The Boy From The Supermarket

The Boy From The Supermarket

“Santa Claus will bring it to her. Don't worry.” I said to the little boy who looked about 5 or 6 years old.

“No Santa Claus can't bring it to where she is now. I have to give this doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.” His eyes were suddenly sad while saying this.

“My sister's gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon so I thought she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.” My heart nearly stopped. The blood in my body seemed to freeze.

The little boy looked back at me, glimmering with unshed tears and said “I told Mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.”

Then he showed me a nice photo of himself. He was outside laughing at a long gone memory. Unaware of the coming tragedy. The sun stood behind the trees making them dark silhouettes.


“ I want mommy to take a picture of me so she won't forget me. I love mommy and wish she didn't have to leave but daddy says that she has to go be with my little sister.”

I felt the unshed tears behind my eyes. Not that I think he had noticed. He was too busy starting at the doll with downcast eyes.

Quietly I reached for my wallet and said “Suppose we look again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll.”

His eyes seemed to lighten with hope when he said “Okay I hope I gave enough money.”

I added some of my money without him seeing and started to count it. There was enough money for the doll and even some spare money. 

"Thank God for giving me enough money!” The little boy beamed

his face breaking in a smile.

Looking back at me he added “I asked God last night before I went to sleep to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll so that mommy could give it to my sister. He

heard me!” The last part came out as a laugh but I swore I heard his voice crack slightly.

As if this was all a dream and he was going to wake up without the money and no doll. Then their in the middle of the aisle, he hugged me. I felt a few tears slip out as I hugged him back just as tightly and ruffled his hair.

“I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy too, but I didn't dare ask God for too much. But he gave me enough money to buy the doll and a white rose too. My mommy loves white roses.”

Minutes later his grandmother returned and as I walked away with my basket I swore I heard the little boy say “Granny guess what? I met an angel. When she came I could the doll and a white rose for mommy! She was very nice and was really pretty. Her eyes looked like chocolate!”

 I felt a tear slid down my cheek at those words. I was never called an angel usually a weirdo or a freak. I finished my getting what I needed in a totally different state of mind from when I began. Who would have thought am trip to the supermarket would change my life so much? I ended up getting a red rose, my mother's favorite, for my own mom. In the car I told my mom I love you you know that right.

My mom gave me a questioning look and said “Of course I do I'm your mother. But why are you saying I love you all of a sudden?”

“Nothing I just met my own angel.” was what I told her. She gave me a weird look but said she loved me too.

For the next few days I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Seeing my dad's

newspaper one morning reminded me of a local newspaper article I saw. Two days before it mentioned a drunk man in a truck had hit a young woman and her little girl. The little girl had died on impact while the mother was left in a critical state. Deciding whether or not to pull the plug on the machine that kept the young woman alive was the family's choice because the young woman would not recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after the encounter with the little boy I read in the newspaper. The young woman had passed away...

I couldn't help myself as I bought a dozen white roses and went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was displayed for people to see and to make final wishes before the burial. She was there in her coffin holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll was placed over her chest. Leaving the funeral home I began to cry slightly, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love this little boy had for his mother and sister was unimaginable. It was completely and utterly pure. So many people in the world take love for granted and this little boy knew it better than most people twice his age. I knew from that day on I would never drink, well... drink and drive.

I turned to take one last look at the funeral home when I saw the little boy. He was standing at the front of the funeral home. Waving at me he shouted “Bye miss angel!” I waved back at him giving him a watery smile. The tears had come faster and stronger.

“Thank you.” I whispered to the unknown force who blessed me with the chance of meeting

this little boy who has forever changed my life.