“Stopping power?”

“Yeah,” the shop owner said, “stopping power. You won’t need many of these to get the job done.”

“I think I only need two,” I said to him.

“Well, they come in boxes of twenty,” he said with obvious irritation. “I can’t sell you just two.”

I thought of my boss at work. I thought about my walk into her office every morning. I thought about all of the people I pass by on my walk.

Then I thought about my wife and our three kids eating a hot meal that I wouldn’t be able to buy them soon. I thought about our aging dog and his painful gait across the green grass yard of the house I wouldn’t be able to afford for much longer.

The little ones wouldn’t take much stopping power and the dog would likely only need a single pill. Amber was a tough lady. She was a good strong wife. I think she might need two pills.

“Well,” the man said as he tapped the box with his thick fingers, “you want them or not?”

“Yes I do. I think I can make use of them.”

“That’s the spirit,” he said with a grin.