Through the years we got to know the people that work at motels and we even remembered some of their names. On one of the many jobs we did in Winona there was this girl that worked the night shift where we stayed, but I can’t remember her name?

She was a skinny girl who would visit over the counter when you would get coffee out of a machine in the lobby. From conversations with her I know she was going to college during the day and she had a little boy. She was single and had lived with her mom up until a couple of months back! She moved out of her mom’s house to qualify for aid. Every day you would come in after work, if she was there, she would love to visit. Every time I did visit with her our conversations would end up with her talking about her son! 

He was the most important thing in her life, and she would show me pictures of him on her phone and talk about what he was doing every evening. She wanted to show him to everyone that would care to look.

I would ask what he liked to do and play with. Then I noticed in the pictures there was nothing in the rooms! A lone chair, worn out couch, a small tv, and I didn’t notice toys around? 

This girl usually was at work every evening, but this particular Wednesday evening she wasn’t there. I asked the lady at the desk if she was coming in later, but she replied, “NO! She will work tomorrow.”

Well Thursdays we always went home at the end of the day so I knew I wouldn’t see her. I went back to my room for a bit and was thinking about her and her little boy. Then I went back to the front desk and asked the lady working if there was a Walmart in town? She gave me directions and I went out that night, this was close to Christmas!

I saved enough money for lunch the next day and I spent what I had left on that little boy. I got him the biggest truck I could find and some other toys till I had spent all my money! I went back to the motel and asked the night clerk if she would make sure that girl got these things?

She looked in the bag and asked me why I did this?

I told her, “Those pictures bothered me. I know they don’t have much.”

The lady came around the desk and gave me a hug with tears in her eyes and said, “Who should I say it’s from?”

I told her, “You just say it’s from Santa Claus!”

I never saw that girl again but every time we returned to Winona for work, I always thought of her and her boy.