Chapter 4

That night, Abbey did not sleep well. The events of the day kept running through her mind, and especially Joe’s reaction to her attempted theft, and her subsequent act of atonement by licking his feet. This last recollection was what excited Abbey most, as she wallowed in the feelings of humiliation, degradation and worthlessness that her actions had aroused.

Abbey knew that she needed to keep Joe happy so that he would not throw her out of his apartment. She needed money for her family, but losing her place to live would cause misery to her nieces as well as to herself. Abbey determined that she would do anything in order for that not to happen.

She was unsure how Joe would treat her when she saw him in the morning, but what she did not anticipate was his greeting to her when they met in the living room.

“Tell me, Abbey” said Joe. “Why did you try to steal my money? Why did you not ask me for it? And why do you need it?”

Abbey was embarrassed on hearing Joe’s questions, but she was even more embarrassed at Joe’s gentle tone when he asked his questions.

“I ... I ... that is ... it’s my nieces...” Abbey could not continue, and she covered her face with her hands.

As she stood shielding her sad face from Joe’s gaze, she suddenly felt him patting her shoulder while he spoke softly to her.

“It’s ok, just tell me the truth” he said quietly.

Abbey could hardly believe that Joe was treating her so nicely after what she had tried to do. But his manner and his obvious wish to know the circumstances behind her attempted crime gave her courage to tell him about her troubles. So, she removed her hands from her face and started to tell Joe what lay behind her wrongful act.

Finally, she finished explaining why she had done what Joe had discovered, and she waited for his judgment. But instead of judgment or punishment, Joe took Abbey’s right hand with his left hand, and reaching into his pocket with his free hand, he laid a large number of dollar bills on the palm of her open right hand.

“You really should have asked me” he said. “But now you can use this money to help your family.”

Abbey could not believe what Joe had just said. She was sure that he would snatch the money away to punish her, but he did not. He just closed her hand around the money and turned away.

Abbey was overcome with emotion, and she burst into tears at Joe’s generous act. The man she had tried to rob was willing to help her and her family who he did not even know.

Joe half turned around at the sound of Abbey crying, and reassured her that everything was all right between them. Then he turned back as if he was going to leave the room. Abbey was so grateful at hearing Joe’s kind words, and at his extremely generous treatment of her that she sank to her knees and, clutching his legs, she buried her face against the back of his shorts.