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Albert could not
wait to go on
holiday.
He had
been approved at
school and was
now in second
grade. He felt
like a man!
With the end of
lessons, there
came the
parties, gifts,
candy and trips.
But what Albert
really wanted
was to go to the
beach with his
parents and two
younger
siblings.
So when the day
dawned, and they
hit the road,
Albert could not
believe it. He
looked out the
window of the
car that ran
fast, admiring
the landscapes,
animals, rivers.
After the car
ride, the
arrival to the
coastline and
the smell of the
sea, which
Albert breathed
with enthusiasm.
They settled in
the house and
Albert went to
the beach. He
could not waste
any time. He
wanted to play.
Laura, his
mother, prepared
a snack and they
set off to the
beach.
Albert played a
lot in the water
and sand. When
they returned to
their parasol, a
surprise: the
snacks were
gone.
They looked all
around, but saw
no one. Who
would have
stolen their
snacks?
That beach was
far away from
the crowds and
practically
deserted. The
curious thing is
that in the bag
there was money,
a camera, a
watch and other
valuable things.
Nothing else was
missing, only
the snacks!
They were all
hungry. The
solution was to
return home and
prepare another
meal.
The next day,
early in the
morning, they
went to the
beach again.
And again later
on, the packet
of biscuits and
fruits that his
mother had
brought in a bag
disappeared.
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Albert was
furious. He
accused his
brothers of
having eaten
everything but
his mother
calmed him down:
- Albert, I was
with your
brothers the
whole time, my
son, and they
did not come
near our
lunches!
- So who was it?
- He shouted,
nonconformist.
- I do not know,
son. Maybe
someone who
passed through
here! Anyway, it
certainly is
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someone
who
needs it
more
than us. |
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Albert was
sulking.
"Nobody will
steal our
lunches this
way!" he
thought.
The next day, he
decided to keep
an eye out for
the culprit. He
pretended to be
playing in the
water, but was
very watchful,
not losing sight
of the parasol,
where the bag
with his lunch
was.
After a while,
he saw a boy
approaching,
coming out of
the woods. The
boy walked
carefree, and
when he was near
the parasol, he
bent down
quickly, grabbed
the lunch bag
and disappeared
again into the
woods.
What a naughty
boy! He was
smaller and
skinnier than
Albert, but very
agile.
Albert tried to
run and catch
him, but as he
was in the sea,
he had more
difficulty.
Coming out of
the water, he
was fast on the
heels of the
boy.
"If I catch that
boy, I will give
him a spanking!"
he thought
angrily.
Albert followed
a path through
the rocks and
the woods until
he saw a
ramshackle hut.
He approached
and as the door
was open, he
entered.
The house was
the poorest he
had ever seen.
Amid the filth,
he saw the boy
he had chased.
The boy was
sharing the
sandwiches his
mother had made
with three other
young children,
sitting on the
floor of beaten
dirt.
Seeing him
arrive, the boy
opened his eyes
wide, full of
fear. The
children, very
skinny, were
filthy and
displayed the
same fear in
their eyes.
Noting the
misery of the
shanty, Albert
felt sorry for
them.
- Are these your
brothers? - he
asked the boy.
The boy nodded.
- Yes. I am
sorry for
stealing your
lunch. But they
are very hungry
and we had
nothing to eat -
he explained.
- And your
parents, where
are they?
- I have no
father and my
mother is very
ill and cannot
work. Look!
He lifted a big
cloth that
separated the
bedroom from the
kitchen and
showed him a
bed, where
Albert saw a
very skinny and
weak woman.
- What is the
problem with
her? - he asked.
- I do not know.
She is burning
with fever and I
think she will
die if she does
not receive
medical care. I
have prayed to
God asking Him
to help my mom
... but so far
... - said the
boy, shaking his
head sadly.
Albert, no
longer angry but
instead saddened
by the plight of
the family,
encouraged him:
- Your mother
will not die. My
father is a
doctor and will
take care of
her. Stay calm.
I will be right
back.
He ran down to
the beach, and
finding his
father, he
explained to him
the situation.
Immediately, the
father went to
the house where
they were
staying, grabbed
his briefcase
and accompanied
his son to the
hovel.
When he arrived,
he carefully
examined the
woman, then
asked the boy:
- What is your
name?
- Tom, Doctor.
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- Well, Tom,
your mother has
pneumonia and
needs to be
taken to the
hospital. I will
handle it. But
who will take
care of the
small children?
- Thank you,
Doctor. You can
take her, do not
worry, I will
take care of the
children – he
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spoke
with the
firmness
of an
adult. |
Albert and Tom
became friends.
Laura, seeing
the misery in
which they
lived, rushed to
bring food,
bread, milk,
clothes and
anything else
they could need.
A few days
later, the
patient returned
home recovered.
Moved, she said:
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- I cannot thank
the support I
received from
you and the
assistance you
gave to my
children. I am
sorry for Tom's
misdeeds. We've
talked and I
explained to him
that he must
never steal. If
necessary, he
might ask, but
never take
anything from
anybody. And he
promised that he
will never do
that again.
Thank you, from
my heart.
- Do not thank
us. If it were
not for Albert,
we would not get
to know you -
Laura said,
looking at his
son with pride. |
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Tom said
smiling:
- It's true. It
was God who sent
Albert, in
response to my
prayers. If he
did not come
after me because
I stole his
lunch, my mother
would not have
been helped.
Albert smiled
satisfied and
completed:
- Now Tom and I
are good
friends. My
father always
says that there
is no chance.
Everything has a
reason for
being. I think
God works in
ways we do not
know...
Aunt Celia
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