Fortunate Circumstances

This Saturday afternoon I had the most interesting occurrence happen to me. I was at home, by myself, working on the video game I help develop as usual.

Suddenly, a knock from the front door. I mosey my way to the entrance and open it. An older woman stands before me. I put her in the mid-60?s range. Perhaps late 50?s.

?I uh?hi, my name is Alice.? Inside I cringe. Please don?t be selling something? ?I?ve met your wife a few times and?um, well, we?re moving out today and I had a gallon of milk and some more food if you think you could need it? I?ve seen your wife with a baby a few times??

She trails off, and I pick up where she left off. Before you know it I?m in their apartment, looking at a kitchen chock full of canned goods and a refridgerator filled with milk, eggs, bacon, steaks, fish, even ice cream.

?We?re not taking any of it with us,? she says. ?Do you think you could use any of this?? She opens up a cupboard filled with dozens of cans of food. My eyes widen.

?Are you?serious??

?Oh yes, go ahead, take whatever you think you could use.?

?I?ll be right back.?

So I run back to the house and empty a laundry basket. I fill that basket full of food three times. I?m grabbing peanut butter, crackers, honey, beans, corn, hell, I even took their liquor! I did convince her to keep her full bottle of Bacardi, though I did take the other bottle which was half full and a nice fifth of Kentucky bourbon.

When I came back to thank them (for the 50th time), she said ?You know, we have some patio furniture out there?? And off I went.

Needless to say, the kindness of strangers has really impressed me this past weekend. One act of kindness from Ericka?she had found a very important letter of theirs at the bottom of the stairs one evening?led to them providing us with over $100 in groceries and some free furniture, something that won?t soon be forgotten. They told me they were headed to Cincinatti to see some friends then they would be going to New Orleans to help setup trailers for the Katrina victims.

I never found out their last names, but to Alice and Charles: Thank you. I said this dozens of times while I raided your kitchen and patio for goods you said you no longer needed, but were in no way obliged to provide. I only hope the Katrina victims realize what good people they have on their side.

So go on, if this will make you happier
It got you this far, did what you had to do