The following morning, Walt sat on his old stool at the counter.
I prepared his eggs exactly how he liked them.
When he finished, he placed five dollars beneath his coffee cup.
I tried to return it.
Instead, he pointed toward the register.
“Put it in the jar, Frankie.”
But the donation jar was gone.
That afternoon, I bought a new glass container.
I wrote ROSIE’S RULE across the front and placed it beneath my mother’s photograph.
Walt’s five dollars became the first contribution.
Next, I visited Mrs. Kowalczyk.
She lived in a small yellow house on Mercer Street.
Her granddaughter answered the door and eventually invited me inside.
Mrs. Kowalczyk appeared using a walker.
“Frankie,” she said.
“Hello, Mrs. K.”
She studied me for a moment.
Then she told me what had happened.
Someone had made unauthorized purchases using her account information.
The financial problems had temporarily affected her ability to pay for medication and other necessities.
