The gift of giving

Alexandria Splan
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    Do angels walk among us? A story recounted by a local woman to the Houlton Pioneer Times poses that question.
    It was a usual day of shopping at Houlton Walmart for Amanda Languet and her daughter Alexandria Splan of Patten. But, just a few short minutes changed their lives.
    Languet’s daughter had just celebrated her birthday at the end of October and was looking to spend the remaining money she had gotten from her three birthday parties. On Nov. 10, Languet brought her daughter to Houlton for her wellness check, which included a flu shot.
    “She was devastated,” said her mother. “She cried so much.”
    To soothe the pain, Languet took her daughter to Houlton Walmart to finish spending her birthday money.
    “One of the presents she received was a portable DVD player,” said Languet. “So, I told her, you need to take some of the money and buy yourself a nice case. So, it stays nice. Whatever you have left over you can buy the toy you want.”
    Alexandria picked out her case and headed to the toy department, looking at the array of Barbie dolls with wide-eye longing.
    “She knew she only had enough money to get one of the Barbie dolls she wanted,” said Languet. “But, she could not decide which one she wanted. We stood there for 20 minutes, easily, in the toy department looking at the toys.”
    As the two were standing there, Languet noticed a woman, who kept walking by and looking at her daughter, which made her uncomfortable.
    “She walked by us three times,” Languet said. On the fourth time, the woman stopped and addressed Languet.
    “I just wanted to say that your daughter reminds me so much of my little girl,” the stranger said, becoming teary.
    “She’s a good kid, but she can be a handful,” Languet responded with a smile, as the woman chuckled.
    Languet thought the woman was going to say her daughter was kidnapped or missing and this was her child.
    “It freaked me out for a minute,” Languet admitted.
    The woman then did the unthinkable. She reached into her purse. In the ensuing few moments, Languet discovered this woman’s interest in her child.
    “She tried handing me a $20,” Languet said. “I told her, I appreciate it, but I can’t accept this from you.”
    The lady explained it was a “pay-it-forward” gift.
    “I had never heard of that before,” said Languet.
    The mysterious woman went on to say that her daughter would have been 18 and she couldn’t buy toys for her daughter anymore.
    “I assumed her daughter passed away,” Languet said.
    The unfamiliar well-groomed lady then spoke to Alexandria asking “How old are you, 6?” Alexandria answered, “I’m 7.”
    With tears rolling down, the woman smiled and told Languet it would make her day if she would accept the money. No strings attached and Languet wouldn’t see her again.
    “We were both dumbfounded by it,” said Languet.
     As the woman was walking off, she looked back at Languet’s daughter and simply said, “Have fun with your doll.”
    Languet and her daughter went to find the woman in the store, just a few seconds after she left them to get her name, but she was gone.
    “We couldn’t even find her,” Languet said. “We walked throughout that store three times looking for her. I couldn’t find her anywhere. She never asked our names. She never told me her name.”
    Languet then unfolded the $20 to see if she wrote a note or something. But, nothing.
    “I almost wanted to call Walmart and see if they could pull the security footage to see if she paid with a check or credit card that had her name on it,” Languet said. “She was as sweet as could be.”
    This complete stranger, not only was comforted, but she touched two more lives, as well.
    “Momma, that was really nice,” said Alexandria. “We should write her a note.”
    Languet, a single mother, struggles to make ends meet.
    “She completely touched me,” Languet added. “There are still kind people out there, especially this time of year.”
    Languet went back to Walmart on Sunday to “pay-it-forward” to another, but she was amazed no child was in the toy department.
    “I will try to find somebody,” she said.