多余的零錢

By+Anonymous

My morning routine includes stopping at the local convenient store to pick up the daily news.

One morning not long ago， the convenience of the convenient store proved inconvenient to the folks stuck in line behind two small boys. As I approached the counter to pay the attendant， I noticed the two little guys standing at the front of line—a line that was growing longer by the minute.

The young man behind the counter was clearly agitated with the boys as his voice rose above the morning chatter in the store and he said to them，“Look， you guys need nineteen cents more to pay for this candy. If you dont have them， you dont get it. Now， what are you going to do？”

I watched， as the small boys seemed to shuffle from one foot to another without uttering a word， just staring at the attendant， their wide eyes filling with tears.

The folks waiting impatiently in line began to complain loudly，“Lets go， fellas！”

Suddenly， I felt overwhelmed to intervene on their behalf.

“Ive got the nineteen cents，”I shouted above the noise and commotion.“Take this dollar for my paper and keep the change towards their candy.”

The attendant seemed relieved to have the matter settled.

Everyone in the line turned to eyeball the loudmouthed lady with the exception of the two small boys who quickly snatched the candy and exited the store.

I handed over the dollar， smiled at the attendant and left.

As I made my way to my car， a small voice called out to me，“Hey， lady！”

I turned to see one of the boys peering from around the corner of the building.“That was pretty cool！”

He was gone. I supposed it was a“thank you”of sorts and I was content to think that I would be the topic of their small conversation that morning. I was the“cool lady”who saved the day by paying for their candy in an otherwise hectic and uncaring world. I imagined them giving each other high fives in my memory. It made me smile to think that my small gesture had brightened their little world， if only for a moment.

By the time that I arrived at my own store， I was basking in my good deed and wanted to sharemystorywithmy customers.

When I finished telling the story to a small group of girls， one of my customers turned towards me and said，“I like to do little things like that， too. When I stop to get my morning coffee， everyday， I place a penny in the parking lot or on the sidewalk—heads up. Sometimes I sit in my car and watch to see if anyone finds it. It always makes people smile and it makes my day， too. Ive been doing it for years.”

I couldnt speak. It does make you smile to find a penny heads up in the parking lot. Maybe I had been one of the recipients of her gifts.

She shyly admitted that she hadnt told a single soul before today. How noble that was！ And here I was， bragging about my generosity. I humbled myself and decided to forgo sharing my morning episode with anyone else.

That afternoon on my way home， I stopped to get a coffee at the local donut shop. As I left the store， I noticed a shiny heads！up penny on the sidewalk.

Instead of bending down to pick it up， I knelt and placed a penny next to it. Heads up， of course. After all， pennies are gifts from angels and angels always smile when we share our spare change.

我每天早上都會(huì)在當(dāng)?shù)氐谋憷觊T口停下，買當(dāng)天的報(bào)紙。

不久前的一個(gè)早上，對(duì)排在兩個(gè)小男孩后面的人們來說，便利店的便利性不復(fù)存在了。來到柜臺(tái)向收銀員付款時(shí)，我注意到隊(duì)伍前面站著兩個(gè)小家伙。隨著時(shí)間的推移，隊(duì)伍變得越來越長(zhǎng)。

柜臺(tái)后面的年輕人明顯已經(jīng)對(duì)那兩個(gè)男孩不耐煩了。他提高的聲音，蓋過了早上商店里人們的閑談聲。他對(duì)男孩們說：“看著，你們需要再付19美分才能買這塊糖果。如果你們沒有錢，就不能買。現(xiàn)在，你們打算怎么辦？”

我看著兩個(gè)小男孩，他們只是盯著收銀員，大眼睛里充滿了淚水，站著的腳來回挪動(dòng)，卻一個(gè)字也說不出來。

隊(duì)伍里等得不耐煩的人們開始大聲抱怨起來：“伙計(jì)們，讓我們先結(jié)賬吧！”

突然，我忍不住想要代他們出頭。

“我有19美分。”我用比人們的嘈雜和喧鬧更大的聲音喊道，“這一美元買一份報(bào)紙，剩下的零錢給他們付糖果的錢。”

事情解決了，收銀員看起來松了一口氣。

隊(duì)伍里的每個(gè)人看著兩個(gè)小男孩一把抓過糖果離開商店之后，都轉(zhuǎn)而盯著我這個(gè)大聲說話的女士。

我將一美元遞過去，沖收銀員笑了笑，離開了。

在我走向自家車子的路上，一個(gè)小小的聲音喊住了我：“嘿，女士！”

我轉(zhuǎn)過頭去，看到其中一個(gè)小男孩在大樓的拐角那兒凝視著我：“糖果超甜！”

他走了。我想那算是一種感謝吧，想到我將成為他們那天早上聊天的話題，我感到很滿意。在這個(gè)繁忙和漠然的世界里，我為他們的糖果付錢，拯救了他們的一天，這多酷啊！我在頭腦中想象著他們互相擊掌的情形。我的一個(gè)小舉動(dòng)點(diǎn)亮了他們小小的世界，哪怕只是一小會(huì)兒。想到這里，我笑了。

到達(dá)自己店里的時(shí)候，我還為自己做的好事感到樂滋滋的，想要和顧客們分享我的故事。

我向一小群女孩講完這個(gè)故事后，一個(gè)顧客轉(zhuǎn)向我說：“我也喜歡做那樣的小事。每天早上我停下來去買咖啡時(shí)，都會(huì)在停車場(chǎng)或者人行道上放一美分———正面朝上。有時(shí)我會(huì)坐在車?yán)铮纯从袥]有人發(fā)現(xiàn)它。它總是能讓人們微笑，也能給我?guī)硇腋！Ｎ易鲞@件事已經(jīng)有幾年時(shí)間了。”

我啞口無(wú)言。在停車場(chǎng)發(fā)現(xiàn)一枚正面朝上的硬幣確實(shí)能讓人微笑。或許我也曾是她禮物的接受者之一。

她羞怯地承認(rèn)道，在今天之前，她從未對(duì)任何人提起過。那多么高尚啊！我卻在這里吹噓我的慷慨。我自愧不如，決定不再與任何人分享我早上的經(jīng)歷。

那天下午回家的路上，我在一家甜甜圈店停下來買咖啡。離開商店的時(shí)候，我注意到人行道上有一枚正面朝上、閃閃發(fā)光的硬幣。

我沒有彎腰去撿起它，而是跪下來，在它的旁邊放了一枚硬幣。當(dāng)然，也是正面朝上的。畢竟，硬幣是來自天使的禮物，而我們分享多余的零錢時(shí)，天使總是在微笑的。