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I searched for this one, but couldn't find it, so pardon if it's already been posted!
When I was in high school, I played girls basketball. One day our team was playing an away game, and on the way to the school we were playing at, we stopped at a gas station to use the restroom/get snacks/etc. I went inside the store and was looking at the coolers for a drink, when a woman approached me, wide-eyed. I glanced at her, but didn't recognize her. She stared at me for a moment, then asked me what my name was. I told her.
"Do you play basketball, dear?" she asked. I had my uniform on, and confirmed that I played for our town's varsity basketball team. Her eyes started to tear up as she told me that she had a daughter who looked just like me, who had the same name as me, who also played basketball, who was killed last year in a car accident. She started to cry.
I wasn't sure what to do, so I patted her on the shoulder, told her I was sorry for her loss, and asked if there was anything I could do to calm her down. She collected herself and smiled at me and apologized for getting upset, and said that she didn't want to bother me anymore. As she turned to go, though, she looked back at me and asked, "Would it be possible for you to say, "See you later, Mom!" and wave as I walk out the door, dear?"
She was so upset, that I agreed. I watched as she made her way to the door, and called the farewell as she had requested. Then I remembered my drink. I grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and headed to the counter to check out.
"That'll be $32.51, please," said the clerk.
"What!? But all I have is a bottle of water! I don't have $32.51!"
"Your mother said you were going to pay for her gas."
I gasped and turned to look outside the doors, toward the pumps. The woman was still there, just getting into her car, so I raced out the door and dove toward her as she was sitting down, just managing to pull on her leg...
...just like I'm pulling yours now.
When I was in high school, I played girls basketball. One day our team was playing an away game, and on the way to the school we were playing at, we stopped at a gas station to use the restroom/get snacks/etc. I went inside the store and was looking at the coolers for a drink, when a woman approached me, wide-eyed. I glanced at her, but didn't recognize her. She stared at me for a moment, then asked me what my name was. I told her.
"Do you play basketball, dear?" she asked. I had my uniform on, and confirmed that I played for our town's varsity basketball team. Her eyes started to tear up as she told me that she had a daughter who looked just like me, who had the same name as me, who also played basketball, who was killed last year in a car accident. She started to cry.
I wasn't sure what to do, so I patted her on the shoulder, told her I was sorry for her loss, and asked if there was anything I could do to calm her down. She collected herself and smiled at me and apologized for getting upset, and said that she didn't want to bother me anymore. As she turned to go, though, she looked back at me and asked, "Would it be possible for you to say, "See you later, Mom!" and wave as I walk out the door, dear?"
She was so upset, that I agreed. I watched as she made her way to the door, and called the farewell as she had requested. Then I remembered my drink. I grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and headed to the counter to check out.
"That'll be $32.51, please," said the clerk.
"What!? But all I have is a bottle of water! I don't have $32.51!"
"Your mother said you were going to pay for her gas."
I gasped and turned to look outside the doors, toward the pumps. The woman was still there, just getting into her car, so I raced out the door and dove toward her as she was sitting down, just managing to pull on her leg...
...just like I'm pulling yours now.
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