The Lady Selling Hats

Sandy was a carefree and lovely little boy of around ten. One day, while on his way to school, his eyes fell on a lady at the footpath. She was selling hats and all the colorful hats she had looked amazing to Sandy. 

Many people passed the lady by but did not buy any hats. The lady looked sad and tired. Sandy went to the lady, picked up a red hat, and handed the price to the lady. Her face lit up. She thanked him for buying the hat. He tried his hat, and how lovely he looked! The lady gave Sandy's cheeks a squeeze and said, "You look so lovely!" Sandy blushed, and off he went to his school, proudly wearing his red hat.

Every day, on his way to school, Sandy had his red hat on. And the lady would gesture to him that he looked beautiful. Sandy would blush and run to school. Sandy was beginning to get fond of the lady, in the same way as he was fond of his mother. He kept his hat always with him. It was precious to him.

Every once in a while, Sandy would give the lady his lunchbox to eat. "I cannot take it. You need it, my boy", she said the first time Sandy offered her his lunchbox. "I can buy something to eat", Sandy showed his pocket money given by his mother. The lady accepted the lunchbox, and after she had finished eating, she kissed him on the cheek and said, "Thank you so much, my boy". "You are so beautiful", Sandy replied, as beautiful as she looked, just like his mother.

Many times, when Sandy was sad because his mother had scolded him, or because the teacher wasn't happy with him, the lady would comfort Sandy. She would tell him, "This face doesn't look so beautiful when sad", and kiss him on the forehead. She never failed to make him happy. And when it was a holiday, Sandy would play with her. She loved him like her child, and he loved her as his mother.

And so time passed and passed, and Sandy had to go to another city for higher studies. Life took over Sandy's carefree self, but the lady was always there, at the back of his mind. One day, while rummaging through old stuff, Sandy found a red hat, and with the hat, he found his lost memories.