I was jotting some notes on my phone at the bus stop, when I became aware that someone was standing directly in front of me. Glanced up, right into the eyes of a young man just waiting to be acknowledged.
"Hi," I said. And then ... "Looks like it might rain today."
"Well," he responded eagerly, "I don't mind THAT, I don't mind one bit if it rains today. I'm just glad it didn't rain YESTERDAY. Because YESTERDAY was my special day, and I'm glad it didn't rain on my special day."
He waited for me to ask. I paused briefly to consider the possible answers that might be forthcoming, and decided to go for it.
"Why was it your special day?"
"Well," he said. "Yesterday, I was given an award for my five years of service, for volunteering. Five years! And they gave me an award. At the thing. And I dressed up. I looked really good. So it's a good thing it didn't RAIN when I was all dressed up like that."
He chatted on, now that he had my full attention.
"The lady at the front of the home this morning started to cry when I told her. She said she would have come if she had known. Five years! That's why I do it, to make people happy. She didn't know I would be dressed up like that. But I was. At the thing."
I asked what he did when he volunteered.
He frowned and had to think about it. Then his face cleared - "Like Tim Horton's does," he answered confidently.
"AND..." he was winding up now to the really exciting part ... "AND they gave me a card! I couldn't BELIEVE how much was on it. They gave me a CARD for my five years of service!" He whipped out his wallet and showed me a gift card from Tim Horton's. "You won't BELIEVE how much was on it," he repeated, eyes begging me to ask.
"How much was on it?"
Deep breath. Eyes wide. "TEN DOLLARS."
"Woowww," I said. "That's AWESOME."
"I know," he said, shaking his head in wonder. "TEN DOLLARS. I couldn't BELIEVE it."
A pause.
"And that's why I'm glad it didn't rain last night. It was my special day."
