"NOW, There's A Stack Of Them!

I looked again.  "Well, I'll be!  There's a stack of them there NOW!"

The first time I went by that stand there was ne'er a one!  We were at a final desperation stop - Speedway. 

Grandson, Jayden, and I had been all over the east side of the town of Noblesville, looking for a Wednesday IndyStar newspaper.  We wanted the one with the Black Friday sale ads.  I wanted to pass it around to everyone that would attend our Thankgiving dinner at the Courtyard by Marriott.  

In years past, the men would look through the sports section, and the woman would lay out a plan of attack for Friday's doorbusters according the stores' opening times, and some kids, young and old, would read the comics.

Back to my story.  Like I said we'd been all over, CVS and Walgreens "They don't bring it here anymore." 

BP gas station used to be dependable, even a day later ... not today.  It was a no at the Wal-Mart and Meijer's.  Someone somewhere suggested the Speedway.  

I turned to 10 year old Jayden, "Oh, yes, I know the one.  The one where your Aunt Nikki used to work.  We'll go there."

Well, we passed the metal rack that was empty.

We went to the cashier, "Do you know when the paper's coming?"

Female customer behind me echos the same query.

Cashier points behind us to the left of the automatic doors where men are coming in to pay for their gas, and listening to us, "That stand back there."

I'm thinking I'll look that way out of politeness but we just walked by it and it was empty. 

A short friendly guy, with swinging gaping plaid jacket said, "Yah, they're over there.  I just brought them in."  

Whoo-hoo!  Success!

Headed that way, crossing in front of him, we had a conversation.  When is typical delivery?  "I'm running late because the publisher ran late last night," he said.

Well, that esplains why we couldn't find any.  

What do you do with the next days' leftovers?  "Throw them away.  I still have some in my trunk."

"Can I have them?  To use in my woodstove?"

"Sure.  Let me pay and I'll take you out there."

He opens the trunk (it's bulging with stacks of papers) and gives the contents a perusal, his eyes settle on a stack and he reaches in and says, "Here.  You can have these."

Wow!

I'm grateful.

It's nicely bound, a plentiful bundle.

"Thank you.  Thank you so much."

Jayden and I get back in my car.  I note the family sitting in the delivery guy's vehicle, and I note it's condition and that it's older.  "Jayden.  Here's some cash, go give that man this money for his papers."

Jayden comes back.  

"Did you find him?"

"Yep,"  and he plops his slight little self in the backseat passenger side.  I pull away making exit manuevers, next thing I know Jayden rolls down his window and begins waving goodbye to the guy.

I was astounded at what he said, the unusal wording, and the adult thoughtfulness.  As he was waving, the delivery guy turned and grinned, Jayden spoke very loudly.

"YOU HAVE A GOOD SOUL."  

I looked again.  "Well, I'll be!"  I know someone else who has a good soul!