My Knight in Shining Armour

My Knight in Shining Armour

Today was my big delivery day. From the supermarket, from the meat store, and from the liquor store. And since we host lots of groups, our deliveries are large.
Problem is that my street has been undergoing major renovations for the last few months, and today of all days the powers that be decided to close my street to all traffic.
Which meant that when the meat-store delivery man called to say he couldn’t get past the stern security guard wearing a reflective yellow vest blocking the entrance to my street, I walked all the way to the end of my block to pick it up with my little shopping cart. That was 40 pounds, not too heavy, and I dragged it home with not much trouble.
But when I got home, there were 2 angry supermarket delivery men there who instead of calling me to pick up the stuff had walked past the stern security guard in the fluorescent vest carrying around 20 shopping bags. Suffice it to say that today I was showered with a Hebrew curse word that I’ve heard in the past, but was never before directed at me. I gave them both a big tip for their trouble. I hope that they will have forgiven me by next week.
And then, a few minutes later, my phone rang, it was the delivery man from the wine store. This was going to be more challenging. This delivery contained 40 bottles of wine and 24 jumbo Kedem grape juices (my sabra children won’t touch any other kind, go figure).
As I left the house with my handy shopping cart, I uttered a silent prayer along these lines: Hashem, I’m tired, I can’t do this on my own. We are having these guests for You, Hashem, so tourists get to meet a nice Jewish family and learn about Judaism. We want to make a Kiddush Hashem and do Jewish outreach and be involved in doing some positive PR for Israel. As well as make some money to support our family. Please send an angel to help me get these boxes home.”
On the street, though, there were no angels in sight. Just busy construction workers and their supervisors.
So I walked to the end of the street, the son of the wine store owner had piled my 5 boxes wine and 3 extremely heavy boxes of grape juice on the curb for me. He helped me stuff 3 of the wine boxes in my cart. But that was the extent of his chivalry.
So I schlepped it back home all by myself.
When I got back to my pile of boxes on the curb, I put one in my cart. And then the stern security guard called out, “Gveret, you can fit more in there. Here, let me show you.” And he came over and helped me stuff in all 3 grape juice boxes.
And then he said, “Here, I will take it for you.”
And he schlepped my cart all the way back home for me as I followed along behind him. I noticed some members of the construction crew smiling approvingly when they saw him helping me, the damsel in distress.
I wouldn’t have guessed that my Heaven-sent angel, my knight in shining armour, would be wearing a shining vest instead.

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