Janitor Purchases Old Doll at Flea Market, Gives it to Child, and Hears Mysterious Cracking Noise

A few days earlier…

“Mommy,” said Eve sadly. “Can you get me a doll?”

“Honey,” Pauline gently replied. “You know we’re on a tight budget this month. Mommy will buy you one next month. That’s a promise.”

“But mommy…” Eve’s voice began to crack. “My birthday is in two days. Did you forget about it?”

“Oh, no, no, sweetheart! Not at all!” Pauline said, but she had actually forgotten and felt terrible about it.

“Are you still not going to get me a doll? I don’t have any friends, mommy. Nobody wants to be friends with me because we are poor. That doll can be my best friend…”

“Oh honey,” Pauline hugged Eve. “I will get you the doll. Promise. Don’t be sad, ok?”

Pauline knew the kids at Eve’s school didn’t treat her well because she wasn’t as rich as them, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Children can be cruel at times.

Present day…

Pauline was delighted after buying the doll. She couldn’t wait to give it to Eve and see her beautiful smile. The doll was one of those vintage kinds, holding a tiny baby in her arms.

“Oh, Eve will be so happy!” Pauline thought on her way back home.

And Eve was. The little girl’s joy knew no bounds when Pauline showed her the doll on her birthday.

Sometimes, the cause of someone’s smile is the source of another person’s grief.
“Ta-da! Mommy got the doll for Evie!” Pauline exclaimed, holding the doll in her hands. “Can mommy have a kiss for that?”

“It’s so pretty! Thank you, mommy!” Eve chirped as she kissed Pauline on the cheek.

As Pauline handed over the doll to Eve, she suddenly heard a strange crackling sound.

“What was that?” Pauline wondered.

She shook the doll, holding it close to her ears, and heard the crackling again.

“Mommy! Give it here! I wanna hold my doll! Please! Please!” Eve said, excited to play with it.

“One second, honey. I think there’s something in here…”

It was then that Pauline examined the doll and found a secret pocket sewn into the doll’s outfit. She undid the loose threads around it, and a note fell from it.

Eve quickly picked it up and said, “Mommy, it says, ‘Happy Birthday, Mommy.’ It’s not your birthday! It’s my birthday! This is so silly!”

When Pauline read the note, she noticed the message seemed like it was scribbled by a child. At that point, the thought of the woman selling the doll flashed through Pauline’s mind.

The next day, she returned to the flea market with the doll, and luckily, the woman’s stall was still there.

“Oh, I’m glad I found you here!” Pauline said. “I bought this doll yesterday, and I found a note inside…”

When the woman, Miriam, saw the note, her eyes welled up. “My daughter got this doll for me,” she said quietly. “She passed away two days before my birthday…My husband and I, oh, I’m sorry…” The woman covered her face as her tears started to flow.

“I’m really sorry for your loss,” Pauline said apologetically. “I had no idea. I know I can’t take away your pain, but if it helps, I can give you a hug.”

“Oh, thank you…” Miriam said. Pauline gave her a warm hug, after which Miriam revealed her sad story, which brought tears to Pauline’s eyes.

“My little daughter was diagnosed with cancer,” Miriam said. “We needed money for her chemotherapy. My husband and I work at a factory. We didn’t have enough money to cover her hospital bills, so we set up a stall here to sell our old furniture and things we didn’t need.”

“But we couldn’t save our daughter…She—she left us too soon. We’re selling her toys because every time I look at them, it just makes me sad.”

“One night, when I held my baby girl’s hand, she asked me to be happy. She had said, ‘Mumma, when I’m gone, please remember me with a smile.’ So I decided to sell the toys. She had bought that doll, saying it would remind me of her. I’m sorry I feel like I’m oversharing with you, but my heart feels really relieved today. Thank you for listening to me.”

As Miriam finished, she broke down into tears again. Pauline consoled her, and the two women talked about their lives for a while. Pauline told her how she’d been raising Eve by herself and invited her over to spend time with them.

“Eve will love to meet you,” she said. “And thank you so much for the doll. It made my daughter’s day. I’m sure your daughter is looking at you and smiling. Thank you again,” she added before she left.

A few days later, Miriam visited Eve and Pauline at the trailer where they lived.

“This is in appreciation of your kind heart and patience in listening to me that day. I hope this helps you and Eve,” Miriam said, handing Pauline an envelope.

When Pauline opened it, she found a couple of dollar bills inside. $3000 in total. “Oh, Miriam, we can’t take this. This is a lot. No, no, this doesn’t feel right…”

“You can take it, Pauline,” Miriam insisted. “A mother’s heart knows how much it hurts when you can’t do enough for your child. We made this by selling the toys. Please keep it. If not for my sake, please keep it for Eve’s sake.”

Pauline cried. “Oh, Miriam, thank you. This will help us a lot. Thanks.”

From then on, Miriam and Pauline became friends, and Miriam loved and spoiled Eve too much. But the best part was that Pauline and Eve’s company helped Miriam heal and move on from her loss.

What can we learn from this story?

Help someone in need, and you’ll never regret it. Pauline and Miriam helped each other in whatever way they could. That helped Miriam overcome her grief, and Pauline and Eve found someone who cherished their company.
Sometimes, the cause of someone’s smile is the source of another person’s grief. Sadly, the doll which made Eve happy on her birthday was a reminder of Miriam’s sad past.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

20+ Things That Could Even Puzzle Sherlock Holmes

Once in a while, we come across things in our household that we can’t identify. If this happens to you, just know that you can ask the experts on Reddit. Here, people from all around the world share their knowledge and help figure out the purpose behind some really mysterious things.

Now I’ve Seen Everything can now say we haven’t really seen everything and here are some mysteries the internet managed to solve!

1. “Part with spokes rotates, spokes (of different diameters) match up to hole in the opposite side of the tool. Sharpie marker for size.”

Answer: It is for punching holes in leather or similar things. Like, for a belt.

2. “This little plastic basket/holder inside the far corner of a trolley — I asked the supermarket staff, they had no idea.”

Answer: It’s a bitz box (a place for small items, like pens, batteries, etc.).

3. “I know it’s a chair, but what’s with the extended arms?”

Answer: It looks like a plantation/planter chair. You’d put your sore, swollen legs up on the arms after sitting on a horse all day, like a pregnant woman with her legs up in the same fashion. This is why the back is so sloped as well. If you sat up straight it wouldn’t be comfortable to put your legs up like that, but in a reclined position, it’s good for blood flow and airflow.

4. “Small, light blue, rubber capsule with a tear-off end.”

Answer: It’s a cosmetics serum capsule.

5. “My coworker saw this toilet in the women’s restroom at the Huntsville Space Center. Why is it shaped this way?”

Answer: It is a woman’s urinal. It encourages women to urinate from a standing position without the need to sit on a shared seat.

6. “I’m waiting for the bank to open and they have this card facing the street. What is it used for?”

Answer: It’s definitely a safety signal. We switch ours quarterly and it’s to let other employees know that it is all clear to open. Typically we had 2 employees “open” the branch while the rest waited in the parking lot or across the street for “all clear.” The openers go in, turn off the alarm, search the building, and check everything, then set the signal.

7. “In the middle of the wall in my 1906 house”

Answer: It’s a capped-off gas line from when they used gaslighting.

8. “Found this in Guam in shallow water, 3 meters in diameter. Never seen anything like it.”

Answer: This is absolutely a rocket part.

9. “Opposite of hole-y: what is this not-really-spiky kitchen spoon for?”

Answer: It’s a spaghetti server.

10. “What is the S-shaped metal ornament on this house?”

Answer: It’s an anchor plate or wall washer. It’s meant to keep masonry in place and made aesthetically pleasing because they’re visible. There is a bolt going on the other side, in the center, holding the bricks in place.

11. “What is this piece of seemingly old tech? Found in a pile at a university.”

Answer: That’s a very old wearable computer.

12. “My house (built in the mid ’70s) has one of these in almost every room.”

Answer: The 3-prong ones were for TV and FM antennas, and the center one was for an antenna rotator to get better reception.

13. “This is an on-gate blocking road access to some cell towers. Why so many locks and how would someone even open it?”

Answer: You can open the gate by unlocking only one padlock. The way it’s designed means that multiple people can use the gate, and if one person loses their keys, only their padlock needs to be replaced. As opposed to one padlock with many keys, you’d need to give tons of people the new key.

14. “What are these shredded balls on my property?”

Answer: Juniper-hawthorn rust — it’s a fungal disease. It starts as a gall then the tentacles appear around spring or after rain. It probably won’t kill this tree but it can seriously mess up secondary host apple trees. The only way to get rid of it is to prune then burn the removed branches. Don’t forget to disinfect your tools after.

15. “A cast iron circle with raised edges and a zero”

Answer: I think it’s a support for an old waffle maker.

16. “I found this while cleaning out an old cedar closet. Had a bendy spring in the middle. Looks like it hangs on a door?”

Answer: I think it’s a vintage hat display stand. If you Google it, there are a lot that have the springy bit and the pull cord (it probably lets you pull the hat down and to the sides to examine it rather than touching the hat itself). Yours seems to be held by sliding onto a table edge rather than sitting on the table itself. So you’re holding it sideways.

17. “What is this stuff growing out of the nail holes in my ceiling?”

Answer: That’s termite frass. You’ve got bad termites and you’ll want to deal with it ASAP.

18. “I just bought a house and this weird triangle holder thing is by my kitchen sink. What is it?”

Answer: It’s a dishtowel holder. Take the corner of your dishtowel and put it to the back of the triangle, then pull down on the towel and it’s held in place.

19. “Found this buried in the garden, very tough glass.”

Answer: My father repaired TVs for decades. I can confirm this one is the glass back.

20. “I bought these at a thrift store. Thought it was a bar spoon but I’m not certain.”

/

Answer: They’re ice cream spoons.

21. “I found this in our kitchen drawer when I moved in, none of my roommates have any idea. What is this thing?”

Answer: It’s a part of a tea infuser.

22. “Found these when clearing out my dad’s wardrobe. Any idea what you’d hang on them?”

23. “It is made of steel/iron and is heavier than it looks. We’re not sure if it’s a tool or some type of kitchenware.”

Answer: Apparently it’s a meat tenderizer.

24. “Delicate wooden whisk type thing that fits into a small vase item with openings on both ends. What is it? I’m so curious!”

Answer: It’s a matcha whisk and whisk holder.

Which one of these did you instantly know the purpose of? Do you have any mysterious things around your house that you can’t figure out? Share them with us and let’s solve the mystery together!

Preview photo credit MamaBearsApron / reddit

Related Posts

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*