Freebies

Yesterday, I ran into my husband while Christmas shopping in the rain, and suggested we duck into Starbucks for hot apple cider.

While waiting in line, he picked out a coffee mug. A nice one. An oversize, greedy-looking mug. Flip has a fascination with mugs, and always seems to need a new one, while I have used the same (stolen) one for years. Our kitchen cabinet is overflowing with mugs.

Starbucks was out of cider, and couldn't ring up the mug because it was, apparently, from last year.

I questioned why it was there if they couldn't sell it. The barista called her manager, who also tried to scan the label on the bottom of the mug.

It wouldn't scan.

He said, "I guess it's free."

I said, "No, it's $7.99.

"We can't take money for it because it's not in our computer. "

I am not used to getting something for nothing. "Are you sure?" I asked.

He handed me the mug.

I wished I had taken another one as well, but at this point, it would have been tacky. Even for me.

Today, though, I went back to see if they had any cider. They did. I picked out another mug like the first one, but lined with turquoise instead of wine. They must have pulled the other wine-colored one when they realized they couldn't sell it.

There was a different barista behind the counter. He encountered the same problem. The mug was not in their system and could not be sold.

I said,"There's another one like it. Maybe the SKU will work on that one." I got him the other white and turquoise mug, confident that he would have to give it to me when it didn't scan.

It didn't. He told me that he couldn't sell it to me, and did I want another one instead.

"I like THIS one," I said.

He conferred with his co-worker, and they agreed that the mug could not be sold.

"Maybe it's just there to be given away as advertising," I suggested.

He scowled at me.

"Can't you find another one?" he said.

"No."

He got out a thick book and searched through it until he found what he needed. He rang up the mug and cider, which had been brought to me since I was still at the ordering platform.

I was still ahead of the game. Two for the price of one.

The cider was so hot I couldn't drink it. I could barely hold it.

I noticed that one of the local derelicts was still in his station by the bank, where he had been earlier when I gave a couple of dollars to a guy who asked me for money to feed his dog.

I had considered telling him that if he stopped smoking, he'd have more money for food, but didn't. Neither of them looked hungry, but you never know.

The bank guy had seen the whole transaction and smiled at me as I passed, even though I didn't give him anything.

I wanted to tell him that if he had a dog, he'd do a lot better. But I didn't.

I asked him if he would like some hot cider. He said, "Yeah, sure." But he looked at me quizzically.

I could see him wondering, "Why is she giving it to me? Is there something wrong with it?"

"Didn't you like it?" he asked.

"I didn't touch it," I said. "I can't drink anything really hot, but I know that most people can."

Apparently I felt the need to reassure him that the cider wasn't tainted with my cooties or anything.

He smiled and said, "God bless you."

I said, "God bless you, too," and went home.

I think we're friends now.