why me?

I slipped the five dollar bill into the pocket of my black, zip up sweater and exited the car. I'd had a sudden craving for a Charleston Chew as we pulled into the gas station on our way back to Ottawa on Sunday. With limited resources too, I really wanted that bar! Alas, the store did not carry it, even though the cashier thought they did.

That five dollars was forgotten about until today, when I slipped that sweater on and, feeling something in the right pocket, discovered it. But it felt like it wasn't mine. That wasn't my five dollar bill, God told me to give it away, and today. Alright, I thought. I can do that. People ask me for change all the time. As I walked to the bus stop, I pictured myself giving that money to every person I passed. I wasn't sure though, and didn't have the boldness to just hand it off randomly to the first, or second, or third person I saw. All I knew was that it wasn't mine.

I arrived at school late on the first day, yup I did, (only five minutes!) and the notes are going to follow in a separate entry because I'm currently telling you a story that I don't want disrupted. Even though I'm disrupting it myself.

On the bus home from school I was thinking about the lonely glass jar on our counter containing coffee grinds. And then about the out of place, white glass container holding sugar, right next to the coffee. I had bought the first one at the dollar store, so I figured I could spare two bucks. One jar for sugar and one jar for teabags, and then they can all match! Steph walked me into the mall becaue we both had downed way too much tea during class for our small bladders to handle. Then she asked why I didn't take the 14 from the mall home. Save myself a seven minute walk. Somehow I just didn't even consider it. Walking, I told her. She shrugs and hugs goodbye.

It was weird walking through that mall today. I didn't want ANYTHING. Didn't even have any desire to look. I kept waiting for someone to stop me and ask, I mean, somebody had to, right? Out of the mall, through the parking lot, cross two roads and not a soul had said a word to me. I had to span one more road to get to the dollar store parking lot and instead of walking a minute up to the crosswalk, I stood there and waited for the waves of traffic to halt enough, for a gap big enough to come so I could skirt across the busy road. A guy down the road to my right managed to make it across and I smiled at him, cocked my head to the side, showing my amusement that he had crossed and I hadn't.

Moments later I got my chance and once across the road he turned to me and smiled. I don't know if he's just in the habit of talking to random people, but I'm not, and so I was kind of startled when he started talking. He asked if I'd heard what the guys in the car had yelled as they drove by right before I'd crossed. I told him no, that I'd thought it was music. Then we were not saying anything but walking side by side in the same direction through the lot.

He then tells me he'd gone to school on the wrong day today. That he'd thought he had school but it turns out it's next Tuesday and so he'd gotten up for nothing. Business and marketing. He asks if I live far and I say no. I tell him I'm going to the Dollar store and then just as we're about to part ways I figured, why not.

"Hey!" I call, just as he's turning to the left. He looks back and I continue, before I can stop myself, to ask if he needs five bucks. He lifts an eyebrow, says,
"What?"
"Five dollars," I say. "God told me to give it away and it may as well be you."
"Yeah sure," he says and I pull the folded bill out of my pocket, glad to be rid of this thing burning a hole in my sweater. He takes it with this confused smile and then asks,
"Why me?" Why indeed. I haven't a clue why you.
"Well," I start, "God told me it wasn't mine, to give it away, and no one's even so much as said hello to me today and then here you are, starting up a random conversation and so it's you. God bless."
"Thanks," he laughs. I start moving toward the dollar store and he mutters that he'll come with me and get juice. He asks 'why me?' again and I chuckle, answering,
"It's only five bucks, not that big a deal."
"I know," he responds. "But still."

In the store he asks me what I'm looking for and I explain it to him. Down one aisle, the wrong aisle and back up the next. He's just following me around, and then he suggests I ask the lady who works there. I would have, except that I was pretty sure I knew where they were. At the end of the mug aisle I found them and apologized as I walked back towards him, saying I hadn't meant to disregard his idea and he assures me it's alright, that he simply doesn't like looking for things in stores.

I move up to the left side of the till and he disappears down an aisle. The lady standing there informs me that till is closed and that I have to move to the other side. Because of that he's moved in line in front of me and sets two bottles of juice down. I deposited my two jars on the counter and he slaps the bill I had given him down on one of the jars. I look up at him, tell him I've given it to him.

"I know," he says. "And if it's mine then I can do with it whatever I like." Can't argue with logic like that.
"Fair," I laugh. The five dollar bill just covers our four items and he pocketed the leftover 17 cents. As we walk out of the store I quickly tell him about school of the word and what we were learning today. He had to turn down an alley on the right so I say goodbye, thank him for buying my jars and he says thanks as well. Then he says God Bless as he's walking away.

This probably seems like such a little meeting, and maybe some of you have odd encounters like this all the time, but I don't, and so I'm still revelling in it. I smiled the whole way home, clutching my two glass, dollar store jars. One for sugar and one for tea.