“My mom gave it to me before I left—just in case.”
The driver and the store owner exchanged a quick, silent glance.
The store owner nodded and pointed to the corner of the shop.
“The water’s over there. Go get it yourself.”
I shook my head.
“Sir, can I have a cardboard box? I want to buy the ones in the refrigerator.”
He bent down, grabbed an empty box, and tossed it over to me.
“Thanks!” I said quickly, and ran to the fridge to start filling it with cold drinks.
As I packed the box, I overheard the store owner whispering to the driver behind me.
“You think this girl’s genuinely kind-hearted, or...?”
The driver lit a cigarette and let out a soft chuckle.
“Who knows? Every year there’s always someone who thinks they’re clever—until they realize it was all for nothing.”
They both laughed quietly.
My hand froze mid-air. I glanced back but said nothing. Then I dropped the last two bottles of soda into the box.
Back on the bus, I walked down the aisle, handing out drinks.
“Sir,” I said to the driver, offering him a cold soda, “thank you—for taking me to buy a pen and for driving us here.”
He looked at me, didn’t say a word, then reached into the box and grabbed a different bottle.