First came blue. Then pink. Then green. Each colored object about the size of a kidney bean rushed into the little boy’s clear plastic bag. The wide-eyed boy, about six years old, was wearing a black coat that was far too big for him, with blue jeans and a huge grin on his face. He glanced at his half-filled bag, full of vibrant colors. Wanting more, he reached for the yellow dispenser. But before he could do so, he heard his mother’s overbearing voice.
His mother’s loud brown high-heeled boots and squeaky-wheeled cart could be heard from a mile away. As she arrived to her son, her cart came to a screeching halt. She appeared furious.
“Christopher!” she yelled. “I did not say you were allowed to get this many jelly beans!”
She tried to yank the bag out of his tight grip. She failed.
“Noooo!” he cried. “I want all of them!”
Two girls, both wearing Cornell University sweatshirts, suddenly stopped filling their bags with gummy worms at the sound of the boy’s scream. They stared right at the mother and her son.
Christopher started crying.
Amid all of the sweet candy, the toy choo-choo train and the bright colors, the boy looked as though he were in the vegetable aisle being told that he is only allowed to eat broccoli and squash for the rest of his life.
“You never let me get what I want,” he whimpered. “Everyone else brings jelly beans to school.”
The two Cornell students quickly scooped up some Swedish Fish and weighed their bags full of gummies and chocolate. As they scurried out of the candy aisle, they glanced at Christopher, giving him a look that said, “I’m sorry.”
Christopher’s face remained squished, still crying. His eyes were glazed over, tears streaming down his cheeks, red with anger.
His mother grabbed his hand.
“We are not going to make a scene here,” she whispered loudly. “We’ll deal with this later. Come on.”
Christopher’s face lit up. He knew he won this one.
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