As he proceeded down the aisles, he became aware of something strange. He appeared to be being followed by an elderly woman. She was there, keeping her distance but never trailing too far, yet she wasn’t hurrying or being too noticeable.
The young man initially believed it might be a coincidence. She would stop when he stopped, and she would stop whenever he grabbed for something. She continued to stare at him, seemingly uninterested in his shopping. Despite his slight uneasiness, he brushed the idea aside and continued shopping.
The elderly woman didn’t approach him until they got to the checkout counter. “I hope I haven’t made you feel ill at ease; it’s just that you look so much like my late son,” she added as she approached him gently.
“That’s okay,” the young man said with a friendly grin in an attempt to defuse the issue. He was able to see she was being honest and didn’t want to embarrass her.
After a brief period of hesitation, the woman made an odd request. “I know it’s silly,” she remarked, “but it would make me so happy if you called out, ‘Goodbye, Mom,’ as I was leaving the store.”
At first, the young man was surprised, but he could see that she was vulnerable. Despite the oddity of her request, she felt it was important. “Obviously,” he said with a kind grin.
The young man, now completely aware of the reason for her request, shouted, “Goodbye, Mom!” as the elderly woman turned to leave the store. He saw her turn, a gentle, appreciative smile spreading across her face.
With a happy and contented expression on her face, the woman waved at him before leaving the store. The young man was content that he had been able to add a little more brightness to her day. Feeling happy about his recent act of kindness, he turned back to the checkout counter.
The clerk greeted him as he walked up to the register and started to ring up his purchases. “That will be $121.85,” she remarked after adding up the sum.
Startled, the young man took a quick look at the things he had bought. “Why so much?” he inquired. “I only purchased five things.”
“Well, your mother said you’d be paying for her things too,” the cashier stated, grinning knowingly at him.
A moment of confusion caused the young man to freeze. Then he realized that what had appeared to be a straightforward, considerate request from the old woman was much more than a harmless nostalgic moment. Though he thought he was just trying to cheer her up, he had inadvertently joined her scheme to pay for her food.
The young man couldn’t help but laugh, if a little uncomfortably, after realizing how funny the situation was. Shaking his head at the sudden change of events, he paid for the groceries. Nevertheless, the old woman had somehow added a little humor to his day, and he couldn’t help but feel a connection to her.
The young man considered how small deeds of kindness might occasionally have the most surprising results as he left the business. For him, what had begun as a straightforward act of consolation for a stranger had become a source of both delight and laughter.
Even though there had been some confusion, the young guy smiled as he left, recalling how the old woman’s face lit up when he said, “Goodbye, Mom.”