Excel's Coffee Shop

[iOwnSomeNVEI]

Sad story


> Last Christmas I was rushing around trying to finish shopping. I was
> > > stressed out and not thinking very fondly of the season. It was
> > > dark, cold and wet in the parking lot. As I was loading my car I
> > > noticed that I was missing a receipt that I might need later, so I
> > > retraced my steps toward the mall entrance.
> > >
> > > I was scanning the wet pavement for the lost receipt
> > > when I heard a quiet sobbing. It was coming from a
> > > poorly dressed boy of about 12. He was short and thin.
> > > He had no coat. He was wearing a ragged flannel shirt
> > > to protect him from the cold night's chill. Oddly
> > > enough, he was holding a hundred dollar bill.
> > >
> > > Thinking that he might just be lost, I asked if I
> > > could help. He told me his sad story.
> > >
> > > He said he came from a large family....three brothers
> > > and four sisters. His father died when he was nine.
> > > His mother was poorly educated and worked two full
> > > time jobs. She made minimum wage, but had somehow
> > > saved
> > > two hundred dollars to buy her children Christmas
> > > presents.
> > >
> > > 'She dropped off the young lad on the way to her
> > > second job. He was to use the money to buy presents
> > > for his siblings and save just enough to take the bus
> > > home. As he approached the mall a bigger boy grabbed
> > > one of the hundred dollar bills and disappeared into
> > > the night.
> > >
> > > "Why didn't you scream for help?" I asked. The boy
> > > said, "I did."
> > > "And nobody came?" I queried.
> > > The boy stared at the sidewalk and sadly shook his
> > > head.
> > > "How loud did you scream?" I inquired. The soft-spoken
> > > boy looked up and meekly whispered, "Help me!"
> > >
> > > I realized then that no one was ever going to hear
> > > that kid cry for help....so I grabbed his other
> > > hundred and took off!
> > >
> > > Signed,
> > > Kenneth Lay
> > > CEO, Enron Corporation
>