"Um pão de queijo e uma coxinha"

 

“Excuse me, miss can you help me please? I'm hungry.”

As I turned around to my left there was an elderly woman nicely snug in her coat on this cold rainy day. I looked at her in the eyes then I could see that she really needed help. She kept telling me that she was collecting cans and bottles so she can make some extra money by recycling them and she had gotten carried away with time. Now she was hungry and didn't have money to spare. So, she asked for a pão de queijo (cheese bread) and a coxinha (fried dumpling stuffed with chicken).

“Certainly ma'am. No one deserves to be hungry. Let's go into the convenience store and I will buy it for you.”

“Is it OK if I come inside with you?”

“Certainly, why wouldn't it be?”

“Well, I had already asked the attendant if she could give me these two savory snacks because I was hungry, and she said that she couldn't. I also asked that old man in the corner and he said he didn't have any money.”

“Well, if the attendant gave you the savory snacks, she would have to deducted it from her paycheck and we don't know what kind of life she lives. Perhaps she needs every dime she makes and can't afford to have any discounted. Same thing goes for the older man. He must make a pension just like you and count his pennies to make ends meet at the end of the month. You, however, go out and collect recyclable bottles and cans. I'm sure that if these two people could help you, they would.”

“Yes, that's true, but I knew that by coming here I would be helped.”

“As a matter of fact I wasn't going to stop at this gas station. I was struggling with the idea of having my windshield wipers changed. You see, they were changed yesterday, but due to the rain I have been suffering to try and see. I was going to stop at the next gas station, but my instincts told me to stop here.”

“I believe that was God. He sent you an Angel to help me.”

 “I do believe that God works in mysterious ways. But you know my father taught me that we should never negate food to those who are hungry. If you had asked me for money, we wouldn't be having this conversation. No one deserves to be hungry.”

They said their goodbyes. “God bless you, young lady!”

Written: June 15, 2023 (True story)

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