Last night I had one of the most painful experiences of my life. I was in a supermarket where the cheese stand is next to the dessert stand. I looked at a piece of cheese. I heard the discussion:
“- Please, mother, I will be kind and good. Please!
– We don’t have money, that’s it! If I buy these candies for you, we have no money for bread. “
Instinctively I turned my head.
A simple woman, poorly dressed but clean, with a blond girl with big blue eyes.
“- Please, you promised that this year Santa will come and bring us goodies ….”
I stood there, cheese in hand.
The little girl was carrying a bag of candy. I looked at it and couldn’t believe the stories I was hearing were real.
The little girl left the bag of candy on the shelf and her mother pulled it out and left.
I quickly walked back to the candy stall. The bag of candy the little girl was holding was $2, I put the candy in the basket and inevitably passed the meat guy on my way to the register. The woman and child looked at the product window.
“- Eight slices of salami!” said and continued “Thin”
My heart stood still.
I asked the other saleswoman for a salami stick and a pork pastrami stick.
I reached the cashier before them.
My eyes were in tears.
I waited for them outside, in front of the market.
I handed the bag of sweets to the little girl:
“- Santa came over here and left me this bag because you were in the store.”
The girl turned her big blue eyes to her questioning mother. And the woman nodded in approval.
“- See, mother, Santa Claus is real!” she exclaimed.
I was speechless, it hurt and I was happy at the same time.
