Last night, I had one of the most excruciating experiences of my life. The cheese counter was directly next to the sweets counter in the grocery where I was. I was fixated on some cheese. I overheard the following conversation: “- Please know that I will treat you with respect. Please!- Simply told, we don’t have enough money. If I buy this candy for you, we won’t have enough money for bread. I instantly turned around.

“- Please, you said Santa would come and bring us candy this year. I remained motionless while holding the cheese in my hand. The youngster was clutching a bag of candy. As I stared at her, I couldn’t believe the tales I’d heard were true. Before being hauled outside by her mother, the young girl placed the candy bag on the shelf.

I rushed back to the candy store. The small child was clutching a $2 package of chocolates. As I approached the pay register after heaping the basket with goodies, the butcher stall was unavoidably in my path. The lady and her toddler were looking through the window at the items. There are eight salami slices. “Thin” was said again and again. My heart stopped beating.

I asked the other salesperson for a salami stick and a pig pastrami stick. I was the first to arrive at the checkout. My eyes were welling up with tears. I waited for them outside in front of the market. I handed the sweets to the small girl. Since you were at the store, Santa left me this bag, so he came over here. The girl diverted her huge blue eyes away from her mother’s probing questioning. The woman acknowledged this with a nod. “- Look, Mom, Santa Claus is real!” She screamed. I couldn’t describe how I felt, which bothered and pleased me.