The Wake-Up Call

When I was a little younger than that boy, my mother bought me an ice cream cone at the zoo. It might have been the only time I ever went to the zoo and it was probably the only ice cream cone I ever had… that is until Gram came to get me. Anyhow, my loser father was on a tear about something, and he swatted the cone out of my hand. The scoop of ice cream hit some lady, then fell to the ground. My father never said a word to that lady… no apology… no nothing… he just kept screaming at my mother. I just stood there staring at my ice cream on the ground and wailing. I think I was stunned, and maybe a bit scared, I don’t remember.

“Then out of nowhere, a lady was crouching down beside me, smiling. She wiped my nose with a tissue, then asked if I wanted another ice cream. I don’t know when I stopped crying. I couldn’t believe what she’d just asked me. Anyhow, she walked across the path to the ice cream vendor and bought another cone. She came back, handed it to me, lifted me onto a bench, and sat next to me while I ate it. She never said another word. When I finished, she wiped my mouth, hugged me, and walked away. I don’t remember saying thank you. I’ve never forgotten that encounter. I don’t know who she was. I don’t have a clue what my father was ranting about, and I don’t even remember leaving the zoo, but I’ll never forget that lady.