I Write Short Stories
The Heart Of A Perfect Stranger...
My mood was very dark. Everything was going wrong for me that day. I couldn't pick something up off the floor without it slipping out of my hand. I came downstairs and slipped on the steps. I bent down and hit my head on the cupboard door as I stood up. I reached for something in my pantry and half of my spices fell off the shelf. I broke a glass out of my new set of drinking tumblers. On top of all of that, my son wasn't being cooperative and was being a typical "terrible two-year-old". He wouldn't do anything I wanted him to do and did everything that I didn't want him to do. A constant power struggle. I had an uncontrollable scowl on my face as the day went on and I didn't care.
I still had some grocery shopping to do because Easter was coming up and we were going to my sister's for dinner and I promised to make something to contribute. My husband came home from running an errand and I was glad because he could stay home with our son so I could go to the store by myself and get done faster. I was in a terrible mood and I just wanted the day to be over. I hoped the store wouldn't be crowded, but with my luck and the holiday in a couple of days, it would be packed I was certain. By the looks of the parking lot, I was right. I pulled into a spot at the end of the lot and began my trek inside. Thank Goodness I got one of the few buggies left but it had a terrible squeak to it's front wheel. It figures!
My mind was filled with what I needed to get (I left the list I had written at home, of course) as I went through the automatic doors to the store. There are always displays of specials when you first walk in and I usually stop and look at them to get a bargain or two. There was a dark haired woman standing in front of the display and I had to swerve my buggie to the left so I wouldn't bump into the back of her. Once I saw what she was looking at and it was the first high-light to my day. There were hyacinths for sale and I saw that she was picking the little pots up and smelling the beautiful flowers. I joined right in and without thinking I said to this stranger "I love this smell. It smells like spring to me". She smiled at me and agreed. She said that was the reason she couldn't pull herself away from sniffing the hyacinths and that she had been there a few minutes, trying to decide which one smelled the best. It was completely natural for me to just start doing the same. Picking them up and putting them down, swapping the little pastel colored pots to one another to decide which one was the winner. That was my first smile of my day. After a minute or two, it was time to get back to business and get our shopping done so we parted ways only after she turned to me and said "I hope you have a happy Easter. Have a good day".
I pushed toward the produce section and was looking at the bananas that were for sale. I was in that section for a couple of minutes and I heard some laughter up ahead at the greeting cards. There was the same dark haired woman and she was laughing with a couple of elderly ladies because she took their buggy by mistake. I overheard her say "I'm so sorry, Ladies! This is your buggy, not mine!" This woman seemed so friendly and so sincere, openly talking to people she doesn't know and making them smile. I didn't know her but I liked her. She seemed to have a way about her that made people around her smile.
As I pushed forward, there was another display near the greeting cards. On the top shelf was a lone hyacinth pot. Someone must've changed their minds and put it back here I thought. I picked it up and sniffed it and was overwhelmed at the strong spring-like smell this flower had. So much stronger than the ones that I had just smelled. I looked up and could see the back of the head of the friendly stranger who shared my appreciation for hyacinths and I called to her. "Excuse me!" and she turned toward me. With an excited look on my face I motioned for her to come to me and I said "You have to smell this one! I don't know why it's not with the other ones, but the smell of spring is so strong!"
I put the flower under her nose and she breathed in deep and looked into my eyes while she did. "Oh my! That's just wonderful!" Without skipping a beat, she opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. "I am giving you the money for this flower. The look on your face is priceless and I want you to have it." I was very touched by the sentiment but I was shaking my head saying "Oh no, that's alright. You don't have to do that, Ma'am. Please..." She pressed the bills into my hand and then threw her arms around my neck and whispered in my ear "When I saw the smile on your face when you smelled this flower, I just had to buy it for you. You just made my Easter." I got a little teary-eyed when I hugged this woman. "What's your name?" I asked. She told me her name and to tell the truth, as I am writing this I don't remember what she said. I squeezed her tight and said "Oh, thank you so much! You're so nice!". She looked at me and said "Now, you go home and enjoy that flower." She turned away and went on with her day as I stood there wiping my tears away while I smiled. It was no longer a bad day.
As I walked through the store, I kept glancing down at that beautiful foil covered pot. I finished my shopping and when I got to my car, I put my flower on the floor and drove home a little slower as not to knock it over. I reached my house and I couldn't wait to go inside to share with my husband what had happened. "Honey! You'll never guess what happened to me at the store" I said very excitedly and I told him the whole story. He gave me a tight squeeze and he seemed so happy to see the change in my mood. I put the pot on the little shelf above my kitchen sink. It looked beautiful there. Over the Easter holiday I found myself picking that lovely purple flower up several times a day and enjoying that God given scent.
A few months later I was at the same store and I walked past a familiar looking face. It was my perfect stranger. I stopped, spun back around and said "Hey! There you are! I was wondering if I'd ever see you again." She broke out in a huge grin and quickly threw her arms around me. "Hi Sweetie. How was your Easter?" she said. "It was wonderful and how was yours?" Her exact words were "It was perfect." She squeezed my hand and we kissed each other on the cheek. "Ok, gotta go! Good to see you........again!" she said as she chuckled and walked away. I could tell she was busy and had things to do because she talked as if she was in a hurry, but I didn't feel slighted in the least. She acknowledged me as if I was an old friend, if only for a moment and it felt good.
I had something good happen to me on a very bad day. I met a perfect stranger and she bought me a flower just because of my smile. A perfect stranger with a big heart.
My mood was very dark. Everything was going wrong for me that day. I couldn't pick something up off the floor without it slipping out of my hand. I came downstairs and slipped on the steps. I bent down and hit my head on the cupboard door as I stood up. I reached for something in my pantry and half of my spices fell off the shelf. I broke a glass out of my new set of drinking tumblers. On top of all of that, my son wasn't being cooperative and was being a typical "terrible two-year-old". He wouldn't do anything I wanted him to do and did everything that I didn't want him to do. A constant power struggle. I had an uncontrollable scowl on my face as the day went on and I didn't care.
I still had some grocery shopping to do because Easter was coming up and we were going to my sister's for dinner and I promised to make something to contribute. My husband came home from running an errand and I was glad because he could stay home with our son so I could go to the store by myself and get done faster. I was in a terrible mood and I just wanted the day to be over. I hoped the store wouldn't be crowded, but with my luck and the holiday in a couple of days, it would be packed I was certain. By the looks of the parking lot, I was right. I pulled into a spot at the end of the lot and began my trek inside. Thank Goodness I got one of the few buggies left but it had a terrible squeak to it's front wheel. It figures!
My mind was filled with what I needed to get (I left the list I had written at home, of course) as I went through the automatic doors to the store. There are always displays of specials when you first walk in and I usually stop and look at them to get a bargain or two. There was a dark haired woman standing in front of the display and I had to swerve my buggie to the left so I wouldn't bump into the back of her. Once I saw what she was looking at and it was the first high-light to my day. There were hyacinths for sale and I saw that she was picking the little pots up and smelling the beautiful flowers. I joined right in and without thinking I said to this stranger "I love this smell. It smells like spring to me". She smiled at me and agreed. She said that was the reason she couldn't pull herself away from sniffing the hyacinths and that she had been there a few minutes, trying to decide which one smelled the best. It was completely natural for me to just start doing the same. Picking them up and putting them down, swapping the little pastel colored pots to one another to decide which one was the winner. That was my first smile of my day. After a minute or two, it was time to get back to business and get our shopping done so we parted ways only after she turned to me and said "I hope you have a happy Easter. Have a good day".
I pushed toward the produce section and was looking at the bananas that were for sale. I was in that section for a couple of minutes and I heard some laughter up ahead at the greeting cards. There was the same dark haired woman and she was laughing with a couple of elderly ladies because she took their buggy by mistake. I overheard her say "I'm so sorry, Ladies! This is your buggy, not mine!" This woman seemed so friendly and so sincere, openly talking to people she doesn't know and making them smile. I didn't know her but I liked her. She seemed to have a way about her that made people around her smile.
As I pushed forward, there was another display near the greeting cards. On the top shelf was a lone hyacinth pot. Someone must've changed their minds and put it back here I thought. I picked it up and sniffed it and was overwhelmed at the strong spring-like smell this flower had. So much stronger than the ones that I had just smelled. I looked up and could see the back of the head of the friendly stranger who shared my appreciation for hyacinths and I called to her. "Excuse me!" and she turned toward me. With an excited look on my face I motioned for her to come to me and I said "You have to smell this one! I don't know why it's not with the other ones, but the smell of spring is so strong!"
I put the flower under her nose and she breathed in deep and looked into my eyes while she did. "Oh my! That's just wonderful!" Without skipping a beat, she opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. "I am giving you the money for this flower. The look on your face is priceless and I want you to have it." I was very touched by the sentiment but I was shaking my head saying "Oh no, that's alright. You don't have to do that, Ma'am. Please..." She pressed the bills into my hand and then threw her arms around my neck and whispered in my ear "When I saw the smile on your face when you smelled this flower, I just had to buy it for you. You just made my Easter." I got a little teary-eyed when I hugged this woman. "What's your name?" I asked. She told me her name and to tell the truth, as I am writing this I don't remember what she said. I squeezed her tight and said "Oh, thank you so much! You're so nice!". She looked at me and said "Now, you go home and enjoy that flower." She turned away and went on with her day as I stood there wiping my tears away while I smiled. It was no longer a bad day.
As I walked through the store, I kept glancing down at that beautiful foil covered pot. I finished my shopping and when I got to my car, I put my flower on the floor and drove home a little slower as not to knock it over. I reached my house and I couldn't wait to go inside to share with my husband what had happened. "Honey! You'll never guess what happened to me at the store" I said very excitedly and I told him the whole story. He gave me a tight squeeze and he seemed so happy to see the change in my mood. I put the pot on the little shelf above my kitchen sink. It looked beautiful there. Over the Easter holiday I found myself picking that lovely purple flower up several times a day and enjoying that God given scent.
A few months later I was at the same store and I walked past a familiar looking face. It was my perfect stranger. I stopped, spun back around and said "Hey! There you are! I was wondering if I'd ever see you again." She broke out in a huge grin and quickly threw her arms around me. "Hi Sweetie. How was your Easter?" she said. "It was wonderful and how was yours?" Her exact words were "It was perfect." She squeezed my hand and we kissed each other on the cheek. "Ok, gotta go! Good to see you........again!" she said as she chuckled and walked away. I could tell she was busy and had things to do because she talked as if she was in a hurry, but I didn't feel slighted in the least. She acknowledged me as if I was an old friend, if only for a moment and it felt good.
I had something good happen to me on a very bad day. I met a perfect stranger and she bought me a flower just because of my smile. A perfect stranger with a big heart.
56-60, F
