard from my left side.
It was her. The Talker. As she came into my view, I grimaced again at her ridiculous t-shirt.
She smiled and held out a tendollar bill. “You don’t need to give up your desserts,” she said. “Life is tough, and we all need a treat.”
I was amazed and embarrassed. “Oh, no. You don’t have to do that. You don’t even know me.”
She smiled again and held the bill out again. “Oh, I don’t need to know you. This? This is nothing. Pay it forward if you want to - and God bless you.”
I thanked her profusely, but she only smiled again and shrugged.
She walked back to her court, and I paid for my groceries (yes, I got the cookies and snack cakes) and tried to slink out of the grocery store without anyone else saying anything.
Because I had no idea what to do, the Talker had spent the last fifteen minutes saying things that made me wonder about her sanity. But, of all the people in that store (including two from my church), The Talker had been the only one to help me.
Suddenly, I kind of know how the victim in the Good Samaritan felt.