The boy emptied his pockets and pulled out two red marbles, a stick of gum, and seven dollars. He carefully laid the money in a neat pile on the floor and put the marbles and gum back in his pocket. Then he ransacked his desk drawers and looked under his bed, finding the remainder of his savings.

The money grasped tightly in his hands, the boy left his house and walked under the bright sun with a bounce in his step. An elderly couple sitting on their porch watched him as he walked by. “Michael! Where are you off to now?” the old man asked.

“I’m going to buy flowers for my mother!” the boy replied excitedly. He walked a little faster down the street toward the flower shop at the corner.

“What a nice boy,” the old woman said.

The strong, sweet perfume of dozens of types of flowers overwhelmed him as he entered the little shop. He made his way to the cashier’s desk. “I want to buy some flowers for my mother.”

“Oh yes, of course!” said the cashier. “It’s Mother’s Day. How much money do you have?”

The boy triumphantly handed her the bills, and when she had counted them, she showed him a catalog, pointing to the first row. “You can get any of these four.”

He made his choice and pulled out his stick of gum as he waited for her to get the flowers. He slowly unwrapped and chewed the gum. The cashier soon came back with a bunch of red flowers wrapped with a ribbon. “Have a nice day,” she said.

The boy walked out of the flower shop, and instead of turning right to go back to his house, he turned left. After crossing two streets he reached a wide, green field and looked for his mother, and he laid the flowers on her grave.