What Kind of World Is This? Part 1

A woman I know was in See's candy shop two days ago. Lots of people were there at the time, so there was a wait. Behind her, a mother and her son, about 7, and her daughter, about 5, were talking about what kind of lollipop to get. Both children decided on root beer. The mother held a 1/2-pound prepacked box of chocolates.

The woman said, "Go ahead of me; you already know what you want."
"Oh, no," said the mom, "thanks, but it's fine."

Just then the boy went over to the glassed-in cases of candy, came back, and said, "I changed my mind. I want a key lime truffle."

"Good choice," said the woman. Then followed a short explication to the boy by the woman and the mother about key limes: where they come from--hence their name--how small they are, how many are needed to make something from the juice, and so on.

The little boy went back and saw the bon bons and thought he might like one of those but then said, "No, I'm going the stick with what I said."

"The root beer lollipop?" asked the woman.
"No, the key lime truffle."

Then it was the woman's turn. She selected a few pieces, paid, and pulled out a $10 bill, slid it surreptitiously to the cashier and said, "See that?"
"Yes," she said.
"Put in on . . . " and she tipped her head in the direction of the young family. Then she left.

Today, two days after the candy incident, the woman I know took herself to sushi lunch.

Side bar: Don't get the idea this woman goes out to lunch and for candy every day of the week. She doesn't. Not even one time every week. But this day she had suffered through a mammogram and decided sushi was in order.

She ate her sushi lunch--a bento box, actually--and was still eating when the waitress brought the bill. When she had finished her sushi, she took out her credit card and went up to pay.

The waitress handed back the card and waved the woman off. "No," she said. "Your lunch is paid for."
"What?"
"Yes. The couple who just left bought your lunch."
"They did?"
"Yes, they're regulars of mine."
"Well," said the woman, quite stunned, "how wonderful. Thank you."

So now what do you make of that?