Michael is still half-asleep when a customer walks into the store looking anxious and nervous, only to pick up a candy bar. When he is unable to pay for the bar, Michael tries to understand what is so important about a chocolate bar…
You know those mornings when you’re not quite awake yet, and everything feels like it’s moving in slow motion? That was me this morning, standing behind the register with a cup of coffee that I desperately needed. The store had just opened, the lights still flickering to full brightness, and I was fighting to wake up when a customer walked in.
A man yawning | Source: Midjourney
“Here we go,” I said, getting my last yawn out of the way.
Right away, I could tell something was off with the customer. He had a strange energy, like he was a man on a mission. He muttered to himself as he held onto his keys tightly. His eyes were wide, and he was moving too quickly for an early morning run into a convenience store.
A convenience store | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll just let him carry on for a bit,” I muttered to myself as I sipped on my coffee.
I didn’t like when people kept hovering when I entered a store, so I thought I’d give the man some space.
But this man didn’t browse. He didn’t hesitate. He made a beeline for the candy counter next to me, clutching a single item: a mint chocolate candy bar. Now, who buys mint chocolate so early in the morning?
A candy counter | Source: Midjourney
Most people go for coffee or maybe a muffin. Even an energy bar. But this guy? He had gone straight for the candy aisle and picked up the least popular one we carried at the store.
“Good morning,” he said, sliding the chocolate bar to me.
I scanned the bar, and the register beeped, startling both of us for a moment.
A man working in a store | Source: Midjourney
“Anything else?” I asked.
He shook his head, glancing around nervously as if to make sure he had gotten the right chocolate bar.
“No, that’s it,” he said. “Can you break a $100 bill?”
I grimaced; it was too early for change.
A dollar bill on a counter | Source: Midjourney
“Sorry, I can’t,” I replied. “We just opened, so I haven’t gotten a chance to make change yet. And I only do the bank run after lunch.”
His face fell, and I noticed his hands start to shake a bit as he held out the bill. That’s when I really looked at him, and it hit me. He wasn’t just nervous; he seemed downright scared.
“I don’t have anything smaller. I’m sorry,” he said. “I just really need this.”
A downcast man | Source: Midjourney
“Maybe you could pay with a card?” I suggested, wanting to help him out.
He shook his head more vigorously than before, sweating.
“It’s maxed out,” he whispered, like he was confessing something shameful. “Unexpected expenses and all that.”
I watched him for a moment, the pieces slowly coming together. He wasn’t acting like a man craving chocolate early in the morning. He was acting like a nervous man, a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“This isn’t for you, is it?” I asked.
“No,” he admitted. “It’s for my wife. She’s pregnant, and her cravings are crazy. She just wanted a mint chocolate candy bar. We’ve been busy buying things for the baby’s arrival, so my cards are maxed out. I can’t go home empty-handed. She barely tells me when she’s craving anything because she doesn’t want me to spend more. But she absentmindedly told me about this.”
His shoulders slumped as he tried to figure out what to do next.
“What do I do?” he asked himself.
Now it all made sense. The urgency, the desperation. I could picture a pregnant and exhausted woman with a craving so intense that she’d sent him out on a mission he couldn’t afford to fail.
But still, I couldn’t help but chuckle at him.
“Listen,” I said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. “You take it. You can come back and pay me later when you have some change. Just get this home to her before she sends out a search party for her chocolate bar.”
He stared at me in disbelief.
“Are you serious? Are you sure?” he asked, his words coming out too quickly.
“Absolutely,” I said. “When my wife was pregnant with our twins, nothing could come between her and her peach cravings. So, go home to your wife and do the right thing.”
For a moment, he didn’t move. He just stood there processing what I’d said. Then, without another word, he grabbed the chocolate bar and ran out the door.
“At least there will be a happy mom and a happy baby,” I said to myself.
The rest of the morning went by in a flurry as customers came in for their groceries. One couple had a fight about the difference between olives and capers right in front of me. Another couple had to talk their toddler down from a tantrum about biting into the fresh green apples.
But at around noon, the bell above the door chimed once again, and there he was, walking back into the store.
This time, he looked like a different person. He was calmer and more collected than when I first met him. He approached the counter with a warm smile and handed me the money.
“Thank you for helping me out earlier,” he said. “You have no idea how much that meant to me. I just wanted to give my wife something she deserved. And she doesn’t ask for much. I’m Shaun, by the way.”
“No problem,” I replied, handing him his change. “I’m just glad that it worked out.”
But then, instead of leaving, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something small, wrapped in a piece of cloth.
“I told my wife about your kindness,” he said. “She wanted you to have this.”
He unwrapped the piece of cloth carefully, revealing two small knitted keychains in the shape of yellow ducks. One was missing an eye, but they were beautiful.
“Sarah’s been knitting toys for the baby,” he said. “When I told her that you’re a dad to twins, she made this as a thank you.”
“This is beautiful,” I said, genuinely touched.
The keychains were small and delicate, and obviously handmade with care.
“Thank you,” I said. “To you and your wife. My kids are starting daycare soon; I’ll put these keychains on their bags. This is really generous and kind. Thank you. My wife will love this!”
“Sarah insisted,” Shaun said, smiling more than he had in the morning. “She said that it was the least she could do to say thank you. The baby enjoyed the chocolate bar and kicked away while she ate it.”
We both laughed loudly.
“Do you live around here?” I asked.
Shaun nodded.
“It’s about a five-minute walk,” he said. “Why?”
“Take my number down,” I said. “Come around whenever. We live above the store, so if you need anything, I’ll always be in this area. And besides, I’m sure it will be nice for Sarah to have someone to talk to. My wife, Lina, loves people. And once she knows that there’s a pregnant woman with cravings around, especially one who made something for our kids… Man, Lina will just love that!”
Shaun laughed and nodded again.
“Okay, give me your number,” he said.
I wrote down my number and gave it to him, wondering if he’d ever use it. I was honest with what I said. Lina and I were done having children, but my wife loved being around pregnant women. It was just something that seemed special to her.
“I just love to talk about the pregnancy experience,” she would say.
“Good luck with everything, Shaun,” I said. “You’re going to be a great dad.”
“Thank you,” he said, his eyes softening. “I really hope so.”
As he left, I couldn’t help but smile again. I tucked the little ducks into my pocket. It was such a small thing, to be honest. But somehow it felt significant, like my family and I had been a part of something important.