What You Give, You Get
The mall was abuzz with shoppers, but even the crowd's chatter wasn't able to drown out the nasty insults that one woman received. Eva was out for her usual grocery haul and didn't expect to bump into an old acquaintance.
"I can't believe you would be out in public with those torn clothes!" she laughed. Eva was cringing. She wanted to get out of this situation immediately! But she didn't need to worry because karma would soon be dishing out payback.
Supermarket Haul
Eva had just popped into the supermarket to grab some lunch items for her son. That boy ate so much, but Eva didn't mind too much because he worked so hard to keep their household running.
As she left the store with two grocery bags filled to the brim, she knew it was time to go home. Unfortunately, it was the wrong time to leave because she would soon encounter a nasty old friend.
Eva Waits for Her Son
Eva called her son to pick her up. She knew he was busy, but these bags were too heavy to walk with. "Hi sweetheart, could you pick me up from the mall? I know you're busy, but these bags are too difficult to carry!"
"Sure, mom, I'll be right over. I hope you didn't forget my favorite cereal," he joked. Eva hung up the phone and smiled to herself. She felt pleased with her life, but the smile faded from her face when she saw who was in front of her.
Lauren Walks Out of a Designer Store
The shopping mall’s top floors were filled with designer boutiques and showrooms. Lauren walked out of one such store, carrying a handful of expensive-looking items.
Lauren was dressed in designer clothes from head to toe, and her handbag alone probably cost a fortune. Needless to say, she could very well afford all the luxuries. Two opposites were about to meet each other. What would be the impact?
Parking Lot
Lauren’s walk was sophisticated, and despite her being a middle-aged woman, her radiant face could even put the young beauties to shame. She arrived at the parking lot, not far from where Eva stood.
As she, too, called her son to pick her up, Lauren noticed a familiar figure in the distant corner of the parking lot. Was this who she thought it was? There was only one way to find out.
Old Frienemies Meet
“Oh my god! Eva! Is that you?” Lauren exclaimed as she got closer to the poorly dressed woman. Eva had a nervous smile on her face. Lauren’s words were always sharp, but maybe the woman had changed. She decided to give her a chance.
“Oh gosh, Lauren! Look at you! You still look as radiant and gorgeous as ever. Life’s treating you good, I guess.” Eva was glad to see Lauren after so long, but sadly that feeling wouldn’t last.
Trip Down Memory Lane
Lauren started reminiscing about the time when both of their families used to live alongside each other in a decent neighborhood of Austin. Unfortunately, Eva moved out of that house years ago, and the two lost contact.
“I had to leave the neighborhood because it was getting considerably harder to survive after my husband died,” Eva revealed why she had to move to a much more affordable location. How would Lauren react?
Lauren Sympathizes
After hearing what happened to Eva and what forced her to leave their neighborhood, Lauren couldn’t help but sympathize with Eva. But there was something weird about her.
“Oh, that’s too bad. It is sad how everyone cannot afford a luxurious lifestyle!” Eva could sense that she wasn’t actually being empathetic but was inching closer to being downright arrogant. Eva didn’t realize at that moment that there was more to come.
Lauren Talks About Her Son
Since they met after a very long time, talk soon turned to families. Both women had a lot to say about their children and how life was treating them.
Lauren was eager to jump on to this conversation as if she was just waiting for the opportunity to talk about her son. What was so special about her son that made her so impatient to speak about him?
Her Son Turns Out to be a Bigshot
It was pretty evident that Lauren wanted to talk about her son as she cut off Eva right in the middle of a sentence where Eva was telling her about one tragic incident that her family had faced.
“My son owns several car dealerships across the country. Hundreds of employees work under him and are dependent on him to get their livelihood.” Lauren’s eyes sparkled when she said this. She had no idea that the same sparkle would soon wear out.
Fancy House in the Hills
There was no stopping Lauren and, Eva, being a grounded woman, kept her smiley face on and listened to her with the utmost attention.
“He’s going to take me to his mansion in the hills today. We have a big dinner party planned!” Lauren kept babbling about her son, paying absolutely no heed to what Eva had to contribute to the conversation.
Eva Keeps Calm
Despite getting a little irritated, Eva kept her cool and carried her infectious smile throughout the conversation. As Lauren kept on talking about her son and his wealth, Eva felt just a bit jealous of her.
At that point in time, Eva had no idea that there was no need to feel jealous as the day had a lot in store for both of them. It might turn out that Eva was the luckier parent!
Eva's Son
Lauren’s never-ending tales about her son soon came to an end as she turned to Eva and asked, “What about your son, dear friend?” Eva was momentarily zoned out of the conversation, but she soon pulled herself back into it.
“Ralph is just a simple man, and perhaps that is the reason why I and everyone around him adore him so much.” Eva took a brief pause as she was about to unfold some more information about her son.
Ralph’s Schooling
“Ralph couldn’t go to a private school like we originally planned. After his father passed away, I found it considerably hard to run our home, and I simply couldn’t afford to send him to a fancy school.”
As Eva let these words out, she felt a little disappointed in herself but being a strong woman, she overcame that feeling and kept talking about her son. In her heart, she was proud of what he'd accomplished with so little.
No Fancy House
When asked about Ralph’s home, Eva said to Lauren, “He doesn’t have a big house because he stays with me. I have diabetes, and he takes care of me.”
“He could have chosen to live in a separate home, but instead, he decided to live with his old mother and take care of me. I’m really blessed.” Eva was obviously proud of her son’s life choices.
Ralph’s Job
“He doesn’t have a business, nor does he have a full-time job. Instead, Ralph works for an NGO. He’s always wanted to make a difference in the world and loves to make people happy.”
When Eva said it, she could feel the sense of pride taking over her head. Her son might not earn millions, but he was winning countless hearts out there. When Lauren heard it all, she couldn’t wait to give her response.
Lauren Scoffs at Her
“That’s nice, but what you don’t realize, Eva is that to remain happy, you need money in your pockets. We aren’t living in a primitive age where money doesn’t matter. I’m still happy for your son, though. He sounds like a nice person, if not rich.”
Eva could hear Lauren internally scoffing at her and her son. Keeping her calm and composed attitude, she just smiled at her, waiting for this interaction to be over. But Lauren wasn't done.
Ralph Comes to Pick Eva Up
Before the conversation could turn sour, Ralph arrived in an old beat-up vehicle and parked his car in the parking lot. He really looked like a reflection of his mother. He, too, had an infectious smile and was dressed in ordinary clothes.
Eva’s eyes sparkled with joy as her son walked towards them. One could sense the connection between Eva and Ralph. This time around, Lauren felt a little jealous. But she was still unimpressed by his financial standings.
Ralph Greets The Women
Staying true to his mother’s teaching and upbringing, Ralph greeted both women as soon as he appeared in front of them. His smile was so alluring that even Lauren couldn’t help but smile back at him.
While Ralph and Eva were making small talk, Lauren zoned out for a minute. What did she thinking? Would she actually say anything nasty to Ralph?
Alan Enters the Scene
As Eva and Ralph were about to bid their goodbye, Alan (Lauren’s beloved son) arrived at the mall. If we had to describe Alan in just one word, it would be extravagant. The whole parking lot roared with the sound of the exhaust on his gorgeous Aston Martin.
When he parked his supercar and stepped out, the air around them filled with expensive cologne, and Lauren’s smile made its presence felt to everyone. But she was in for a surprise—an unpleasant one.
Alan Shouts at Her
While Lauren was expecting a heart-warming welcome, she got exactly the opposite of that as Alan glared at her right after getting off of his car.
“What took you so long? I had to cancel an important meeting to come to pick you up. Next time, just get an uber, mom!” He thundered at his mother. Everyone who heard looked upon the scene with pity for the older woman.
Alan Meets Eva
Eva could not process what was happening right in front of her. While she was still making sense of it, Alan turned to her and asked “You look so familiar, are you, aunt Eva?”
Eva just nodded her head as she was still taken aback by how Alan treated his mother. This couldn't be the sweet boy she used to babysit when his parents were busy.
Alan Humiliates Ralph
Alan soon turned his attention to Ralph as it turned out, they used to play together in their childhood and were good friends.
When Ralph told Alan what he does, Alan ridiculed him and arrogantly said, “I seriously thought you would do better in life, man.” Lauren couldn’t say anything about her son’s remarks at Ralph. Deep inside she knew, that he was wrong, but things would soon get worse for her.
Lauren Faces the Wrath of Alan Again
Lauren tried to make light of the situation but there was no hiding her son's terrible manners. He seemed to think that he could make fun of others just because he had more money.
Alan retrieved his Aston and yelled at his mother, “Do I need to send a formal invitation to make you sit inside the car? GET IN!” Lauren held her head down and got inside. Eva could sense Lauren’s despair, but what could she do about it?
Ralph Leaves With Eva
Still trying to make sense of what happened in just a matter of few minutes, the humble mother-son duo sat inside their rickety car and drove home.
Ralph made a silly joke at his mother while she was trying to roll the car’s windows up, and they both laughed at it. On the other hand, Lauren was experiencing something that was starkly different from Eva’s situation.
There’s No Stopping Alan
You would imagine that Alan would have calmed down a little, now that they were finally heading towards their fancy home in the hills, but that wasn’t the case as he kept being furious at his mother.
“Mom, this isn’t the first time that you did something like this. I just hope that it never happens again.” As Alan kept getting mad at her, Lauren kept quiet and stared out the window. Was this what she sounded like when she spoke to people?
Home Sweet Home
The roaring Aston soon pulled over at their colossal mansion that was located at one of the most prime locations in Austin. As soon as the supercar came to a halt, Lauren was eager enough to get out of the car as it was suffocating her.
She entered her bedroom, banged the door behind, and cried herself to sleep. A huge mansion and still no mental peace at all, she asked herself. She also knew there was something she had to do, and she was nervous about how it would be viewed.
Ralph and Eva’s Journey
Ralph and Eva were all laughs on their way home. He kept on cracking lame jokes, and Eva kept on giggling at them. They truly had a beautiful relationship.
They didn’t have an Aston Martin to flaunt, but their inner happiness was enough to make them feel content. The mother and son had forgotten about the incident at the mall, but they would soon be forced to remember it.
Arrival at Their Simple Home
Ralph and Eva lived in a decent-sized house, and over the years, they saved up money to add personal touches that were important to them.
Ralph carried the heavy bags while Eva opened the door. All this time, they were having a conversation and laughing at something stupid Ralph kept on uttering.
Ralph Gives Her a Foot Massage
After they reached their home, Ralph made her sit down on their couch and brought herbal oil from the kitchen. He made Eva rest her feet on his lap and gave her a soothing foot massage.
Eva was smiling all through the while, and she felt relaxed after having a tiring day. What more could she ask for? She didn't need fancy clothes or a big house. Speaking of luxury, what was Lauren up to?
Eva Feels Content
Her sudden encounter with Lauren taught her one thing that money and an expensive lifestyle aren’t everything. She was grateful to have a son like Ralph, who was humble, caring, and most importantly, loved his mother to death.
As Ralph massaged her foot, she fell into a deep sleep with a smile on her face. That made her situation exactly the opposite of Lauren’s.
Lauren’s State of Mind
The following day when Lauren woke up, her eyes were swollen. She had been crying all night. Lauren couldn't believe the way her son had spoken to her yesterday.
Ideally, she should have been proud of her son and what he had achieved in his life, but she wasn’t. It seems like Karma hit her back for being arrogant and insulting Eva and her son. But what was she going to do about it?
They Meet Again
Lauren felt terrible for how she treated Eva that day and what she and her son said to Eva and Ralph. She somehow sourced Eva’s contact number, called her up, and arranged for another meeting.
She ignored Alan, who was sitting on the couch, and stormed out of the house. Alan called out after her, "where do you think you're going? I need breakfast!" But Lauren kept walking.
Lauren Apologizes
When they finally met at a local restaurant, Lauren's very first thing was to apologize to Eva about her arrogance and how her son treated Ralph that day.
“I know I was a bit too arrogant, and I shouldn’t have been. I’m sorry, Eva, and I’m truly happy for you, your son, and the life that you are leading.” Eva immediately accepted her apology and hugged the woman.
Final Lesson
Money isn’t everything, and life isn’t a scorecard measuring who gets the highest. We all lead different lives, make our individual choices, and one shouldn’t judge anyone based on their life because we have no idea what they’ve been through.
Instead of being arrogant and rude about your accomplishments, be a little humble because Karma keeps track of what you do and what you say. And you have no idea when it decides to hit you back!