John was a simple, single man, working a quiet job, and was currently trying to do his shopping. ‘Trying’, because for the last twenty minutes he was followed and stared at by an elderly woman, and John found it irritating. When he made it to the check-out, the woman was right in front of him, and still staring at him. John wasn’t sure if he lost patience, or he found the courage, or both, but he decided to ask her about it.

“Uh, excuse me, you have been staring at me for the last half-hour, it’s very unnerving, could you please stop?”

The woman looked away, embarrbumed, “I’m sorry, it’s just, you remind me so much of my son. You even sound like him. He died in a car accident six months ago; the other driver, was intoxicated.”

John, felt really awkward, “I, uh, I’m sorry for your loss.” “That’s okay. I just wish I could hear him say good-bye to me properly. He never did, nobody expected it to be his last drive. Could we, at least, pretend? You sound so much like him, could you please do it?”

With the woman turned away. John was left feeling sorry for her, but at the same time was uncomfortable with calling a stranger ‘mom’. The cashier already finished doing the woman’s groceries, and started doing John’s. John decided that just this once and for the sake of the woman it was okay. “Bye, mom!” He said loudly to the woman, who was walking away, he saw her smile and walk more confidently until she was out of sight.

John remembered where he was, and turned to the cashier who has already finished and was telling him the price. “That’ll be 323 dollars and 74 cents.”

John was puzzled, “Excuse me, these are the same groceries I buy every week, and I always pay a third of that, are you sure you did not make a mistake?”

“No mistake, sir. Your mom told me, that her son would pay for her groceries.”