I Was Chosen by a Gift

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Don, Sandy’s dad, was a proud high ranking business man, but away from every one’s eyes he spent most of his free time helping the disadvantage families by buying them the necessary homeware, furniture. At times he would do grocery shopping for them. Don, a rich man, unlike any other rich man, believed “if someone has been blessed they should share their blessings and not store it where it will never be used.

Donna, his wife was so down to earth most of the time, people would find her cleaning for elderly people, those, whose families deserted them. She would help the elderly with their showers and daily routines. No one would believe that Donna was from a very wealthy family. It seemed that Donna and Don were a perfect match from heaven.

It was a mystery that the family would do all those good deeds but never mention it to anyone even to their small family.

One evening Don and Donna were invited to the twentieth anniversary of their friends. When they got there they were seated on a table with a few other high ranking business people.

The only subject discussed between those business people was money and the tricks they used to force small and middle size businesses out of the market by squeezing them where it hurt the most. These greedy men were hungry for power and wanted to own all the market.

Don started getting very annoyed. He hated every second and every word that came out those men’s mouth. The sudden sadness started showing on his face, but Donna was quick enough to notice and react. “Don would you like to dance”?

“No not now.” Don replied

“What’s wrong?” She asked

“I do not know!” Don replied

Donna persisted that Don get up and dance with her. When they got to the dance floor, Donna asked again, “Don what is wrong with you? You have been quite all night and have not said a word”.

“Donna you know how much I hate people that drag about their riches. Look around us. They are a bunch of people who think they have class. They take pleasure in their wrong doing. What do these kind of people think? Do they think they will take all that money to the grave with themselves? If they have so much why pray on small businesses that are barely managing to pay their bills.”

Donna patiently listened to Don and when he stopped talking she said, “Don I have never heard you talking like this before. What changed in you?”

“When I dropped you at the front this evening, I went to park the car. Behind me I saw Angelo and his wife getting out of the car while their driver was holding the door for them. A kid that looked like an orphan ran to them and pushed his hand towards Angelo. Instead of Angelo putting a few coins in his hand, he turned to his driver, I do not know what he said but after that the driver slapped the kid and pushed him on the floor, he pointed to him to go away. As Don was talking about this a tear dropped from his eyes so they stopped dancing and went on to the balcony on a corner.

“Then what happened?”

“Nothing. They started walking in. As I ran towards the kid to see if I can help him he got scared. While tears had covered his face, he run away.”

“Don you tried. So why are you so upset now?” Donna asked

“I am upset because you heard them on the table how they cheat other people out of business to grow their own. Look at them. They are drinking wine that is over three hundred dollars a bottle. Look at Angelo. Wearing a watch that is worth thirty thousand dollars and his wife’s dress as she said cost her ten thousand dollars. So how hard was it for him to give that little boy a few dollars instead of pushing and hearting him?” (At this time tears stopped Don from talking).

Donna was touched by this story and asked Don, “Do you want to leave?”

“No it’s ok. If we leave Colin and Collet would be upset. It’s their anniversary. We should wait until they cut the cake.”

Don then excuses himself so he could go to the bathroom to clean his face. Donna went back to their table. As soon as she sat on the table, Michelle Anglo’s wife looked at her. She asks “where do you buy your dresses from?” (While looking at the other women on the table).

Donna being a very smart woman noticed where the wife was going with this, she answered back, “Obviously not from the same place that you do”.

Everyone on the table went quite for a few minutes; Donna smiled, knowing that she hit the right nerve.

Although Donna was wearing a simple dress with simple jewellery, she was glowing. Her beauty was amazing. The goodness of her heart was reflecting in her face and most people fall for her beauty.

It is not long before Don is back on the table. Michael another famous business man addressed Don, “You should come to our meetings sometimes. It’s going to help you grow your business plus we can have a few drinks together.”

Trying to be polite Don answered “Thanks I’ll do that”

The tension was growing strongly on the table. Don and Donna were very pleased when the cutting of the cake was announced. As soon as the cake got cut and served, they congratulated Collet and Colin and left.

“I am so glad we are out of there, “Donna said with a relieved voice”

“Yes, me too”

The restaurant where the anniversary was held was built on ten acres of land. It was one of those dream places. The building was historic. The garden and land escapes were amazingly eye catching. It took Don a few minutes to make it out of the gate onto the main road.

After driving for nearly two kilometres, Don notices some kids on the side of the road. When he looked closer, it was the little boy he saw earlier in the night. He called out.

“Look Donna, that’s the same boy.” He then quickly pulls over and runs towards the boy. Donna followed him.

When Don made it to the boy, he noticed there is a girl sleeping on his lap and a younger boy next to him, deep in sleep. Don called out “Hello”

But the boy did not answer. He cuddled his sister and brother with fear.

“Please don’t be scared. What are you doing here?

The little boy replied “We are on our way home.”

“Where is home?” Donna asked

“At Sunshine”

Don asked. “That is a long way from here. What are you doing here and why did you walk so far away from home?”

“I did not realise how far we walked.”

Donna says “Your parents are probably worried to death about you.”

The tears start running from the eyes of the little boy and said “I do not think so.”

“What do you mean?” asked Don

“Nothing. Thank you for stopping. Do you mind leaving us alone? I am waiting for my brother and sister to wake up so we can start walking again.”

“I cannot leave you like this plus you are still very far from home.” Don replied

“Why do you care? I was pushed and frightened by one of your kind this evening. So don’t pretend to care.”

“I saw you there. I tried to come to you, but you ran away. Get up now. We will drive you home.” Don implored

The boy looked at his brother and sister. Before he says anything Donna asked “Are we allowed to touch them. Can we pick and put them in the car?”

The boy with unbelief looked at the couple and said. “Ok”

As Donna and Don placed the two younger kids in the car, the boy stood there looking inside the car.

Donna said “Get in young man”

“Look at my clothes. Your car will get dirty.” the boy said

Don with a big smile on his face said, “It is only a car and you are more important than this piece of material”.

The boy then jumped in the car. On the way he asked them “Why you are doing this?”

Donna with a smart voice said “Doing what?” then she smiled.

“Helping us”

Donna, “This is no help. We are only giving you a lift on our way home”.

After driving for nearly four kilometres they got to a street and the boy said “You can drop us here.” Then he started waking up his brother and sister.

“Tell us where exactly your home is as we can drop you there? It is late in the night.”

But the boy refused. The car stops and the three young kids get out of the car. While closing the door, the boy said, “Thank you.”

Don was not the type of person to leave three kids on their own in the middle of nowhere specially at that time of night, so he parked the car and slowly started following the kids. As the two younger ones were still sleepy and were hanging on to their older brother, they did not realise they were followed.

Once they got to this shed in dark pitch he can see the boy, Stops. Looks at the sky and walks in with hesitation. Don goes around and finds a small window that was at the back of the shed. When he looked inside, there was an oil lamp on the floor that brightened the room. A woman was lying on the floor. The two younger kids have made their way to the woman and have put their heads on her while, struggling she moves her arm around them.

The older boy went to a corner and sat on the floor. He brought his knees up to his face and rested his head on them and went to sleep.

There was no sign of floor covering, food or any life in that shed. Don got very emotional and started walking back towards the car. When Donna saw how tears were flowing down his face she got worried. “Don is everything ok?”

Don then told her, what he had seen through the window.

“There is nothing we can do now. At least be happy that you know where they live.” Donna said

“You are right. I can’t believe that there is still people who live under these conditions. We are supposed to be a country that has welfare and ninety percent of people believe that our welfare system is good enough to look after everyone.”

They both went quite. Both of them didn’t say a word until they got home.

Sandy has waited for her parents to get home. When she heard their car, she was so happy. She ran to the door and said. “If you had been a bit longer I was going to call the rescue team.”

Don smiled and gave Sandy a big hug.

“So come on” Sandy said “You must have had an exceptional night to come home so late.”

“Yes we did” Donna said. “We will tell you all about it in the morning.” Don agreed and they all went to bed.

In the morning when Sandy got up, Don was already making coffee. “Would you like some coffee?” he asked

“No Dad, I am running late. I will have one when I get to work.”

When Sandy arrives at work she quickly gets in to her back log and tries to do as much as she can before the rest of the team show up.

Angela gets there at eight thirty with a smile on her face. “Sandy did you sleep here last night?”

“Don’t be smart. You saw me going last night. Sandy replied

It’s now around nine thirty and Sandy has done her normal daily routine of saying ‘hi’ to everyone. When she makes it back to her desk she sees a rose siting there. She quickly calls Angela and asks her “where did this rose come from?”

“The courier just delivered it. It was addressed to you.”

“With no card and no contact name?”

That is exactly how it arrived. “Angela replied”

“Well did you look at the courier truck?”

With a very shaky voice Angela replied “No I was so excited that I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Sandy wasn’t used to getting angry. Lifting the tone of her voice, she said “Angela next time you make sure if anything like this is sent to me you find out as much information as you can. If not, refuse to receive them.”

Angela who had never seen Sandy this angry replied. “Ok I am sorry” and walked away.