Paying a bill

I got a bill today.

It wasn’t mine.

It was mixed in with a pile of my mail.

I absent-mindedly opened them all without looking at the addresses.

It was a credit card bill for a Cynthia S.

Being nosy, I looked at the bill.

She was nearly at her credit limit.

She’d only bought four things with the credit card last month.

Two of the purchases were at a bookstore.

I liked that.

The purchases were all at the beginning of the month.

Like she was being careful so as not to go over her limit.

Last month she paid just a bit more that the minimum payment.

I recognized her street.

It’s in a neighborhood of college students and young people just starting out.

Cheap.

Maybe she’s in a low-paying starter job and can’t pay off her bill.

Maybe she’s been swamped with other bills.

Maybe she’s looking for work.

Maybe she’s a student just trying to get by.

I looked at the purchases again.

Two at a bookstore.

Each about the cost of a book.

I wrote out a check.

For double the minimum payment.

Just to help out.

I put it in the mail.

People used to help me when I was just starting out.