Once Upon a Time

Act of Kindness

She lovingly carried the plant up her driveway and placed it in the garden. She leaned back to admire her work at the gate and found herself landing hard on her bum. She got herself up and looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

Old man Willard, she thought, as she cringed inside. This would surely prelude a long boring story about a time in his boyhood when he had done the same thing. It seemed his only stories were of childhood. He never spoke of his family, if he had one, and now he was heading her way with a shuffling gait. What was worse, she couldn’t ignore him: It would be rude.

“Hi, Willard.”

“Are you alright?” Willard said, concerned. “Do you need any help? When I was a boy, I set up many flower gardens for my mother and aunts. It was a grand time I had…”

“I’m fine, Willard,” said Rose. “But I am in a bit of a hurry. It’s almost dinner time and I need to get to cooking.”

“I love to cook,” Willard said excitedly. “Maybe I could be of assistance after all. I can make a mean pot pie and a not too shabby pizza.”

“Willard, do you have a family?” Rose inquired

Willard’s face went dark, and his lip quivered as he fought back tears. ‘I had a family,” he said, his voice shaking. “But that was a long time ago.”

“Would you like to have dinner with me, Willard?”

The tears in his eyes leaked down his cheek. “I would be delighted. Maybe we can do this often.”

Rose smiled, feeling glad she had asked. Even as the two neighbors talked, Rose felt a warmth inside her as she placed another feather in the proverbial hat.