"James!! Wait!!!" A weak shout came out for inside of the shop.
The young guy just walked away in a rush, bumping several walkers along the run. The old lady finally reached the door knob and she could only see the faint shadow of that young guy until his shoulder lost in the corner. The old lady just sighed before she threw her head to the left and her eyes bumped with the little boy's eyes. Those little eyes were fidgeting in amazement. What's happening? He thought at heart.
"Ah, sorry boy, you've seen something ugly early in the morning."
The boy shook his head, "Not really." The awkward silence filled the gap between them, "Was that Big Brother James?"
The old lady smiled bitterly, "Yes, he was."
"Were you two fighting? Did you get hurt, owner?"
"No. We just had a little argument. He just simply has such a pride." The lady smiled again. "Do you want something to drink?" The old lady offered her hand to the boy and he reached it and walked inside the cafe with her.
"Owner, what is pride?"
They walked into the shop, and the old lady led him to one of high chairs in front of the bar.
"What do you want for breakfast, boy?"
The boy blinked his eyes several times, put his right index finger near the corner of his lips, he was thinking hard, trying to decide his menu.
"I will have an iced cocoa milk with omelette for today," He smiled cheerfully, simply forgetting his earlier question. The old lady served him his requests in just under 5 minutes. He instantly dug into a plate full of omelette. The old lady always gave him something extra. This time he had a pile of french fries on the edge of his plate.
"What do you want for breakfast, boy?"
The boy blinked his eyes several times, put his right index finger near the corner of his lips, he was thinking hard, trying to decide his menu.
"I will have an iced cocoa milk with omelette for today," He smiled cheerfully, simply forgetting his earlier question. The old lady served him his requests in just under 5 minutes. He instantly dug into a plate full of omelette. The old lady always gave him something extra. This time he had a pile of french fries on the edge of his plate.
"So boy, what do you want to know about pride?" She resurfaced the question back to him.
The boy looked at her in a blank face, he was trying to remember, why exactly did he ask it. While munching his fries, suddenly a light came to his face, as if it was enlighten. "You said big brother James has too much pride. Why is that? What is pride?"
She was unnerved by his question. Not very sure, where should she start it. She believed, she had to be careful, not to make a false understanding about what was actually happened between her and her grandson. The awkward silence started to float.
The boy looked at her in a blank face, he was trying to remember, why exactly did he ask it. While munching his fries, suddenly a light came to his face, as if it was enlighten. "You said big brother James has too much pride. Why is that? What is pride?"
She was unnerved by his question. Not very sure, where should she start it. She believed, she had to be careful, not to make a false understanding about what was actually happened between her and her grandson. The awkward silence started to float.
"I think it's wiser if I tell a story before we discuss about pride," she moved a little bit to the left, filling her cup with her usual blend coffee. The boy was ready, his eyes kept moving, following the old lady's every movement, while eating his breakfast.
"One day, there was a boy. He had no mother anymore. He lived with his father, but....since his father was very busy with his job, travelling around the country, that boy basically grew up by his grandmother's side." She took a deep breath before continuing.
"Ever since he was 7, he was practically living in his grandmother's place. His grandmother opened a small coffee shop on a busy street in the middle of a town. He was happy, until he reached 15."
There was still no reaction from the boy, he kept following the story undoubtedly.
"He said to his grandmother, "I am already 15. I don't want to keep on living here. My every friend already start working on their own at different cities. I have to work too!" But his grandmother was basically lonely without him, she wasn't getting any younger as the time flowed. Therefore she said to her one and only grandson, "Why don't you work here, then? I will pay you the same wage as the part-timers.""
"And then, did that boy work at his grandma's?" the boy finally reacted.
"What do you think little boy?" She smiled sadly to him.
"Well, I would love to... working in a coffee shop, I can also get lots of free meals, right?" He grinned from ear to ear.
The old lady smiled again with soft chuckles, "Well, if only that boy thought the same as you. But.. No, unfortunately not. He didn't want to. He was to proud as a young man."
"Is it shameful to work at his grandma's shop, Owner?"
"If you have as high pride as that young man, well it might be, little boy."
"One day, there was a boy. He had no mother anymore. He lived with his father, but....since his father was very busy with his job, travelling around the country, that boy basically grew up by his grandmother's side." She took a deep breath before continuing.
"Ever since he was 7, he was practically living in his grandmother's place. His grandmother opened a small coffee shop on a busy street in the middle of a town. He was happy, until he reached 15."
There was still no reaction from the boy, he kept following the story undoubtedly.
"He said to his grandmother, "I am already 15. I don't want to keep on living here. My every friend already start working on their own at different cities. I have to work too!" But his grandmother was basically lonely without him, she wasn't getting any younger as the time flowed. Therefore she said to her one and only grandson, "Why don't you work here, then? I will pay you the same wage as the part-timers.""
"And then, did that boy work at his grandma's?" the boy finally reacted.
"What do you think little boy?" She smiled sadly to him.
"Well, I would love to... working in a coffee shop, I can also get lots of free meals, right?" He grinned from ear to ear.
The old lady smiled again with soft chuckles, "Well, if only that boy thought the same as you. But.. No, unfortunately not. He didn't want to. He was to proud as a young man."
"Is it shameful to work at his grandma's shop, Owner?"
"If you have as high pride as that young man, well it might be, little boy."
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