No Thank You, Please

The mall was bustling & of course it would be one week before Christmas. We were there to sell Girl Scout cookies which is not an easy thing when people have their mind on last minute presents. I did manage to get a few people inside but with so many rushing by at break neck speed it looked like a holiday themed Merry-Go-Round. After getting slightly dizzy & eating half a box of the cookies I was supposed to be offering out I wandered out into the chaos myself.1

The once yearly Santa they hired was smiling for all he could, and, in my opinion looked like he was enjoying himself. The children, himself, & even I knew he wasn't going to stop by in a week at midnight. It was the hope that it *could* happen that kept everyone smiling, almost everyone anyways... except one lady who I found in tears, next to the fountain, holding her purse & an almost empty cart.2

She didn't want to talk to me.3

She certainly didn't want help.4

She also didn't want to break down in the middle of the mall or get fired a week before Christmas.5

She really didn't want the cookies I had. 6

She didn't have any money. 7

She said, "No Thank You." so I dropped them into her basket & walked off with out looking back. 8

Like I mentioned before though the mall is awful busy around a week before Christmas.9