The total was more than she had expected.
When she counted her money, she realized she was short by nearly thirty dollars.
“I asked the cashier to remove a few things,” she explained. “I told her I would take the milk and bread first and come back for the rest another day.”
Her voice trembled.
“But the man behind me became angry. He said I should have known what I could afford before wasting everyone’s time.”
She looked down at her hands.
“People were watching. I felt so ashamed.”
I glanced at the man in the gray shirt.
He was still standing near the end of the checkout counter.
His expression had changed. The anger was gone, replaced by something that looked like embarrassment.
Eleanor continued.
“I told him I was sorry. I didn’t want to cause trouble. I was just trying to buy enough food for my grandson.”
She wiped her eyes.
