Sh-hhhh, Don't Say A Word...

Sh-hhhhhh, Don't Say A Word....

By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

The woman sat talking quietly to a teenage girl.  The girl looked at her with tears in her eyes.  "Mama, it's okay... I don't have to have those things to graduate.  We need money for more important things."

I watched the woman turn her head, stare off into space.  I saw sadness in her eyes.  I saw her shake her head, look down into her lap.  I recognized hopelessness, my heart felt pain.  I know how it is to go without things I need, much less want.  I know how it is when one's child needs, wants something... the parent sees no way to pay for those things.

I sat thinking of how I could make a difference in this mother, daughter's life in a positive way.  A way without them knowing it... if not that... a way that I wouldn't hurt their pride.  I wanted to do something special for them.

As we waited for the bus, I looked around, listened to different people as they talked, laughed.  I saw some people sitting with the saddest expressions on their faces.  I know how it is to be sad... that's why I recognized sadness.  I not only recognized it, I 'felt' it deeply in my heart.

I got up to go to the bathroom... it would be an hour before my bus came.  I walked into a stall, closed the door behind me.  I pulled the diaper station out to sit my purse on.  I opened it, and pulled out several envelopes, then......

I took a bank envelope out of my purse.  It held several thousand dollars in one hundred dollar bills.  I stood there in deep thought, then decided what to do.

I put a thousand dollars in one envelope, one hundred dollar bills in ten different envelopes.  I was going to make a positive difference in people's lives today.  I did this often, finding that it made me feel the most happiest inside.  It was time...

I walked back out into the waiting area... I walked over to the mother, daughter.  I sat down, blended in with them by talking.  I found that we all had a rapport that would make it easy for me to do what I wanted to do.

I smiled at them, told them that I wanted to tell them something special.  I made both promise not to make a sound when I told them.  I didn't want everyone to know that I carried such a large amount of money.  Also, I didn't want people to know that they would have that kind of money on them.

I asked them if they would walk with me to the bathroom that I wanted to show them something as I told them something special.  I saw trust in their eyes... I felt good inside.

We walked into the bathroom, thankfully ... it was empty.  I looked at both of them, smiled, told them that I had no way to remain private while I did what I wanted to do.  

The woman looked at me smiling, wondering what in the world I was talking about.  I told her that I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but, then again... I did mean to.  That was my purpose in life... to find people who needed things... to make dreams come true.

I took the envelope out of my coat pocket, handed it to the woman.  As she took it from my hand, I told her that this would help to buy the things her daughter needed, plus... she'd have money left.  I told her to not let anyone around us know what I just did... it was dangerous for people to know they had that kind of money on them.

The woman opened the envelope, gasped when she saw the hundred dollar bills.  I told her there were ten of them.  She began to cry softly, thanking me.  I told her in a quiet voice to not say anything, she didn't need to.  She, her daughter both hugged me... I turned around, walked to the door.  I looked back at them with a soft smile, put my finger on my lips, walked out of the bathroom.

I walked by an older man sitting alone.  His clothes were very worn.  He had a cane.  I sat down beside him, he spoke to me.  I listened as he told me about himself.  He was on his way to see his daughter who needed him.  He used his last money from his social security check to take the bus to her.  He didn't know what he'd do when he got there.

I opened my purse, slipped out four one hundred dollar bills.  I took one envelope out of my pocket, slipped the four hundred dollars into it along with the one hundred dollar bill in it.  Now... the envelope held five hundred dollars.  I knew what I was going to do with it....

I gently took the elderly man's hand in my two hands.  I told him that I would like to help him if he didn't mind.  I saw instant tears in his eyes... I told him to not say anything, that what I was about to do had to stay quiet.  He nodded his head...

I took the envelope with the five hundred dollars in it, placed it in his hand.  I told him that now... he would know what to do when he got to his daughter.  He opened the envelope, peered inside.  He began to speak... I put my finger to my lips, shook my head, whispered to him.... "don't let anyone see this money, stay safe now, you don't have to say a word."  I got up and walked away....

I felt such happiness in my heart... for now, I had done what I needed to do... I would know when it was time to help someone else the next time.  For now, I was through... for now, I was tired from the built-up emotion inside me.  The best kind of 'tired.'

My bus had arrived... I walked out to it... I never looked back.  I didn't need to... I had left 'good things' behind me.  That was my purpose in life........

Note:  This is a short story I wrote about a dream I have... I would like to really do this in my life.  Whenever I have had huge sums of money, I have done similar to this story I wrote.  I was at my most happiest when I made good things happen for others.  This story is my wish that's always in my heart.... I wish I were rich enough to make many dreams come true.  I would turn, walk away knowing I had done good.  This story was written while I was day-dreaming...... wishing....   :))) Love, Granny Gee