Ten

I love ice cream. It’s the closest I come to addiction. For too many years I couldn’t eat any because my digestive system no longer processes gluten, dairy, nuts, soy or beans. Perhaps you can imagine my delight when I discovered a brand of the only flavor ice cream I like—coffee chocolate swirl—made with coconut milk and no offensive ingredients. I eat about a quarter of a pint, okay, sometimes a third, every day, which means I buy a lot of it. Perhaps I should be embarrassed to write that when it’s on sale I buy six pints at a time, but at least I make sure to leave a pint or two for someone else.

A few days ago, when the ice cream was on sale I bought my usual six pints. When I got to the cashier, he told me he also loves a particular ice cream and when it’s on sale, he buys ten boxes. “You should go back and buy four more,” he said. “There’s no one on line. I’ll watch your shopping bag.”

“Really?” I asked. Incredulous.

“Sure. Just go. I’ll be here.”

I ran as fast as I could, picked up four more pints and ran back. Oy! There was a different cashier and three people were waiting on line. The new cashier grinned and said, “I heard about you. You’re the one who needs ten pints of ice cream.”

I babbled. Apologized. Stammered how much I loved coffee chocolate swirl coconut milk ice cream. More babble. “I’m really sorry. I use ice cream as my treat each day.” More apologies for buying so many pints. Instead of the expected condemnation, the people waiting on line began to laugh. The more I babbled and apologized and told them how it’s the only flavor I like and it’s not always available, and sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps me going, the harder they laughed. The woman closest to me took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes, unable to stop giggling.

The cashier rang up the four pints and put them in my shopping bag. I was prepared to slink off but I was stopped by the woman’s words. “Honey, I haven’t laughed this hard in so long I can’t remember. Waiting was worth it.” The others nodded.

The man behind her looked at me and said, “Next time I buy two pints of ice cream and my wife complains, I’ll tell her how lucky she is. I could be buying ten.” More laughter.

This time I joined them. The world got a bit lighter and brighter.

What brightens your life?