Chapter 3
As I walked out of the kindergarten with Lily, the evening breeze brought the gentle scent of magnolias from the roadside.
Her tiny hand wrapped around my fingers, while her other arm hugged her cute little lunchbox close. She still looked a bit nervous.
"Mom, that lady was scary," Lily whispered.
I crouched down, gently smoothing her wind-blown bangs. My voice was soft but steady as I reassured her, "Don't worry. Mom's here. She was trying to get something for free and wouldn't dare to hurt you.
"If she said anything weird to you again, you must run away and tell your teacher or me right away."
"Alright." Lily nodded hard, her frown easing. "I know now. My lunch is only for me."
When I saw Lily so innocent and serious, my heart melted.
*****
My name was Aileen Dawson, and I wasn't an average person from this world.
I came from Equitopia, a higher realm where folks stuck to boundaries and fair deals. There was no freeloading or taking what wasn't theirs.
In my world, "keep what's yours, I'll keep mine" was a rule etched into everyone's soul. Sharing must be voluntary. If someone asked for something, they had to pay their way.
No one could use excuses like "you're rich", "you're generous", or "we're all family" to take what someone else worked hard for.
Now that I was in this modern city, I didn't have any grand mission. All I wanted was to live a quiet life and watch my little girl, Lily, grow up safe and sound.
But some people saw my kindness as weakness, my decency as softness, and the care I gave Lily as easy pickings they could freely exploit.
Carly was the poster child for this kind of behavior.
*****
After we got in the car, I helped Lily take off her jacket and opened her lunchbox. The aroma filled the air.
The meal included golden cornbread, tender cod, fresh broccoli, and delicious blueberry salad. Everything was carefully chosen for her.
I'd tried some regular kids' meals before. Some cost several dollars, and some were about 10 dollars. They were greasy, heavily seasoned, and made with cheap ingredients.
Such meals were nothing like what Lily had every day.
Carly tried to get half of Lily's lunch for 3 dollars. It wasn't about her kid wanting to eat. It was about her trying to freeload off my effort, care, and money.
Meanwhile, she'd brag to other parents, "My son eats fancy meals every day."
People like Carly lacked care rather than money.
As we pulled out of the intersection, my phone suddenly rang.
It was Monica Reed, the admin of the kindergarten parent group and president of the Parent-Teacher Organization.
I frowned, but picked up anyway.
"Mrs. Dawson, are you free to talk now?" Monica sounded a bit hesitant.
"Sure, Ms. Reed, go ahead," I replied.
"Well, Mark's mom, Carly Lewis, posted a long, dramatic rant in the group. She said you were stingy and heartless, and you embarrassed her in front of everyone over not sharing Lily's lunch.
"Things are getting pretty heated in the group now, and some parents are backing her up. Do you want to jump in and explain yourself?"
I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. The real troublemaker was always the first to cry foul.
Carly got busted for trying to freeload. But instead of owning up, she complained about me in the group, playing the pity card, twisting public opinion, and flipping the script on me.
I said calmly, "Ms. Reed, I have nothing to explain. Each meal I order for Lily costs 30 dollars. Carly wanted half of it for 3 dollars. If it were you, would you agree to that?
"She also went around saying I'm an easy mark with money to spare, so why not take advantage. I didn't expose her in front of everyone. I was already being considerate."
Monica paused for a moment, clearly knowing what Carly was like. She sighed, "I get it. Mrs. Dawson, don't let it bother you.
"Everyone in the grade knows that Carly always looks for freebies, loves to gossip, and has double standards. I'll say a few words in the group to cover for you."
"No need to cover for me," I replied calmly. "These are facts. I don't need to explain myself. If anyone thinks 3 dollars would be enough for a fancy meal, let them go ahead and do it themselves."