Life’s Expectations

Good Things Do Come Around

Grace woke the next day,she knew she had to take the money back to the charity shop. She got washed up a little and put on cleaner clothes.Grace put her treasure box and the purse in her new backpack. She peeked around,then snuck out. She walked down the alley to the shop.Timidly walking in.The lady came right over to her.

“Hello,may I help you find something?”she asked with a cheerful smile.

“I found this in a purse behind your shop in the alley.”Grace told her holding the coin purse out to her.

“Ah,yes it was in a purse I threw out.I have no time to fix things lately,so a lot is being thrown away.You may have that,if you like.”she said.

“Umm,you don’t understand.It is not empty.”Grace told her jotting her dirty hand out to the woman.

She took it and looked inside,then, without checking the amount, gave it back.

“It’s yours now. You found it, and I am standing by giving it to you.I hope it blesses you,”she said, placing her hand on Grace’s shoulder. Grace flinched.

The shop owner quickly removed her hand,saying,”Would you like to have lunch with me?I don’t think you being out is wise at the moment. The truancy officer is out.” She motioned to follow her.

Grace was thoroughly confused. The shop owner smiled the most beautiful smile Grace had ever seen.

“Oh, he is like the dogcatcher for school children. I assume you are skipping school. How old are you?” she asked.

“Oh, I don’t go to school,”Grace began, but quickly changed her mind at the look on the woman’s face.

“ I don’t go to school here. And I am almost ten,”she said quickly.

The woman seemed to sigh and led Grace to her living area.

“We can have a nice lunch and get to know one another,until school lets out.”she said,then went into her kitchen.

She brought out some fresh lemonade,fried chicken,corn on the cob and potato salad.It smelled so good and was nice and hot.

“Sorry,I didn’t expect company for lunch.It’s just leftovers.I always make to much for just myself.Go ahead and eat.” she told Grace.

So,she did and began to cry. She had money and a good hot meal.But,she just couldn’t help crying.Grace put her face in her hands,unable to control her tears.Grace began to sob and the shop owner rushed to her side,Grace flinched

“Oh dear,it’s ok.Are you ok?Where is your mom?”she asked very worried.

Grace wiped her face,which was a horrible mistake.She smeared dirt all over her tear soaked face.

“Oh dear.Let’s get you cleaned up.I guess that should’ve happened before you started eating.”she said urging Grace to stand.

Grace followed her to the bathroom.

“There are rags and soap here. Help yourself.” the woman gestured to the items and closed the door behind her.

Grace took off her shirt, washed the entire top of her body, ran her fingers through her hair, then put on her shirt. The soap smelled so beautiful. She closed her eyes and smelled it in. It was like smelling a rose.

She came out somewhat clean and sat to eat. They just ate, without a word between them. Grace gobbled food down,not realizing how rude she was being. It had been so long since she had a real meal.She only had peanut butter sandwiches, since she was not in school.The food was so good and warm that tears flowed down her face once again.

“ Why are you crying little one?”the woman asked putting her hand on Grace’s.Grace jerked away,but gave her a timid smile.

“I am not used to having hot food and it is so tasty.And you are so nice”Grace told her,as the woman quickly looked down at her lap.The woman was trying to avoid showing her reaction.

“Well my word,my food is nothing to cry about.And I am very glad to share.You know you look very familiar.”she said.

“I used to come in here with my Aunt Daisy when I was little, when the old lady was here.” Grace told her grabbing another piece of chicken.

“Oh,oh!Cousin Daisy!I remember you!I had just started working here the last few times you were here.”she squealed out.

“Your cousin?Daisy is your cousin?!”Grace yelled with excitement.

“Oh yes,yes mam she is.”her Southern drawl coming out clearly.

“Is she ok?So,she isn’t dead?Where is she?”Grace asked out of breath.

“Oh no.She is just peachy keen.She moved back down South.She said she needed to go home to mend her broken heart.And she couldn’t stand back and watch”she stopped abruptly,realizing who Grace was.

“Watch what?”Grace questioned.

“Oh umm,watch her life passing by.”the woman said and wiped a tear from her eye.

She cleared the table of the dishes and brought out some Southern Pecan Pie.And two tall glasses of milk. She sat and ate with Grace.Grace just sat thinking of Miss Daisy. She was so happy she was ok.

“So let’s go see if I have anything you may need.”the woman said after coming out of the bathroom.She walked out into the shop.

She began to gather several things and took them to her living room.They both sat on the beautiful pink velvet sofa.She sat a wicker basket between them.She folded a fluffy yellow towel and placed it in the basket.She put a wooden hair brush,comb and mirror on top of a red satin ribbon in her lap,tying them together.She placed them in the basket.She pulled a toothbrush and paste out of her apron pocket, placing them in. She folded a beautiful red button down sweater with yellow roses embroidered around the collar and placed it in.

“Oh my word!”she blurted out.

Grace was shocked and a bit frightened by the out burst.

“We do not even know each other’s names. I sincerely apologize,but I have forgotten your’s.My gracious sakes alive! I’m Holly Rose Jenkins from Alabama.The where bouts aren’t necessarily important,just some small town nobody knows.”she smiled hugely.

“I am Grace Alexandra Neely,my momma never told me where I was from.We moved here to these parts when I was three I don’t remember much though.She didn’t talk about it,cause my daddy diein and all.”Grace told her.

They shook hands,Holly got up and went into the shop again.After a few minutes she came back with a brown paper package and put it in Grace’s lap.

“Now don’t open this til you get home.I remember Daisy saying your birthday was around this time.”she smiled patting the package.

“It’s in June.”Grace told her.

“Well that is two months away.We’ll call this an early Easter present.”she said as she retreated once more to the shop,coming back in with a paper bag.

She sat back on the sofa and pulled out a pair of white sandals.

“Try these on for size.”she said, handing them to Grace. And pulled out two more pairs of shoes.

Grace tried the sandals on and they fit perfectly.

“I thought so,now try these.”she told Grace putting a pair of white tennis shoes and a pair of pink fuzzy slippers in her lap.

Grace snatched up the slippers hugged them and began to cry once again.

“Oh no,what is it?You don’t like pink?”Holly said startled by the reaction.

“No mam,I love pink.I’ve just never had sleep clothes before or slippers.”Grace sobbed,so happy.

“You have no sleep clothes?Well,what do you have?”she asked, with a horrified expression.

“I have this dress,a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt.Well,it’s kinda white.I had more when I was in school,but I out grew them.And my mother never got me more.”she told her.