1. Saturday morning in Maplewood
Every Saturday morning, Grandma May set up her small stand at the Farmers’ Market in Maplewood, just outside Dallas. Her folding table always looked the same—covered with a checkered cloth, two baskets of brown and white eggs neatly lined up, and a hand-painted sign that read,
“Fresh farm eggs—$4 a dozen.”
“Fresh eggs! Straight from my chickens in the yard!” she shouted in her warm southern accent.
A young woman stopped, smiled, and gave a few dollars.
“God bless you, ma’am. The best eggs in town,” she said, walking on with her bag.
May’s face brightened. “Thank you, dear. Have a blessed day.”
2. Trouble at the booth
Shortly after, Ricky Malone appeared—a young man in his mid-twenties who everyone in town knew. No job, always hanging around, always trying to seem tough.
He sauntered over to May’s table, chewing gum, and grinning.
“Hey, old lady, how about you give me the eggs for half the price?”
May looked up, still polite. “Darling, I barely cover the cost of food.”
Ricky snorted. “Then I’ll take it for free.”
“Please, don’t do that,” May said softly, her voice trembling. “My husband is sick at home. I just need to earn enough for his medicine.”
But Ricky wasn’t listening. With a quick movement, he grabbed a basket and threw it on the floor. The eggs broke, the yolk spreading like spilled paint on the concrete.
“Oh, Lord, have mercy…” May gasped, holding on to her apron. “I’ve worked so hard for this.”
3. The Man in the Suit
Before anyone could react, a black SUV pulled up on the side of the road. A man got out—tall, in a tailored dark blue suit, white shirt, polished shoes. One who clearly didn’t belong in a small market.
He walked right up to her, calm and composed.
“Drop the basket,” he said evenly.
Ricky rolled his eyes. “Who the hell are you?”
The man did not change his tone. “Someone who’s had enough of watching bullies bully old ladies.”
He pulled out his wallet, counted a few large bills, and carefully placed them in May’s trembling hand.
“I’ll take all your eggs, ma’am. Even the broken ones. Let’s consider this your best business day ever.”
The crowd fell silent. May’s eyes filled with tears.
“Sir… You are an angel sent from heaven.”
The man smiled friendly. “Just someone who has been brought up properly, ma’am.”
4. Responsibility, American style
When Ricky was about to leave, the man’s voice stopped him.
“Wait a minute, boy. You like to take things that don’t belong to you?”
Ricky muttered, “It was just kidding.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t look very funny from here.”
He waved to someone at the SUV – a tall man with sunglasses and a headset stepped forward. It became clear: this was no ordinary stranger. He was the owner of Harper Foods, a large regional supermarket chain that supported the market.
In front of everyone, he calmly explained what had happened. The security guard led Ricky off the premises, while salespeople and customers murmured their displeasure.
No one clapped, but the silence spoke louder than any applause.
5. A market to remember
The news spread like wildfire in the city. The next weekend, people queued up early to shop at Grandma May’s – not because of the eggs, but out of respect for her.
And every time someone mentioned that day, she smiled, her eyes soft under her straw hat.
“There are still good people out there,” she said. “You just have to live long enough to meet one.”
