The Unexpected Gift

THE UNEXPECTED GIFT

By Amy Williams

I didn’t want to get out of the car. The sky was blue and a soft warm breeze teased my face. I just had a few minutes to go into the thrift store. I knew that soon enough it would be cold and I desperately needed a coat. My old coat was way past wearing. It was beyond repair and did not fit me anymore.

I didn’t go this store often, although the prices were good. One of the last times I went in to look, I noticed they had these cute antique dolls for sale. They were marked at only a few dollars. I looked at the dolls, touching their smooth china faces checking for damages. Almost perfect. What a bargain, I thought. Some of them were smiling and some didn’t have hair, it had probably been pulled out by young hands, I imagined. There were a few that had hair. The hair was a little matted. Maybe some combing and conditioner would work to make the dolls presentable. Some had vintage dresses and shoes, some did not have shoes or socks. These dolls have good potential, I thought. I could see buying one for my granddaughter and giving it to her for Christmas after I fixed it up. I started thinking of the joy on her face as she played with the doll. I looked closer and closer at them imagining how they would look fixed up. I tried to find one that had clothes, shoes and socks and some hair. Then I noticed little bugs crawling around their heads and I thought oh, I can’t buy these! I quickly put the dolls back down on the shelf and exited the store without buying anything.  

Another time, I was there on a mission to buy some coffee cups. A group of us were going to make gift baskets for people who lived in nursing homes. We were going to fill the cups with plants for one of the items in the basket. I knew I could buy some coffee cups here. The cups were practically new, and if you looked closely, you could find some without chips. They only cost .25 cents each. It was a bargain. I bought 14 cups because that’s what we needed and after my purchase, I left the store.

This time, I was going to get something for myself. The store had two entrances. One entrance was the bargain side where every piece of clothing cost 75 cents each. The clothes were not sorted but all mixed up. There was no dressing room where you could try on the clothes. The other entrance of the store was a little more expensive but had nicer clothing. The clothes cost $5 or more but they were sorted according to size and color. There was a dressing room there too. Mainly, I shopped over there because it seemed cleaner and I didn’t want to buy clothes without trying them on.

This day I headed for the entrance labeled 75 cents. It was calling me and I thought that I would take a shower when I get home and wash whatever I got. After I washed it, it would be clean, I thought. After a few minutes, I found it. The perfect blue coat. It would hang approximately below my hips and had a hood that would keep my ears warm. Remembering the bugs from the doll incident, I did not want to try in on before I washed it. Looking at the garment tag, I noticed it could be washed in my washer at home. I picked it up, walked to the counter, paid my 75 cents and left the store.

As soon as I got home, I put the coat into the washing machine. I thought I’d try it on after it was clean. I dried the coat and then I tried it on. It didn’t fit me; I couldn’t even button it up! Everything is too tight on me now, as I am growing older. I’m not getting any taller but I am growing the other way, I chuckled.

“What’s this?” I thought as I discovered a bump in the right pocket of the coat. I put my hand in it and what do you know, it was money. I counted it and it added up to $45. What I could do with $45. I could think of all the things I could buy. What a treat! I bought something for 75 cents and I made a profit on it.

Then I knew I couldn’t keep it. There was just no way I could keep it. It wasn’t mine. My mind whirled and excuses started swirling in my head. Of course, I bought the coat, it is mine, but is the money mine too? Why was the money in the coat? Apparently, someone who gave the coat forgot to check the pockets. That money really wasn’t mine. It belonged to the store! What a quandary. I wanted to keep it and I didn’t want to keep it. What is the right thing to do? I could really use the $45.

I decided to take it back to the store. I knew that God would bless me for doing so. I knew that he would bless me over and over because I returned that money. It was not my money to keep.

The next day I drove to the store. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. I would rather stay at home or go for a walk, but I wanted to give the money back. I parked my car and went into the office of the store. I introduced myself to the lady at the front counter.

“Look what I found,” I said as I handed over the $45. “I found it in the pocket of the coat I bought here yesterday.”

“Thank you,” she said. “You are not the only one who finds money in stuff they buy here. People bring back all kinds of things that they find in pockets. We try to check the pockets but we miss some periodically.”

“I thought you could use this money to help with the work that you do here," I said. "You sell these clothes at bargain prices to people who could benefit from that.” I’m one of them, I thought.

She thanked me again. I got a little catch in my throat as I left. I looked up the blue sky. I still didn’t have a coat that fit me and I didn’t have the money that had fallen in my lap literally, but I had something else. I had a warm feeling in my heart and that warm feeling was worth it.