Jordan and Reena

I’m drawn to people in pairs these days; I don’t know why. I was in Dollar Tree this afternoon and saw a woman and boy moving through the aisles, clearly looking for something. I followed her for a few minutes, wondering if she was aware of me skulking around behind her. At one point the boy split off to find help. I approached the woman and said hello. She smiled, nice as anything, and said that she was looking for a roll of paper tickets. She explained that her grandson’s 11th birthday is coming up this weekend and they have a party to get ready for.

She looked around for the boy but didn’t see him. The front door was wide open. “I don’t think he went outside,” she said, glancing around. “Where did he go?” Then she called for him. “Jordan!”

The boy’s head appeared at the end of the aisle. He came over to us and stood quietly while I told his grandmother a brief version of my story. When I handed her the $100 bill, she looked down and then said, “Goodness. Goodness! That is really nice of you! Thank you!” She reached out and gave me a big hug. “Goodness!” She said again. Her name was Reena and she said they could sure use the money, sneaking a glance at Jordan.

I saw them leaving the store just as I was pulling out of the parking lot. Reena was smiling and talking. Jordan caught my eye and gave me a shy smile. He turned his head and followed me with his eyes until I pulled away.

Goodness. Happy Birthday, Jordan.