As she approached the dumpsters, an old white van suddenly pulled up beside her.
Two young men climbed out without saying a word. They opened the back doors, lifted out a dusty old armchair, placed it beside the garbage bins, and then quickly got back into the van. Within seconds, the vehicle drove away down the street.
Maria looked at the chair with curiosity.
“It’s actually beautiful,” she thought, running her hand across the worn fabric. “It just needs a little work. With patience, it could look brand new again.”
After studying it for another moment, she made up her mind.
“I’m taking it home.”
It wasn’t easy. The chair was heavy, and dragging it across the snowy sidewalk took time and effort. But eventually she managed to pull it all the way to her apartment building.
When she opened the door, her husband looked up in surprise.
“What on earth did you bring home now?” Tom asked.
Maria laughed, slightly out of breath.
“Just look at it! With new upholstery and a little repair work, it’ll be perfect. You’ll finally have a comfortable chair to watch TV in.”
Tom raised an eyebrow but walked over to inspect it.
“Well… I guess it could be worth fixing,” he said cautiously.
They carried the chair into the living room together.
Tom grabbed a few tools and began removing the worn upholstery while Maria prepared fabric she had saved from years ago when she worked at a furniture workshop.
He had barely started when he suddenly froze.
“Maria… come here!” he called.
She hurried over, worried something had gone wrong.
But when she saw what had made him stop, she stood there speechless.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Tom slowly sat back, looking stunned.
“Tom… are you alright?” Maria asked gently, touching his shoulder.
“I think so,” he replied quietly.
“Come to the kitchen. Breakfast is ready.”
Tom washed up and sat at the small kitchen table. The apartment was simple, but it had always been warm and welcoming.
He sighed.
“It doesn’t look like the pension payment will come before Christmas,” he said sadly. “We might not even be able to buy presents for the grandkids.”
Maria sat across from him with worry on her face.
“I only have about twenty dollars left,” she admitted. “And today’s already the twenty-ninth. My pension won’t arrive for another two weeks.”
Tom remained calm.