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\nA man yawning | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
Michael is still half-asleep when a customer walks into the store looking anxious and nervous, only to pick up a candy bar. When he is unable to pay for the bar, Michael tries to understand what is so important about a chocolate bar\u2026<\/p>\n
You know those mornings when you\u2019re not quite awake yet, and everything feels like it\u2019s moving in slow motion? That was me this morning, standing behind the register with a cup of coffee that I desperately needed. The store had just opened, the lights still flickering to full brightness, and I was fighting to wake up when a customer walked in.<\/p>\n
\nA man yawning | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cHere we go,\u201d I said, getting my last yawn out of the way.<\/p>\n
Right away, I could tell something was off with the customer. He had a strange energy, like he was a man on a mission. He muttered to himself as he held onto his keys tightly. His eyes were wide, and he was moving too quickly for an early morning run into a convenience store.<\/p>\n
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\nA convenience store | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll just let him carry on for a bit,\u201d I muttered to myself as I sipped on my coffee.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t like when people kept hovering when I entered a store, so I thought I\u2019d give the man some space.<\/p>\n
But this man didn\u2019t browse. He didn\u2019t hesitate. He made a beeline for the candy counter next to me, clutching a single item: a mint chocolate candy bar. Now, who buys mint chocolate so early in the morning?<\/p>\n
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\nA candy counter | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
Most people go for coffee or maybe a muffin. Even an energy bar. But this guy? He had gone straight for the candy aisle and picked up the least popular one we carried at the store.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning,\u201d he said, sliding the chocolate bar to me.<\/p>\n
I scanned the bar, and the register beeped, startling both of us for a moment.<\/p>\n
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\nA man working in a store | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
He shook his head, glancing around nervously as if to make sure he had gotten the right chocolate bar.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, that\u2019s it,\u201d he said. \u201cCan you break a $100 bill?\u201d<\/p>\n
I grimaced; it was too early for change.<\/p>\n
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\nA dollar bill on a counter | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, I can\u2019t,\u201d I replied. \u201cWe just opened, so I haven\u2019t gotten a chance to make change yet. And I only do the bank run after lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face fell, and I noticed his hands start to shake a bit as he held out the bill. That\u2019s when I really looked at him, and it hit me. He wasn\u2019t just nervous; he seemed downright scared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have anything smaller. I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said. \u201cI just really need this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nA downcast man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe you could pay with a card?\u201d I suggested, wanting to help him out.<\/p>\n
He shook his head more vigorously than before, sweating.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s maxed out,\u201d he whispered, like he was confessing something shameful. \u201cUnexpected expenses and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I watched him for a moment, the pieces slowly coming together. He wasn\u2019t acting like a man craving chocolate early in the morning. He was acting like a nervous man, a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t for you, is it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s for my wife. She\u2019s pregnant, and her cravings are crazy. She just wanted a mint chocolate candy bar. We\u2019ve been busy buying things for the baby\u2019s arrival, so my cards are maxed out. I can\u2019t go home empty-handed. She barely tells me when she\u2019s craving anything because she doesn\u2019t want me to spend more. But she absentmindedly told me about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
His shoulders slumped as he tried to figure out what to do next.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do I do?\u201d he asked himself.<\/p>\n
Now it all made sense. The urgency, the desperation. I could picture a pregnant and exhausted woman with a craving so intense that she\u2019d sent him out on a mission he couldn\u2019t afford to fail.<\/p>\n
But still, I couldn\u2019t help but chuckle at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen,\u201d I said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. \u201cYou take it. You can come back and pay me later when you have some change. Just get this home to her before she sends out a search party for her chocolate bar.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at me in disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you serious? Are you sure?\u201d he asked, his words coming out too quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d I said. \u201cWhen my wife was pregnant with our twins, nothing could come between her and her peach cravings. So, go home to your wife and do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, he didn\u2019t move. He just stood there processing what I\u2019d said. Then, without another word, he grabbed the chocolate bar and ran out the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least there will be a happy mom and a happy baby,\u201d I said to myself.<\/p>\n
The rest of the morning went by in a flurry as customers came in for their groceries. One couple had a fight about the difference between olives and capers right in front of me. Another couple had to talk their toddler down from a tantrum about biting into the fresh green apples.<\/p>\n
But at around noon, the bell above the door chimed once again, and there he was, walking back into the store.<\/p>\n
This time, he looked like a different person. He was calmer and more collected than when I first met him. He approached the counter with a warm smile and handed me the money.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for helping me out earlier,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have no idea how much that meant to me. I just wanted to give my wife something she deserved. And she doesn\u2019t ask for much. I\u2019m Shaun, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem,\u201d I replied, handing him his change. \u201cI\u2019m just glad that it worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n
But then, instead of leaving, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something small, wrapped in a piece of cloth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told my wife about your kindness,\u201d he said. \u201cShe wanted you to have this.\u201d<\/p>\n
He unwrapped the piece of cloth carefully, revealing two small knitted keychains in the shape of yellow ducks. One was missing an eye, but they were beautiful.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah\u2019s been knitting toys for the baby,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I told her that you\u2019re a dad to twins, she made this as a thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is beautiful,\u201d I said, genuinely touched.<\/p>\n
The keychains were small and delicate, and obviously handmade with care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I said. \u201cTo you and your wife. My kids are starting daycare soon; I\u2019ll put these keychains on their bags. This is really generous and kind. Thank you. My wife will love this!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah insisted,\u201d Shaun said, smiling more than he had in the morning. \u201cShe said that it was the least she could do to say thank you. The baby enjoyed the chocolate bar and kicked away while she ate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
We both laughed loudly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you live around here?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Shaun nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about a five-minute walk,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTake my number down,\u201d I said. \u201cCome around whenever. We live above the store, so if you need anything, I\u2019ll always be in this area. And besides, I\u2019m sure it will be nice for Sarah to have someone to talk to. My wife, Lina, loves people. And once she knows that there\u2019s a pregnant woman with cravings around, especially one who made something for our kids\u2026 Man, Lina will just love that!\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaun laughed and nodded again.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, give me your number,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I wrote down my number and gave it to him, wondering if he\u2019d ever use it. I was honest with what I said. Lina and I were done having children, but my wife loved being around pregnant women. It was just something that seemed special to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just love to talk about the pregnancy experience,\u201d she would say.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood luck with everything, Shaun,\u201d I said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to be a great dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d he said, his eyes softening. \u201cI really hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he left, I couldn\u2019t help but smile again. I tucked the little ducks into my pocket. It was such a small thing, to be honest. But somehow it felt significant, like my family and I had been a part of something important.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michael is still half-asleep when a customer walks into the store looking anxious and nervous, only to pick up a candy bar. When he is unable to pay for the bar, Michael tries to understand what is so important about a chocolate bar\u2026 You know those mornings when you\u2019re not quite awake yet, and everything […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15351"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15358,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15351\/revisions\/15358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}