Today, the last day of April, our apartment complex had a yard sale planned. It is one of those times that we just try to get rid of a few things that is taking up space and we don't need anymore. The weather didn't look good as it had rained a little overnight and as I took Cookie on her morning walk at 6:30 a.m.it was drizzling heavily. I walked back to the apartment and told my wife that it didn't look good for the yard sale. We decided that maybe it wouldn't happen.
We had our breakfast and at 7:45 a.m. I took a little walk to see what it was like outside. It had stopped drizzling but was still very cloudy. It was a cool day, exceptionally cool for the end of April in North Carolina. However, it looked like it wasn't going to rain anymore so I got our little table and the things that we wanted to sell and set it up on the sidewalk that runs along the street next to our apartment building.
Another woman was setting up close to us and we chatted about a lot of things as people walked by looking at what we had to offer. Lina and I got to meet one of our neighbors that we had not met before. Events like this always bring people together.
It was an hour or so after the yard sale started that a little boy and a little girl came up to my table. They were I am guessing at five and seven years old. The girl was the youngest of the two it it was obvious that they were brother and sister. I had a stuffed Tweety Bird there that the little girl obviously wanted. She said how much is that. I said a dollar but I will let you have it for fifty cents. The young boy picked up a Spiderman pinball machine that I had leaning against our table. It was still in the original box. It was something we bought as a gift about ten years ago, but decided to give something else instead. He asked how much it was as he was looking it over, saying, "wow, it's neat."
I told him that he could have it for two dollars. I said, "You will have to go ask your mommy if you can have it." He started to walk away carrying it and I told him he would have to leave it here until he got the money.
Off they went to see their mother. I didn't know if they would come back or not.
Meanwhile a woman that parked on the other side of the street was standing near the edge of the road. She walked up and said, "I want to buy those things for those two kids." She handed me a twenty dollar bill and I asked her if she had anything smaller. She didn't but I just happened to have enough change. I counted out seventeen one dollar bills. I was reaching into my pocket to get her fifty cents and she said, "Forget it, three dollars is a fine price." I thanked her for her kindness as she walked away.
In a few minutes the two kids came back and the little girl went to hand me two dollars and fifty cents. I said, "Forget it, give the money back to your mommy. A nice lady just bought those two things for you guys." The little girl walked away carrying the yellow Tweety Bird and the boy was beaming with a smile carrying the Spiderman little pinball machine.
I saw two little kids walk away with something today that they wanted so much. I also saw a woman that I have no idea who she was do a simple act of kindness in making two little kids very happy. I am proud to have met a woman today that did an act of kindness. God Bless her for giving me faith in people. It is people like her that makes me happy to get up every day.
Copyright Larry W. Fish 2016
www.larrywfish.com
