Free Gifts; Chapter 2

 

Free Gifts; Chapter 2

© 2024 by Amber Wright

Date: Christmas Eve, 1888

Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Truly, the best in life is often free.

Not a minute had passed when a young man entered the shop with a scowl, rich but haughty. He looked around the aisles over his nose.

“How can I help you, young man?” Mr. Agape asked, eyeing this haughty youth with cautious eyes.

“I’m looking for a suitable present for my wife,” the young man said with a drawn out voice. “But she’s so hard to please I don’t know what to get her. She always complains when I get her something she doesn’t like.”

“Then I will pick you out a suitable present, maybe two.” Mr. Agape searched the aisles for what he knew the girl would need. “Ah, here you are, my good fellow! Two for your wife, and two for you.”

The young man started to protest, “I said a present, not—”

“It’s free.” Mr. Agape smiled. “All free. Take them, and go your way. You’ll need to wrap them with this roll of paper.”

Mr. Agape handed him the roll of love printed paper along with his presents. For the wife there were two bottles of perfume: Contentment and Sweetness. And for the young man there was a tie with the Joy brand and a Humility scarf. The young man sheepishly thanked Mr. Agape and left.

• • •

Presently, a fat rich lady came into the shop wearing her furs and rows of pearl necklaces stringing around her thick throat. She flexed her silk gloved fingers into the air and asked in a squashed tone, “Do you have anything suitable for children here? A stuffed bear for a boy of four, and a pretty doll for a girl of ten?”

“Why yes,” Mr. Agape went directly over to the shelf of toys. “I believe I’ve got just those things. Right here.”

“Be careful not to drop them in here,” sniffed the fat lady. “I want my presents to be clean. My children are such perfect things, you know.”

Mr. Agape ignored the rich lady’s slight and handed her a very pretty doll called Grace and a stuffed bear called Pardon. Then, he handed her a crystal bottle of pale yellow perfume labeled: Friendliness.

“Here, take these.” Mr. Agape smiled. “All free. Merry Christmas to you, and a Happy New Year!”

The rich lady was speechless as she left the shop, and Mr. Agape chuckled behind. He knew what he had given her. Just what she had needed.

• • •

“I just don’t know why you have to buy another purse!” roared a man, stepping into the shop with a wife at his heels.

“I want one, that’s why!” the wife snapped.

“What can I do for you two today?” Mr. Agape asked pleasantly, and immediately knew what to give them. But first they must ask.

“She wants a purse,” the man thumbed in the wife’s direction. “And I need me a new pair of gloves.”

Mr. Agape went to the purses first and picked up a beautiful leather purse with braided edging. “Is this one alright?”

“Oh, it’s perfect!” the woman squealed.

Mr. Agape then led them to the gloves.

He pulled out a pair from the pile. “Is this your fit, sir?”

The man tried the gloves on and they fit him perfectly. “Ah, yes. It fits! Nicely.”

Mr. Agape smiled. He knew the gloves would fit him for the gloves’ name brand was Mad-Into-Glad, a very old style of gloves that fit most people.

“Now, the price?” the man said quite cheerfully, forgetting his recent roar.

Mr. Agape smiled to himself as he read the label of the woman’s purse: Gratitude. Then, he surprised them with his answer, “The price is this: Love one another. Merry Christmas, my good people, and may God bless you!”

The couple thanked him and left the shop in a state of total joy with their arms around each other. Behind, Mr. Agape smiled. He had given them just what they had needed.

• • •

“I have only a nickel to spend,” a poor looking boy of six told Mr. Agape. “What can I get for this? I wanted so bad to get a nice red trumpet for Christmas that I begged my mother into letting me come here.”

“Do you know the story of Christmas, my boy?” Mr. Agape asked him with twinkling eyes.

“Oh, yes!” the boy’s smile spread across his freckled face. “We celebrate the birth of Jesus Who was born in a little manger in Bethlehem way far away in the land of Judea. That’s the night when the shepherds heard the angels sing the very first Christmas song. They said that Jesus was born and that the shepherds could go find him and worship Him Who is their King.”

“That’s all I need to know, my boy.” Mr. Agape handed him a bright red trumpet with gold words imprinted onto its sides: Glad Tidings. “Was there anything else you wanted? Perhaps something for your mother?”

“Why, yes,” the boy said brightly. “My mother wanted a pincushion but she couldn’t afford to get one. You see, she sews for a living and doesn’t get much money. My pa stays drunk, and she’s so scared that he’ll die from it. She says if she could somehow find a medicine…” the boy stopped and rubbed his blinking eyes. “I wish he didn’t drink. But he’s stuck on it, you know.”

“I see.” Mr. Agape walked over to the bottles of medicine behind his counter and pulled up one. Then, he picked a scarlet velvet pincushion with gold colored thread spelling out: Promise and Prayer. Her work and living should rest on promise and prayer, Mr. Agape thought.

“Here is a medicine that will cure your pa.” Mr. Agape handed him the pincushion and then the bottle simply labeled: Eternal Life. “Take these, and go home to your parents. They will find these things very useful, I believe.”

“Is this nickel enough for it all?” the boy asked as his eyes bugged out in surprise.

“More than enough, but you keep your nickel.” Mr. Agape smiled and tussled the boy’s hair. “Now run along home, and tell your pa to take the whole bottle and he will be well. Don’t worry. Merry Christmas.”

“Thank you, thank you!” the boy stacked his things on each other and headed out the door very happy. “Merry Christmas!”