For the first time, I got to witness a ripple effect of human kindness and it was beautiful. I was on my way to return an Amazon package at one of those Amazon lockers you sometimes see in a Safeway. I originally made the arrangements the night before and was going to be in Menlo Park anyway, so when I arrived I was going to go in and then right out to go to my therapy appointment. Now, I’m going to give you a bunch of details that seem unnecessary but it’s because every little thing that may seem insignificant is all happening for a reason. I was supposed to take the first entrance into the Safeway, the one I usually take, but a BMW that would slow down and speed up and the exact same time as I tried to switch lanes, kept that from happening. I ended up having to go around and entering through the back entrance of the plaza, because of this I ended up parking a lot father. I saw a little boy walking with a box as I got out of my car. He was talking to a hipster looking couple who were nodding and almost shooing him away. He was making his way toward the end of the parking lot, when I noticed he was carrying a box. I could tell he was selling something, so I walked over and asked what he was selling. Sheepish and polite, he answered, “Chocolate bars for at risk youth.” It was about 85 degrees and he had a t-shirt and jeans on. He was squinting at me from the blazing sun, trying to cover his eyes. I asked him if he could give me 5 minutes, that I needed to drop off my package and get cash. He said, “Okay,” and watched me walk away. I looked back, “I’ll be back. Wait for me.” He gave a half smile and turned to other incoming shoppers. I wondered in the moment how many times he was told that and didn’t see those people again. Not me. I was going to keep my word.
I went inside, walked over to the amazon locker and entered the code they gave me. I kept getting a “this code does not exist” message. I looked back at the paperwork, I had gone to the wrong place. I was supposed to have gone to the Safeway in Palo Alto, not in Menlo Park. I laughed in a realization that I was meant to be here, I was meant to buy that little boy’s chocolate. I should probably mention how BIG I am on the universe and, things happening for a reason. I truly believe things are put in place to keep you on a path meant for you and sometimes deter you somewhere else because you are needed elsewhere. With all that said, I grabbed a water from the mini refrigerator by the check out stand, and asked for $10 in cash back. I found him immediately, he was talking to a woman who was shaking her head no to him and back up toward her car. I walked over there and asked him how much the candy bar was. He responded, “Seven dollars.” I gave him the ten dollar bill and told him to keep the change. I handed him the water bottle and told him it was hot out here and the seal was still on the bottle. I grabbed the box while he opened the water and took a huge gulp from it. I asked him his name, almost breathless from the water he chugged, he responded, “Aries.” I smiled, “Aries. That’s a great name, that’s a fire element in the zodiac. It’s fierce.” Still timid, he wiped the water from his mouth, nodded and smiled.
The woman who had told Aries she didn’t want to buy anything had been watching us. In my peripherals I saw her run around the car to her back seat. Aries handed me the large chocolate bar with wrapping that was made to appear like money. The woman said, “Excuse me,” then apologized for interrupting and handed him a hat and some change she found in her back seat. She put the hat on Aries and told him he could keep it. Another man had been watching us too from across the parking lot. I noticed him staring at Aries as I came out of Safeway. I wasn’t sure why he was staring at first, curiosity as to what Aries was selling, or maybe the fact that there was an African American child in his upscale neighborhood grocery store roaming the parking lot. When he started walking over, I wasn’t sure what his intentions were, so I waited to make sure this man wasn’t going to make any trouble for Aries. He peeked in the box, “Alright, young man, what are you going to sell me today.” My heart fluttered at the big smile Aries now had. Sometimes we all need a push, someone to lead by example. That could have been anyone willing to show kindness to a stranger that could have started that ripple effect.
Selling anything to strangers, especially at that age, is difficult. What is seven dollars, really? A venti drink at Starbucks with a breakfast sandwich? Next time you think about saying “No” or not giving someone the time of day asking for help, don’t. Just give it to them, just help them. Some people might argue, “What if it’s a scam, and the money doesn’t go where they say.” That doesn’t matter. What matters is you did your part. You helped someone. What they do with that money or help is not your business anymore. You can only hope the people you help really do need it and that you made a small impact in their life. I was supposed to buy that $7 chocolate bar from Aries, to give him water, and to potentially inspire others to help him out. I ended up at the wrong place, at the right time. So, next time you end up in the wrong place, don’t get upset, because it might be the right time and to positively impact someone else’s life, one chocolate bar at a time.
WRITTEN BY: Estela
GIRL. 20-Something. 