A simple doll

This is an excerpt from the book I had written,titled:
A long road to forever

Chapter 4
A simple doll

It was late midnight in the streets of Westminster, Anton was driving around waiting for passengers. The gas meter was turning low and Anton needed to find a gasoline station for a refill.

Luckily, gas stations are found in every corner in the streets of Westminster. Anton found the nearest gas station, he had parked his car and made his gasoline full tank.The gas station where he had parked his cab has a nearby supermarket. Anton decided to buy some drinks and refreshments before he go.

As he enters the supermarket he saw all the people there. It was late midnight but still many people are buying stuffs.

He started to complain to himself.

“It is going to take forever here and I still have so many other things to do.”

Nonetheless, he made his way to the refreshments section, he grabbed some sodas and went immediately to the cashier but while on his way to the cashier, He had gone through the toy section and there he noticed a young boy.

The boy caught his attention. The boy of about 7 years old, was pressing a doll against his chest. He kept on touching the hair of the doll and looked so sad.

Anton was thinking why the little boy wanted that doll considering he was a boy.

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him,

“Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?”

Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally, Anton started to walk toward him and I asked him who he wanted to give this doll to.

“Today is my sister’s birthday.” The boy said.

“It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for her birthday.”

“You can buy your sister a doll next year. You can save some money for the whole year and buy a bigger doll instead.” Anton replied.

The boy immediately replied.

“No, I have to give this doll to my father so that he can give it to her when he goes there.”

His eyes were so sad while saying this.

“My sister has gone to be with God. Mommy says that Daddy will also go to see God very soon, so I thought that he could bring the doll with her to give it to my sister.”

Anton’s heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at him and said.

“I told mommy to tell daddy not to go yet. I asked daddy to wait until I come back from the supermarket.”

Then he showed Anton a very nice photo of him where he was laughing.

He then told Anton, “I also want daddy to take this photo with him so that they will not forget me.”

“I love my daddy and I wish he doesn't have to leave me but mommy says that he has to go to be with my little sister.”

Then the little boy looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. Anton quickly reached for his wallet and took a few cash and said to the boy, “What if we checked again, just in case if you have enough money?”

“Ok,” he said. “I hope that I have enough.”

Anton added some of his money to the boy’s money without him seeing and they started to count it.
There was enough for the doll, and even some spare money.

The little boy’s eye grew big, like a puppy’s eye.

Then he said, “Thank you God for giving me enough money.”

He looked at Anton and added.

“I asked yesterday before I slept for God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that daddy can give it to my sister. He heard me.”

“I also wanted to have enough money to buy a handkerchief for my daddy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and the handkerchief.”

“You know, my daddy needs a handkerchief up there.”

A few minutes later, the old lady came again and Anton left with his trolley filled with sodas. He went to the cashier in a totally different state. He couldn't get the little boy out of his mind.

Then he remembered a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truck who hit a car where there was one man and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the father was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the man would not be able to get out of the coma.

He was thinking ..Was this the family of the little boy?

Anton went out of the supermarket and started to drive. His mind was really bothering him and he wanted to find out if his instincts are true.

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, He read in the newspaper that a man had passed away. He couldn't stop and went to buy a bunch of white roses and he went to the mortuary where the body of the young man was exposed for people to see and make last wish before burial.

Anton knew the place, without hesitation, he drive immediately to the place.

He was there, in his coffin, holding a beautiful handkerchief in his hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over his chest.

Anton left the place crying, He realized that in a fraction of a second, a drunken man had taken all away the child’s family, leaving the child only his mother. That man had taken the little boy's happiness.