“Mommy oats” Jayden pointed out at the oat packets placed on the shelf. My mother always takes oatmeal in the morning so Jayden never forget it whenever he is with me shopping.
“Yeah!” I took two packets of them and placed them on the cart.
Jayden giggled in excitement as he enjoyed his ride around the mall in shopping cart while chirping his nursery rhyme. The best part about my baby is that he has great catching power and he learns things quickly.
Today is my holiday. I needed to buy groceries today and Jayden wanted to spend his day with me so I took him with me. He always loves to shop with me, especially in the cart.
Jayden’s laughter echoed through the supermarket as he made motorbike sounds and imagined himself riding along. He was such a bundle of joy, and it warmed my heart to see him happy.
It’s these simple moments that meant the world to both of us, and a thought crossed my mind. My current sling bag had seen better days, it was torn and tattered, well past its prime. I knew it was time for a change.
With my shopping cart in tow, I pushed it the direction of the purses. I carefully browsed through the collection, hoping to find a suitable replacement for my worn-out bag. And then, there it was-a beautiful purse that seemed to fulfill all my needs.
But as I looked at the price tag to see how much it would cost, a wave of disappointment washed than I had anticipated.
I hesitated, my mind racing. Buying this purse would mean tightening my budget for the month. We lost everything in the treatment of our father and in shifting to a new city. As it took us almost three years to free William from all the charges, he was able to get a decent job last year. He and Mia are also planning to expand their family, that’s why I don’t want to put much pressure on them.
I always buy all the groceries for the house while he takes care of father household bills and medicines.
After giving it some thought, I decided to by the purse because it was genuine need. I will cut back on some of my my other expenses in the morning month to balance the budget.
Placing it in the cart, I moved ahead, only to be stopped by Jayden. His face lit up with pure excitement as he saw his favourite superhero toy.
“Mommy, see Jayden’s favourite superhero!” Jayden squealed, his tiny eyes sparkling with anticipation. His mouth was slightly open, and I could see the longing in his eyes.
“You want it?” I asked, looking down at him. His gaze shifted to me, but he didn’t utter a word. Instead, he blinked up at me with a small pout on his lips, unable to express his desire openly.
My baby is more mature than his age. He may be mischievous but he understands the situation. He never asked for much and was always content with the few toys I managed to buy for him.
Smiling widely, I picked up the superhero toy and checked for it’s price. It has remote control so it was a bit costly and it was a bit more expensive than the purse I I just bought.
I can’t afford to buy both of them so without any second thought, I handed the superhero to Jayden and put the purse back in it’s place.
“But, Momy, you loved that” Jayden pointed out, his innocent eyes watching me as I returned the purse.
“No, it isn’t that nice. I will buy one from a store” I told him with a smile.
I have everything if he is happy. I want nothing else. And about the purse, I will buy it from a local store.
“When Jayden grows up, Jayden will buy a whole store of bags for mom” he giggled.
My heart swelled with love and pride, and a genuine, wide smile graced my lips. My eyes welled up with small, warm tears of happiness. I was grateful that my baby loved me so deeply.
“I will be waiting for that day” I said, ruffling through his hair.
Making my way ahead, I bought the remaining groceries while Jayden kept on talking and giggling, drawing the attention of all the others in the mall. People couldn’t resist admiring him and pinching his cheeks, and his infectious laughter seemed to spread a little joy to all who crossed our path.
As I reached the checkout counter to pay the bill, Jayden’s battery had seemingly run out.
“Mommy” he said, reaching out for me, his little fists closing and opening in an impatient rhythm.
Very bad timing!
How am I supposed to hold him in my arms when I also to take up the grocery?
“Momyyyy” he insisted, his eyes growing heavy with sleep.
Sighing, I scooped him up into my arms. He nestled his cheek against my shoulder, his face hidden in the crook of my neck, and within moments, he drifted off to sleep, his soft and even breath gently caressing my skin.
With Jayden sleeping peacefully in my arms, I waited for the sales associate to pack all my purchases into bags. That’s when I noticed her slipping the purse I had like and putting it back into one of the bags. My eyebrows drew in confusion looking at that.
“Excuse me” I said, stopping the sales associate and pointing to the purse. “This is not mine”
She looked up, a smile on her face, and replied, “Ma’am, this is a gift from someone”
“To me?” I asked, puzzled.
“Yes, it’s for you” she nodded, her expression still pleasant.
“But why?”
“I don’t know, ma’am” she responded, equally unsure.
My eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of someone watching me. Even though Ansell hadn’t shown his face in the last week, a lingering feeling persisted, as if he were observing my every move.
“I can’t accept this” I told he firmly, my hand reaching for my grocery -filled bag.
“Ma’am but we can’t take it back” she argued.
“How could I take anything gifted by any strangers? What if it is dangerous for me or my baby?” I shouted at her and she was a bit taken aback by my outburst.
I was never this rude to anyone but the circumstances and life have changed me so rude and cold. The people around me were looking at me but I care less.
The manager came in immediately and someone told him about the whole scene.
“Ma’am, we understand your concern, but this is a safe product. It’s from our store, and we assure you of its safety” he tried to reassure me.
“But why are you forcing me to accept it?” I retorted. “I didn’t ask anyone to gift me anything, and if someone wishes to give me something, they should do it face to face. I cannot accept this” I made my stance clear.
“But, ma’am, it is against our policy to take back items that have already been sold” the manger explained.
I felt exasperated with their explanations and policies.
“Alright” I nodded, and without any further words, I took the purse from the counter, turned around, and simply tossed it into the nearby dustbin.
When I turned around, I found everyone, including the people standing in the queue for the bill, looking at me with astonishment. They weren’t expecting it from me. They started whispering among themselves but care less. They must be talking about how rude I am. They can think whatever they want.
I didn’t want anything from anyone out of sympathy, pity, or any other reason. I was more than capable of providing for myself and my baby.
. The associate still looked at me with utter surprise as I picked up my bag filled with groceries and made my way out of the mall, leaving behind the unwanted gift and any lingering questions from onlookers.
Carrying Jayden with one arm and all the stuff with the other was a bit of a challenging task for me.
When I came out and was about to reach the parking area, I found Ansell standing there. He was looking at me with those eyes, which were asking, ‘Why I do that?’
The emotional wounds he had inflicted on my heart were already deep enough to last a lifetime. I had no desire for any further gifts or gestures from his side that constantly reminded me of him. I was certain that the purse had been his gift, and how his unexpected presence left no room for doubt.
I was relieved that Jayden was peacefully sleeping . I didn’t want my son to face Ansell ever again.
Ansell’s eyes flicked to my son and I could see longing in them to see Jayden, to talk to him and to hold him in his arms.
But I am not going to let it happen.
He deserves his own medicine. He was the one who kept William and me away from our parents when he was not at fault. He didn’t allow me to meet William properly. He barely gave me fifteen minutes. So he must know how it feels so stay away from your own part. He must go through that pain.
Not giving him so much importance, I walked ahead towards my car. I know he wanted to talk to me but I don’t want him to interfere in my life anymore.
Finding the car keys amidst all the and with Jayden in my arms proved to be a challenge. I cursed myself for not having the keys ready before picking up the bags.
Ugh!
Finally, I managed to find the keys but it was still difficult for me to open the door.
I was struggling with bags, Jayden, keys, and the door when suddenly a helping hand rested over my palm.