Mom Pays for Elderly Woman’s Groceries, Minutes Later Realizes the Woman Tricked Her

A woman said she was at the grocery store when she noticed an elderly lady struggling to pay for the items she had bought. Something tugged at her heartstrings, and she decided to help the older woman, but what happened next was something she never saw coming.

Kindness is a virtue that is powerful enough to change people's lives for the better. We never know what someone might be going through, but offering a helping hand can make their day a little less stressful and much more peaceful.

Sadly, there may be instances when our kind-heartedness is taken for granted, and experiencing such moments can leave us feeling exploited. The woman in today's story was said to have been in a similar situation.

Toward the end of 2020, the entire world became familiar with the deadly coronavirus pandemic that has claimed countless lives. Social distancing and quarantine became the order of the day, and everyone was forced to accept the new normal.

She saw how the kid at the cash register was in tears and couldn't stop apologizing, but she told him he wasn't to blame.

Around the same time, a woman took to Reddit's "ChoosingBeggars" forum to relate a personal experience that left her utterly shocked and speechless.

AT THE GROCERY STORE

The Original Poster said she went to the grocery store to buy some cheese, never expecting that she would have to wait for her turn to buy just one item. Finally, after standing in the queue for a good 20 minutes, she saw a ray of hope when she realized she was next in line.

But after heaving a sigh of relief, OP noticed that the customer in front of her was an old lady, and something told her she would take a long time to get things sorted. The woman admitted that it was her first time at the store since COVID-19 hit, and she wasn't fully prepared.

Then, her focus shifted to the youngster at the cash register, who looked like he was done for the day. OP noted that the kid could hardly function and seemed to be operating without sleep. She said it was his first day, and she felt sorry for him for dealing with so many people.

OFFERING HELP

Shortly afterward, OP's attention drifted back to the older lady, who was over 70 years old and wore "a hand-knitted hat and a cat hair-covered sweater with no teeth." The woman said the senior citizen appeared to be sweet and helpless. Further, she added:

"She handed the kid a coin purse and said 'this is all the money I have and I dont think it's going to be enough.' He asked her if she could start counting her change and she said 'no, you do it.'"

OP silently watched the interaction between the kid and the old lady and found the latter's response rude. Still, something compelled her to offer help to the elderly woman, and she said she began counting her change.

A MIND-BOGGLING OCCURRENCE

Per OP, the older lady had only $8, but her grocery items cost almost $50. She asked the senior citizen if she had any food stamps, but she responded she had none. The woman said she didn't have much cash, except $100 to pay for her items.

After some contemplation, OP said she offered to help pay the old lady's grocery bill if she removed the three packs of Pepsi from her list. The older woman agreed, and OP shared that she even helped her place the items in bags. But something shocking happened soon afterward. OP recalled:

"I hear the kid say, '[Expletive] I didnt remove the soda.' It was his first day and it was hell. I wasn't upset with him, poor guy made a mistake. BUT THEN, the lady says 'yay I get to keep my soda.'"

SHE WAS ASTOUNDED

Upon seeing the old lady's reaction, OP confessed she was dumbfounded and rendered speechless. She recounted asking the older woman how she expected to pay her bill if she didn't have enough cash.

The elderly lady answered that somebody always paid her bill because they felt bad for her. "Seriously? People are out of work right now, and you are ok with taking advantage of people so you can have your [expletive] [Pepsi]," exclaimed OP.

She recollected that the customers behind her began shouting at the old lady to return the soda cans so she could get her money back. OP mentioned that at that moment, the old lady let go of her timidness and turned into a raging, evil person.

AGAINST HER BETTER JUDGMENT

But that wasn't all. OP stated that the older woman accused her of stealing from her because all she wanted was her soda. The old lady was said to have defended herself with her walker, after which a cashier escorted her out of the store.

Meanwhile, OP, who was also a mother, felt bad for screaming at the older woman — something she said she had never done before. She saw how the kid at the cash register was in tears and couldn't stop apologizing, but she told him he wasn't to blame.

Later, OP revealed that she didn't like judging people because she knew everyone had something troubling them. She also said she usually didn't yell at others and tried to reason with them first.

NETIZENS REACT

However, she confessed the pandemic had made it difficult for her to see the good in people, especially after her experience at the store. Many netizens empathized with OP and everything she had endured. One person wrote:

"I'm so sorry about this. You tried to be a decent human being in a situation that seems to be bringing a lot of [expletive] out of the woodwork. You're a good person for trying to do a solid."

Another user appreciated OP's ethics and said they had seen both decency and terrible entitlement in the wake of the pandemic. "I thought with this whole mess, people would pull together more and do the right thing. And some have, but a lot haven't," they added.

A third user shared powerful advice with OP that they often gave their children: "What I do with my charity says a lot about me; what they do with what I choose to give says a lot about them." The netizen also advised OP to keep being a good person.

What are your thoughts on this story? Do you think it was wrong of the older lady to trick OP into buying her soda cans? Have you ever had an unpleasant experience of similar nature? Please share your comments with us on Facebook.