Happiness is giving

Sitting on the desk with my hands on my hips, I thought absentmindedly, looking at the books on the shelf but couldn't choose any. I craved reading comics, I was addicted to this kind of story, even though I knew my mother and brother didn't like it. Suddenly my brother walked in from behind:

- What are you doing, girl? Don't focus on studying, just sit there daydreaming. Are you thinking about which comic book to buy?

I started acting spoiled, just like a little sister who bullies her brother:

- I don't have anything to study today, why don't you take me to Bach Dang park? I also want to buy a new comic book.

After a while of convincing my super cute brother, he took me to enjoy a delicious cup of milk tea and then walked around the lake, watching the sparkling lights in the crowded streets. I stood there, waiting for him to go find popcorn to buy me a snack.

- My child... my child... please give me some change - An old lady wearing a headscarf, her hands trembling, approached me.

Suddenly, as a natural reflex, I reached into my pocket. There was only a twenty thousand dong note left in my pocket. I wanted to give it to her, but then I remembered that it was the money my mother gave me to buy a new comic book. If I gave it to her, I would have to stop reading it. Oh! I would regret it. I stammered:

- I... I'm sorry, I don't have any money - I lied, feeling my face burning.

Having said that, I quickly ran to a nearby stone bench and sat down. I turned around and saw the old lady sitting on the ground, hugging her knees, with her hat placed in front of her. Suddenly, a little girl about 5-6 years old walking with her mother walked up to the old lady and asked:

- Grandma, what's wrong with you?

The old lady raised her face, tears in her eyes:

- I'm fine, I just need some coins to buy bread...

The little girl suddenly opened her eyes wide and looked at her grandmother as if she understood what was happening. Then she pulled her hand out of her mother's hand and took out ten thousand dong:

- Mom, grandma gave me some money for breakfast. Now I'll give it back to grandma, mom!

The little girl's mother smiled, then took out another bill from her purse and gave the old lady another bill. They sat and talked with her for a while. I only vaguely heard that her family was very poor, she had no husband or children, and was often sick... The kind little girl held her grandmother's hand tightly, and said a few words of comfort to her.

Suddenly, my brother was behind me, witnessing everything, and patted my shoulder:

- You see? You can be willing to spend more money to buy milk tea, you can skip breakfast to buy useless comic books, buy glowing bracelets... So why can't you skip breakfast to help others?

I turned to look at the little girl and then looked back at myself, suddenly realizing how selfish and heartless I was, not even as good as a child:

- I'm sorry... I won't do it again.

He smiled and drove me home. As I passed the old lady, I quietly dropped a twenty thousand dong coin into her hat. I suddenly realized that giving is also a kind of happiness - the happiness of sharing.

WANG LAM OANH
Class 7D, Nguyen Trai Secondary School, Nam Sach