An ice cream seller feels horrible for a young boy who is mocked by other children because he cannot afford ice cream. He invites the boy to his store, but he is unaware of the surprises the seller has for him.
Peter Wilkinson stood for a while on the street, clutching two dollar bills in his hands. Peter wanted to buy ice cream but was unsure if he had the money.
The young boy approached the seller, and he slid the dollar bills through a glass window towards him. “Can I please have something for this? Any flavor of ice cream would do,” He said.
The seller frowned. “Is that all you got on you, boy? $2?”
Peter wanted ice cream. Source: Pexels Peter nodded, and the seller sighed. | Source: Pexels
Peter nodded and the seller sighed. “I’m sorry, but you can’t get anything for that price. Besides, it’s about closing time, so come back tomorrow with enough money, alright?”
“Please, no,” Peter asked. “I – I NEED it. Can you please get me something?”
“Look, kid, it won’t be possible! Now, move,” Peter pleaded.
A group of boys were eating ice cream and mocked Peter for not being able to afford it. “Hey, would you like to have my ice cream? I just licked it twice. It’s a great deal for just $2!”
He laughed, and another boy joined him. “I don’t understand why guttersnipes like him are allowed to shop in the same stores as the rest of us. Why don’t you go back to your poor neighborhood and buy ice cream from a poor vendor?”
Peter was mocked by the group of boys who ate their ice creams.Source: Pexels John, the ice cream seller, saw Peter being taunted by his fellow boys, but could not do anything. | Source: Pexels
The ice-cream seller, John, noticed the boys taunting Peter, but he couldn’t do anything to help him. His boss wouldn’t let him go if he offered free cream to anyone, and would even scold him. He closed the shop quietly and went home.
Peter was a mess, his eyes filled with tears from the mocking of the children, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he wiped away his tears with his sleeves before running off.
John saw Peter again that day as he was walking home from work. Peter was not the only one there this time. John saw Peter with a little girl and heard him apologize to her.
“Just come tomorrow. There’s a small surprise for your little sister,” He whispered.
“I’m sorry, Lincy,” He said. “The money mom gave us wasn’t enough for ice cream, but I promise I will get you some the next time. Your next birthday will be very grand!”
Lincy didn’t buy Peter’s explanation. “But I really wanted the ice cream, Peter,” She was teary-eyed and said so. “You promised me you would get it for me….”
Peter took Lincy home when he couldn’t get her ice-cream.Source: Pexels Peter looked embarrassed. | Source: Pexels
“I’m sorry….” Peter hung his head, embarrassed. “Let’s go home. Mom must be waiting for us.”
John was able to see his past as he listened to their conversation. He recalled growing up in Peter’s shoes.
John was born in a family that lived on the streets and couldn’t afford to eat one meal a week. Dylan got a part-time job in a diner after John revealed to his older brother how hungry he was after eating the one meal.
Dylan’s boss was a nasty man back then who would scold him and hit him if he made mistakes. But Dylan did not quit his job because he promised John that he would never be hungry again.
John was overwhelmed by the similarity of their lives to his own when he saw them both and couldn’t hold back the tears. He had to help them. He wiped his eyes, took a deep inhale, and approached the children.
After hearing Peter’s story, John’s eyes were now moistened. Source: Pexels He exclaimed, as he approached them pretending to have met them by accident. | Source: Pexels
“Oh, it’s you!” he exclaimed as he approached them, pretending he had met them by chance. “Aren’t you the same boy who came to my store a while ago?” Peter asked him.
Peter nodded. “Yes, and you said you wouldn’t be able to give me anything, so why are you wasting your time now? We’re leaving—”
“Oh, boy,” John laughed. “Didn’t I tell you to come tomorrow? Wait, I guess you got me wrong! I meant, you can come to my store tomorrow, and I will treat you to ice cream! That’s what I meant!”
Peter was confused. He remembered that the seller had clearly instructed him to visit his store only if money was available. But Lincy was enthusiastic. “Yes! We can have ice cream tomorrow, Peter! Yay!” She started jumping in joy.
John pulled Peter to his side. “Just come tomorrow. There’s a small surprise for your little sister,” He whispered.
John had a surprise for Peter and Lincy. | Source: Pexels
The next day, when the kids came to John’s store, they couldn’t believe their eyes. The store was beautifully decorated with large balloons. John gave the children a tour of his store and taught them how they could make ice cream. He also treated them to different flavors.
John was overwhelmed by the joy on the children’s faces and thanked them. “You are doing an incredible job as a big brother,” While Lincy was busy enjoying strawberry ice cream, he shared his thoughts with Peter. “You should be proud of yourself….”
John gave John an ice-cream tub as the kids were finishing their ice-cream and were heading out. “Enjoy some with your family too and come back for more!” He laughed.
The children who mocked Peter returned to their store just then. They were shocked to see Peter holding a large tub of ice-cream.
The group of boys that mocked Peter received what they deserved.Source: Pexels. One of the boys laughed at Peter. | Source: Pexels
“Did you beg him for it?” One of the boys smirked at Peter. “We know you can never afford it, loser!”
John left the store with his hands on his waist, and walked out. “And what makes you say that? HE IS A SPECIAL VISITOR. He deserved it, so he got it, and you boys clearly don’t deserve to get treated to something nice after mocking someone, so get lost. I AM NOT GIVING ANYTHING TO YOU BRATS!
“Go home, Peter. Your mom must be waiting for you,” John said, turning to Peter, who waved goodbye and went home happily with Lincy.
Deep down, John knew his supervisor would reprimand him for providing free ice cream to Peter and Lincy, but he already had a plan to avoid it. He decided to pay for the free ice cream out of his own pocket. After all, there’s nothing like the happiness of helping someone in need and brightening their day! John knew it well and he felt incredibly delighted after helping Peter and Lincy.
What can we learn from this story?
- Helping someone feels awesome, doesn’t it? Let’s try to do it often. John was a kind man whose heart went out to the poor children who couldn’t afford ice cream. He decided to help them, and he knew how amazing doing so felt.
- You shall reap what you sow. Karma won’t let your wrongdoings slide. The boys who mocked Peter for not being able to afford the ice cream got what they deserved. They had the money to buy ice cream, but John refused to sell it to them.
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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to [email protected].