A Change of Heart
written by: Dawn DeBraal
Chelsey ran down the sidewalk while the shopkeeper shouted behind her. She’d been caught shoplifting and was trying to evade capture. Down the alleyway, she saw doors and tried a few that were locked. Then she came upon a revolving door that opened into a mall. She pushed through that and hid in a nearby store. From behind a clothing rack, she saw the shopkeeper come in and look around at the milling people. Crouched down, she pretended to look at the dress tags to avoid suspicion. When she stood, he was gone.
Cautiously, Chelsey walked out of the store back into the central mall, sitting in the center to watch people, wondering what had come over her to do such a stupid thing. She had never resorted to stealing before, but she wanted the earrings so badly and didn’t have the money to buy them. They weren’t that expensive, but more than she could afford. Something spoke to her, encouraging her to take what she didn’t own and put it in her purse, but the shopkeeper had seen her in the parabolic mirror at the corner of the shop. When she reached the door, he told her to stop and put the merchandise back.
She shriveled, knowing she’d been caught. Instead of owning up to her deed, she ran down the sidewalk, looking for an escape and finding one in the nearby mall.
Now she was haunted by the choice she had made, a poor one. Chelsey could never wear the earrings because of the bad connotations of how they came into her possession. She thought of nothing but escaping until she came through that revolving door. Something had changed inside of her. She’d gone from fear of being caught to regretting what she’d done. She played scenarios in her head, walking back, apologizing to the owner, and returning his earrings. Maybe she could offer to buy them when she got a job and had enough money. Would that satisfy the man, or would he call the police on her?
Guilt—a horrible feeling to live with and in. She shook her worries off and walked out of the mall through the same door she had entered, retracing her steps to the little shop.
Chelsey stood at the door, wondering if she was ready to turn herself in. She hoped the shopkeeper would see she had a change of heart and regretted doing what she had done.
The bell over the door tinkled, and she walked up to the checkout, sliding the earrings across the counter. The man looked at her and picked up the earrings.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I wanted the earrings so badly, but didn’t have the money. I shouldn’t have done that, and if you want to call the police, I understand. I want to come back here after I get a job and pay for them,” she felt tears pushing to get out.
“Thank you for coming back. That took a lot of courage.” Chelsey swallowed back the lump in her throat. Was the man going to offer her mercy or punishment?
“You have shown me your true heart, and I forgive you.”
“I appreciate you saying that. I don’t deserve this.”
“I am looking for a salesperson; it only pays minimum wage, but if you work for me, you’ll have earned these earrings in less than three hours.”
“You are offering me a job?” Her mouth dropped in amazement.
“Yes, you showed me you are an honest person. You could have kept going, because I lost you in that mall, but you didn’t. You returned to admit your wrongdoing, knowing I could have called the police for shoplifting. I am now offering you the job.”
She couldn’t stop crying. After she had done this man wrong, he not only forgave her but was willing to invest in her.
“I’d love to work here,” she told him. “Thank you.”
After leaving the shop, she walked back down the alley into the revolving door at the back of the mall. Chelsey sat down in the resting area to watch people, thankful for the break she’d been given. She opened her purse and took out a second pair of earrings she’d taken along with the pair she’d stolen. On Monday, her first day on the job, she would put those earrings back on the rack; no one would ever know about the dishonesty she was determined to correct.
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