After several stops in the mall, they stopped by the food court for lunch. He waited in line for a slice of pizza, and Brenna went for an order of orange chicken and spring rolls.
The man behind him accidentally bumped into him and apologized. “Looks like you got your hands full. How many kids do you have?”
“None.” Always up for small talk to pass the wait in line, he jutted his chin toward the bags when he saw the man eye them curiously. “I’m from Noel, and the community came together to help our kids in need. My friend and I are out finding the items today.”
“My wife and I loved making a trip out to Noel every summer and winter for the festivals.” The man made a tsking sound. “Bum deal the town got with the factory moving out.”
“It changed the town as we knew it, but we have spunk and will come back.”
“With that attitude, I’m sure.” The man smiled his approval. “Tell me more about these kids. Is the town able to provide for each child who needed gifts?”
“It’s tight, but we’ve scoured ads for the best deals to save money.” Actually, the items they’d purchased so far had exceeded their estimate, which dipped deeper into their overall funds, but the stranger didn’t need to hear that.
“The Lord will provide. Do what you can and leave the rest to Him.”
“Amen.” Derek moved forward and placed his order. Once he got his food, he sprinkled red pepper flakes on top of the slice. He went to lift the tray, but the man who’d been behind him stopped him.
He slipped a one-hundred dollar bill into Derek’s hand. “Put this toward the children, please.”
Stunned, Derek took several beats to respond. “I can’t accept this.”
“Why not?” The man arched a brow and grinned.
Derek thought about it, couldn’t find a logical reason other than he didn’t know the man. “I don’t know.”
The generous stranger chuckled. “Merry Christmas.”
“You too. Thank you.” He shoved the bill in his wallet with his faith in humanity bolstered.
Wait until I tell Brenna.Craning his neck, he searched for her above the crowds. He spotted her still in line. Instead of waiting with her, he hunted down a table. Despite being a weekday, the mall was packed, filled with shoppers seeking the best bargains for their Christmas lists. Weaving through the tables, he searched for an empty table or signs of a person about to leave.
It took a minute or two, but he found a cramped table on the far side of the court. He set his tray on the table and placed their bags underneath. Waving his arms, he caught Brenna’s attention.
She shouldered her way through the crowds and plopped in the metal chair with a humph. “Three people cut in front of me. One was a mom with three young kids, so I didn’t let that bother me. I figure she needed the lesser wait more than me. The other two were plain rude.”
“I’m sorry.” He cast a wink her way. “I guess I shouldn’t tell you about my experience?”
“Go ahead.” She unwrapped her straw and stuck it her cup of tea.
He relayed the story of the stranger gifting him a hundred dollars for the kid’s gifts. “I’ve heard of stories like that but never experienced it.”
“Me either. That’s crazy but in a good way.” Dipping her spring roll into the sweet and sour sauce, she smiled. “That totally makes up for the rudeness I experienced while in line.”
“It’s enough to cover the excess of what we’d budgeted.” An awestruck shiver passed over him. “God is good, isn’t He?”
“Yes, He is.”
