I was going for a walk, minding my own business, responsibly keeping my distance from others when I noticed a bit of a scuffle up ahead just outside the grocery store. As I approached, I turned down the volume of the music in my earbuds so I could hear what was going on without being too obviously nosey about it. What I heard was sad and disappointing.
This young guy was pleading with some security guards to just let him keep the flour because his fridge was empty and his girlfriend and kid were hungry. They were both out of work because of the virus and hadn't been able to get any assistance from the government yet. They had nobody to turn to for help because his parents were dead and hers were poor foreigners, their friends were as broke as they were and he couldn't even ask for change because the police would come and fine him money he didn't have for approaching people.
At this point I was just standing there stunned at how bad things were getting, staring at them. The young man asked me for help while the security guards told me to keep walking. I figured I could always use a little good karma so I told them I'd settle the situation by buying the guy some food to get him by for a while. The security guards were having none of that so I said I'd take him out of their hair and go to another grocery store. I think they really just didn't want to have to deal with him any more so they agreed to let him go with me.
On the way to the grocery store a ways down the road, me and the guy were talking about how shitty things were getting and how unfortunate it is to be a person in need in a time when there are so many in need. He seemed pretty hopeful that his conditions would improve soon, once the state could finally get to his unemployment application and promised to pay me back once it did. I told him to just pay it forward to the next person in need as thanks and he agreed.
As we got into the store, we talked about what he would need to keep him going through the next week. It was all very simple stuff, he said his girlfriend is a pretty good cook and knows from her childhood how to stretch a limited diet to keep them all fed. Flour and rice, eggs and peanut butter... I had to insist he take more vegetables than he was asking for since he had a growing kid.
After checking out, he was thanking me profusely and as I went to hand him the bags, he outstretched his arm like he was going to take the bags but in one fluid motion he dodged the bags with his hand and gave me the worst sack tap. He damn near punched me in the balls. I keeled over in pain and dropped the bags, completey stunned at the turn of events. This was right at the doors out so a number of people noticed and were staring. He said something about trading this food for drugs and turned to leave but by this point a security guard had appeared to stop him. I was starting to regain the ability to speak despite the immense pain I was in and managed to cough out a, "what the fuck, dude?"
Then I woke up.
Hey, I'll roshambo you for those groceries. I go first.