Jim and his ice-cream

So there was a kid. Let's call him Jim. Jim was unique, in that, he loved ice-cream…. like genuinely.  

One day he and his father were out on one of their evening walks, and they stumbled upon an ice cream vendor. Jim looked at his father expectantly. His father was wise. It wasn't too often that he would give Jim what he wanted, but today was Jim's day. 

Soon Jim had his big, round, black, sparkly eyes fixed on the ice-cream he was holding… but even before he took his first bite at it, he saw a kid - about his age, with tattered clothes, shrunken body and sunken eyes that made it obvious that he craved the ice-cream. He was not begging. 

Jim felt pain. A lot of it. He was a kid, remember? He knew too little to be able to rationalize his feelings away. And the pain not was just a result of an inherent ability to empathize with the kid. It was mixed with the pain of feeling compelled to have to part with his ice-cream - things he did not understand then and that one day, would be taught to him as 'right' in one of his value-education classes. 

While he was still staring at the kid, he heard a whisper right beside his ear. He could tell that it was his father's, not only because his father was the only person around him and he could see the profile of his face in his peripheral vision, but much more - because he knew his fathers voice. He had learnt to recognize it. His father often said things to him that seemed grave, profound and serious. He hadn't heard many fathers talk with kids his age that way. Many times he did not completely understand the things he said. This time he heard: 

"And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do."

Somehow, all that reminded Jim of how big his father really is. Jim made his decision. He gave his ice cream, then still missing it, he turned around, looked up to his father and gave him a weak smile. They weren't too far from the ice-cream vendor and Jim's father was very rich.  But he did not buy him another ice-cream. However, later that evening, Jim had so much fun with dad, that when he lay on the bed that night, tired with joy, he had forgotten everything about his ice cream.