Melinda met Mrs. White at a farmer’s market. Mrs. White was selling homemade bread, and the delicious smell attracted Melinda and her mom to her stand. Melinda’s mom didn’t have enough cash to buy anything, so Mrs. White gave them a free loaf of bread. She also invited them to drop by her house if they wanted to buy more. Melinda and her mom thanked Mrs. White, and happily accepted her invitation.
Mrs. White lived only two blocks away from Melinda. Her house was not big, but it was warm and cozy, with a large porch and a small backyard. Melinda learned that Mrs. White used to live in a big city. She moved to Melinda’s town only recently, after her husband passed away. Sympathetic to Mrs. White’s loss, Melinda and her mom spent more time with Mrs. White. As they became close friends, Melinda began stopping by Mrs. White’s house every day on her way home from school. Melinda would read to Mrs. White, tell her all kinds of fun things that happened at school, and help her clean the house by sweeping off the front porch and vacuuming the floor. In exchange, Mrs. White would bake fresh bread for Melinda’s family. Melinda loved the smell of baking bread whenever she first walked into Mrs. White’s house.
One day, Melinda did not smell any bread, and there was no sign of Mrs. White. Melinda rang the doorbell several times, but nobody answered. Melinda was worried. She started shouting, “Mrs. White! Mrs. White? Are you home? This is Melinda!” No one answered her. Melinda walked around the house, hoping to see Mrs. White in the backyard. Mrs. White was nowhere to be found. At last, Melinda saw a note on the porch. The note said that Mrs. White had gone to see a sick friend. Melinda felt much better knowing that Mrs. White was okay. The note told her to look in the mailbox. Melinda opened the mailbox and found two loaves of fresh baked bread. Melinda was grateful for this little surprise from Mrs. White.
