Today, I either witnessed the greatest scam artist of all time pull a prank that works only during the Christmas season, or, the happiest, well-wisher on earth is at home feeling terrible, oblivious that she stole my quarter while at the same time trying to be my friend. Or maybe, just maybe I was part of something bigger than all of us, a Christmas miracle?

I was in the parking lot at Food Basics, feeling miserable as I always do after leaving Food Basics. I went in to pick up a butternut squash for Christmas dinner knowing I should have followed my better judgement and carried on the additional ten minutes to a grocery store I knew would have what I needed. Instead just as I had expected they had some strange variation of the butternut squash, pygmy squash I think, so instead of one large, I ended up with seven dwarfs….hi ho.

Just the thought of trying to slice seven, mini-squashes almost sent me to the Band-Aid aisle so I guess I was distracted when I first slammed my cart into the row, expecting it to spit out my quarter before I was given the opportunity (after it bounced back) to carefully place it in between the shell of the one in front of it, noting the carts from all of the surrounding stores that had also made the line-up, quantifying the number of homeless people that shop, trade carts and loiter or live in Food Basics.

A woman approached with a kind smile. She said, “Let me take that for you.”

Me: Oh thanks.

Thief: Merry Christmas.

Me: ?

She walked away with my cart without giving me a quarter but she was so sincere, full of holiday spirit I’m still not sure she knew that she had just stolen half of my gym locker at the Rec Centre. The locker directions suggest it’s only one quarter to retrieve a key for use but the first one is always eaten, disappearing somewhere behind the metal, false-door, magic trick so it’s best to pack two.

Maybe she asked, “Merry Christmas?” as in “Are you willing to donate this cart to the less fortunate so we can also buy squash by the dozen and not have to lug them in a box with no bottom around the store?”

Maybe she had never shopped at Food Basics and had no idea the cart required a deposit which I’m still confused could act as a deterrent from theft when the engineering team designed the mechanism. Surely a $200 cart is worth trading twenty-five cents which you really never lose, it’s still in there. I bet one of my miniature squash stumps could fish it out.