Mary stood at the checkout counter, her face growing hot as she fumbled through her purse. Panic crept in as she realized what had happened. “Oh no, I must’ve left my wallet in John’s car. I’m so sorry, but I’ll have to leave these for now,” she apologized to the cashier, who had already started putting her groceries back on the shelf.
Just as Mary was about to turn and leave, a voice from behind stopped her in her tracks. “Wait, ma’am. You don’t have too many things. I can pay for them,” said a young boy, no more than 12 years old. He looked kind, but his clothes suggested he wasn’t someone with extra money to spare.
Mary blinked in surprise, her heart warming at the unexpected gesture. “Oh, I can’t let you do that,” she replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.
The boy smiled, insisting, “Please, ma’am. My grandma always says good deeds come back to us. Karma, you know?” Without giving her a chance to protest, he paid for her groceries along with his own.
Speechless, Mary finally managed to say, “Thank you so much.” She smiled at him as they left the store together. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Mark,” the boy replied.
“Well, Mark, you really saved me from a huge hassle today. I’m Mary,” she said. “Can I get your number to pay you back later?”
Mark shrugged casually, scribbling his number on the back of a receipt. “Sure, but no rush. I live nearby.”
“I believe in paying people back, even if we also pay it forward,” Mary said with a warm smile as they parted ways.
When she got home, Mary couldn’t wait to tell her daughter Anastacia what had happened. “It was so nice to see a young person do something so kind,” she said as she put the groceries away.
Anastacia, still recovering from the flu, smiled from the couch. “That’s rare these days. Some kids only think about themselves.”
“I know, right? But the thing is, I don’t think Mark has a lot of money. I feel bad now, thinking maybe he needed that money for something more important,” Mary said, feeling a pang of guilt. Thankfully, her friend John agreed to bring her wallet back the next day so she could pay Mark back.
The following day, with her wallet in hand, Mary and Anastacia decided to visit Mark. They arrived at the address he had given them and were greeted by a small but neat house, surrounded by a well-kept garden. Mark answered the door with a big smile.
“Hi, Mrs. Cummings!” he said, clearly surprised to see them. “You didn’t have to hurry back so soon.”
Mary returned his smile. “Well, I wanted to. This is my daughter, Anastacia. Here’s the money I owe you, and thank you again for your help.”
Mark looked a little embarrassed. “Thank you, but you really didn’t have to rush. I’d invite you in, but my grandma doesn’t like visitors when she’s not home.”
“Where is she?” Anastacia asked curiously. “Maybe we can meet her later. Does she like pecan pie? We’re headed to the bakery.”
Mark hesitated for a moment, his smile fading. “She’s in the hospital. She needs surgery, but it’s expensive. I’ve been trying to raise money for it with a GoFundMe, but it’s not going too well.” His voice grew quiet, the weight of the situation clear on his face.
“Oh, honey. You shouldn’t have to do that alone,” Anastacia said, her heart going out to him.
Mark shrugged, trying to stay strong. “It’s just the two of us. We’re managing.”
Mary and Anastacia exchanged a glance, silently deciding what to do. “Why don’t you give me the link to your GoFundMe, and we’ll share it?” Mary suggested. “Also, come with us to the bakery. We’ll visit your grandma together, maybe bring her some pie.”
Mark hesitated. “Are you sure? You don’t need to…”
“We want to,” Anastacia said, her voice gentle but firm.
Together, they bought pies and visited Mark’s grandmother, Mrs. Julie Strada, in the hospital. After a nice chat with her, they left Mark with his grandmother. At home, Anastacia immediately shared the GoFundMe link and made a small donation. But something was still bothering Mary.
“They need so much for the surgery. I don’t think sharing the link is enough,” she said, pacing the room.
Anastacia, now feeling a little better, tapped her chin thoughtfully. “What if we share what Mark did for you? He didn’t know you were going to pay him back, and that could inspire people to help more. Maybe it could go viral? Let’s try posting it on Reddit.”
Mary raised an eyebrow, unsure. “Reddit? That seems like a long shot…”
“We won’t know until we try,” Anastacia replied with a determined smile, already typing out the story on her laptop. She posted it on both Reddit and Twitter.
At first, there were just a few comments, but soon the post started gaining traction. Thousands of people saw the story, and donations began pouring in. The $230,000 goal for Mrs. Strada’s surgery still seemed like a lot, but then, a local news station picked up the story. After interviewing Mary and Mark, the story spread even further, and the GoFundMe quickly surpassed its target.
Mark was overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity. His simple act of kindness had led to something far bigger than he ever imagined.
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