BLACK COCKTALE : festive

Coppied!!!

Late last week, I was rushing around trying to get some last minute shopping

done. I was stressed out and not thinking very fondly of the Christmas

season right then. It was dark, cold, and wet in the parking lot as I was

loading my car up with gifts that I felt obligated to buy. I noticed that I

was missing a receipt that I might need later. So mumbling under my breath,

I retraced my steps to the mall entrance.

As I was searching the wet pavement for the lost receipt, I heard a quiet

sobbing. The crying was coming from a poorly dressed boy of about 12 years

old. He was short and thin. He had no coat. He was just wearing a ragged

flannel shirt to protect him from the cold night's chill. Oddly enough, he

was holding a hundred dollar bill in his hand. Thinking that he had gotten

lost from his parents, I asked him what was wrong.

He told me his sad story. He said that he came from a large family. He had

three brothers and two sisters. His father had died when he was nine years

old. His mother was poorly educated and worked two full time jobs. She made

very little to support her large family. Nevertheless, she had managed to

save two hundred dollars to buy her children Christmas presents. The young

boy had been dropped off on the way to her second job. He was to use the

money to buy presents for all his siblings and save just enough to take

the bus home.

He had not even entered the mall, when an older boy grabbed one of the

hundred dollar bills and disappeared into the night.

"Why didn't you scream for help?" I asked. The boy said, "I did." "And

nobody came to help you?" I wondered. The boy stared at the sidewalk and

sadly shook his head. "How loud did you scream?" I inquired. The soft-spoken

boy looked up and meekly whispered, "Help me!"

I realized that absolutely no one could have heard that poor boy cry

for help.

So, I grabbed his other hundred and ran to my car.

WHAT A JOKE!!! Please be kind and helpful this Festive season.

BLACK COCKTALE