![]() This morning I went back to the used bike shop Thom and I first tried. We only inherited one balance bike with the flat, and the twins have been very vocal that they each need one. The shop owner found a bike, and as he was raising the seat, he began to tell me a story: "Last week I had a very nice lady from New Jersey come here. She had a son with a small hand--he was born without a hand. They came for a bike for him, and then they left. My son said it was because of the money. Oh, I wish I would have known. I would have verschenken. . . i would have just given it to him." Umm……….. Obviously, this was Thom and me. I had two choices and neither seemed ideal. I decided against revealing that I was the cashless mother of the one-handed child. Instead, I acknowledged his generous heart and paid for the balance bike--in cash, for ten euros less that what his son priced it on our last visit. The other option would have allowed me to tell this man that Thom had indeed found a bike. I believe he would have found joy in this news. Perhaps we shall write him a letter.
3 Comments
katherine
10/17/2017 01:03:05 pm
Oh, Precious! So many interesting things are happening to you, the "very nice lady from New Jersey."
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Abby
10/17/2017 06:15:11 pm
Very odd encounter for sure. I think you made the right call.
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Julia
10/18/2017 05:13:14 am
Oh, Anne. What a beautiful story! Personally, I believe you took the better choice as he would have been embarrassed that he was retelling a story you knew so well. Did you have your hair "up" and/or glasses on for one of your visits? What a dear man! The other side of the coin is that he thought you might be the same person but wasn't sure, and he wanted to express his sadness for how things had turned out. But, the first scenario seems more likely. You are a wise woman!
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