Tea for 2

It was HOT! Walking down 42nd Street away from Times Square, navigating bustling groups of tourists, I was early for my next appointment and seeing a 7-11 decided I had time to pop in to get some cooling seltzer water. As I pull on the door handle to open the door, I look to my left. Sitting on a duffle bag is an attractive 30 something man, with a paper cup in hand, asking for donations. At that split second, just adding to his cup didn’t feel like help in fact felt futile. So as I held the door open, feeling the cooling from the AC inside, I asked him if he wanted something to drink. He looked at me with a surprised smile and said, “Yes. An Arizona tea with Ginseng and Honey”. Something about the specifics of his request, caught me by surprise, but all of a sudden, I felt directed on a mission. Entering the store, I easily found the selzer water for myself but now to find the tea. There it was: Green Tea with added Ginseng and Honey and a special price on each can. I picked up two. Before approaching the cashier, I returned to the front door, opened it and held up one can, “Is this what you wanted?” I asked. “Yes”, he replied. At that same moment, I heard a bit of chatter at the cash register, the clerk being unsure if I was attempting to leave without paying. I joined the line at the cashier, paid for my choices and went out the door. As I handed him the cans, which he took one in each hand, the wondrous look of delight on his face was a generous gift to me. “This is really my favorite”, he said. “Enjoy”, I replied, as I walked away, unscrewing my bottle of seltzer to have a refreshing sip.