When Pauline saw the doll at the flea market, she knew it would be the perfect birthday present for her daughter, Eve.
â Unfortunately, she didnât have enough money to buy something expensive, so flea market shopping seemed like the best option. Pauline brought the doll home for $10, no doubt about the discovery she was about to makee.
At home, the widowed mother gently dusted the doll and was about to give it to Eve when she suddenly heard a strange crackling coming from inside and stopped. âWhat was that?!â What was that noise? â exclaimed Pauline. âMom! Give it to me! I want to hold my baby doll! Please! Please! âsays Eve, excited to play with it. Pauline shook the doll, holding it near her ear.
A poor janitor buys an old doll for her daughter at a flea market and hears a rattling sound as she hands it to her. What she discovers makes her cry.
âOh, this is so lovely. Eve will love it!â exclaims Pauline as she stops in front of a stall where a woman is selling toys.
Pauline was a single mother to her 8-year-old daughter Eve and worked as a janitor. Her husband had died years ago from cancer, and she had been raising Eve alone ever since.
When Pauline saw the doll at the flea market, she knew it would be the best birthday present for Eve. Unfortunately, she didnât have enough money to buy anything expensive, so looking for something at the flea market was her best option.
When Pauline decided to buy the doll, she was so preoccupied with Eveâs thoughts that she didnât bother to inspect it. Two days later, when she gave it to Eve for her birthday, she heard a strange crackling sound coming from the dollâŠ
A few days agoâŠ
âMom,â Eve said sadly. âCan you buy me a doll?â
âHoney,â Pauline replied softly. âYou know weâre on a tight budget this month. Mommy will buy you one next month. Thatâs a promise.â
âBut MommyâŠâ Eveâs voice began to crack. âMy birthday is in two days. Did you forget?â
âOh, no, no, honey! Not at all!â Pauline said, but she had actually forgotten and felt bad about it.
âYouâre still not going to buy me a doll? I donât have any friends, Mommy. Nobody wants to be friends with me because weâre poor. This doll can be my best friendâŠâ
âOh honey,â Pauline hugged Eve. âIâll buy you the doll. I promise. Donât be sad, okay?â
Pauline knew that the kids at Eveâs school didnât treat her well because she wasnât as rich as them, but there wasnât much she could do about it. Kids can be cruel sometimes.
TodayâŠ
Pauline was overjoyed after buying the doll. She couldnât wait to give it to Eve and see her beautiful smile. The doll was one of those vintage dolls, holding a little baby in her arms.
âOh, Eve will be so happy!â Pauline thought as she walked home.
And Eve was. The little girlâs joy knew no bounds when Pauline showed her the doll for her birthday.
Sometimes, the cause of someoneâs smile is the source of another personâs sorrow.
âTa-da! Mommy bought the doll for Evie!â Pauline exclaimed as she held the doll in her hands. âCan Mommy have a kiss for that?â
âItâs so pretty! Thank you, Mommy!â Eve cooed as she kissed Pauline on the cheek.
As Pauline handed the doll to Eve, she suddenly heard a strange crackling sound.
âWhat was that?â Pauline wondered.
She shook the doll, holding it close to her ears, and heard the crackling sound again.
âMommy! Give it to me! I want to hold my doll! Please! Please!â Eve said, excited to play with it.
âOne second, honey.â I think thereâs something in thereâŠâ
Thatâs when Pauline examined the doll and found a secret pocket sewn into the dollâs outfit. She undid the threads around it, and a note fell out.
Eve quickly picked it up and said, âMommy, it says, âHappy Birthday, Mommy.â Itâs not your birthday! Itâs my birthday! Thatâs so silly!â
When Pauline read the note, she noticed that the message looked like it had been scribbled by a child. At that moment, the thought of the woman selling the doll crossed her mind.
The next day, she returned to the flea market with the doll, and luckily, the womanâs booth was still there.
âOh, Iâm glad I found you here!â Pauline said. âI bought this doll yesterday and I found a message insideâŠâ
When the woman, Miriam, saw the message, her eyes filled with tears. âMy daughter bought me this doll,â she said softly. âShe passed away two days before my birthday⊠My husband and I, oh, Iâm so sorryâŠâ The woman covered her face as her tears began to fall.
âIâm so sorry for your loss,â Pauline said apologetically. âI had no idea. I know I canât take away your pain, but if it will help, I can give you a hug.â
âOh, thank youâŠâ Miriam said. Pauline gave her a warm hug, after which Miriam revealed her sad story, which brought tears to Paulineâs eyes.
âMy little girl was diagnosed with cancer,â Miriam said. âWe needed money for her chemotherapy.â My husband and I worked in a factory. We didnât have enough money to cover her hospital bills, so we set up a stall here to sell our old furniture and things we didnât need.â
âBut we couldnât save our daughter⊠She left us too soon. We sell her toys because every time I look at them, it makes me sad.â
âOne night, as I was holding my little girlâs hand, she asked me to be happy. She said, âMommy, when Iâm gone, remember me with a smile.â So I decided to sell the toys. She bought this doll saying it would remind me of her. Iâm sorry that I feel like Iâm saying too much to you, but my heart is truly relieved today. Thank you for listening to me.â
As Miriam finished, she burst into tears again. Pauline comforted her, and the two women talked for a while about their lives. Pauline told her how she had raised Eve alone and invited her to spend some time with them.
âEve will be delighted to meet you,â she said. âAnd thank you very much for the doll. It made my daughterâs day. Iâm sure your daughter is looking at you and smiling. Thanks again,â she added before leaving.
A few days later, Miriam visited Eve and Pauline in the trailer where they were living.
âThis is in appreciation for your kind heart and patience in listening to me that day.â âI hope this helps you and Eve,â Miriam said, handing Pauline an envelope.
When Pauline opened it, she found a few dollar bills inside. $3,000 in total. âOh, Miriam, we canât take this. Itâs a lot. No, no, it wonât doâŠâ
âYou can take it, Pauline,â Miriam insisted. âA motherâs heart knows how much it hurts when you canât do enough for your child. We did this by selling the toys. Please keep it. If not for me, keep it for Eve.â
Pauline wept. âOh, Miriam, thank you. This will help us a lot. Thank you.â »
From that moment on, Miriam and Pauline became friends, and Miriam loved and spoiled Eve too much. But the best part is that Pauline and Eveâs company helped Miriam heal and overcome her loss.
What can we learn from this story?
Help someone in need and you will never regret it. Pauline and Miriam helped each other in every way they could. This helped Miriam overcome her grief, and Pauline and Eve found someone who enjoyed their company.
Sometimes, the cause of someoneâs smile is the source of another personâs grief. Unfortunately, the doll that made Eve happy on her birthday was a reminder of Miriamâs sad past.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.