Something Wasn’t Right
From afar, Jenna watched the pair. The man glanced suspiciously around himself in the back of the store. Her strange behavior seemed off for some reason.
From the moment he walked through the door, his expression remained sour. Nevertheless, Jenna could not stop staring at the old woman. With her small bucket hat covering her eyes, her head hung low. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't explain the uneasy feeling she had in her stomach. She was stunned when she saw the old woman's face for the first time. She had underestimated the severity of the situation.
Spotting Them
The moment they walked into the building, Jenna noticed them. His face was contorted in anger as he walked in front of the older woman. In spite of her frail legs, she managed to keep up as fast as she could.
Initially, she wasn't impressed with the couple - the man seemed to be in a hurry, but everything else appeared normal.
Trying To Keep Up
They walked past her while she packed a shelf in the back. As he trailed behind him with his old cane, the man was far ahead of the woman following him. Under his breath, he grumbled, "Keep up."
Seeing the woman racing behind the younger man, Jenna couldn't help but frown as she looked at her. A small bucket hat covered the woman's eyes, so she was unable to see her face. Her gut instinct told her something wasn't right about the pair.
Watching Closely
Her attention was drawn to the pair as she watched from her seat. The two of them walked further into the back before stopping. Looking down at her, the man glared at the old woman. In her seat, Jenna couldn't hear what he said because it was far away.
She tried to look at the woman's face once again, but her head lowered to the floor as he spoke down to her. As she wiped her cheeks with a shaky hand, Jenna watched. Did she cry?
Dropping Everything
The man and woman were now facing Jenna, and she had abandoned her task completely. She jumped back when he began throwing items into a basket with force.
The feeling Jenna had for the woman was hard to explain. Her condition was obvious, and the man showed no sympathy for her. Her curiosity led her to wonder what their story was.
Getting A Closer Look
Slowly, she walked closer to the pair from her seat in front of the shelf. A twisted expression appeared on the man's face as the woman stood motionless behind him. Occasionally wiping at her face, she stared at the floor.
Jenna wanted to ask them if the old woman was alright, but she decided against getting involved. The situation seemed dire, but was it really that bad?
Showing Her Face
The old woman was in a desperate situation and she wanted to help, but she knew it would not be possible. The incident occurred just as she turned around to return to her shelf.
Jenna caught the old lady's attention for a split second. As soon as she saw it, her heart sank, and her hands started sweating. It was unbelievable to her. She looked away immediately, realizing she had messed up by revealing her face. It was time for Jenna to take action.
A Simple Girl
The simple life Jenna Adams lived as a child and young adult in Saint Joseph, Missouri, was a reflection of her upbringing. She was a second-year college student and worked part-time at a grocery store.
As anyone who knew Jenna would attest, she was an independent and strong young woman. When it came to standing up for what she believed in, she didn't care if she got in trouble for doing so. One day, she would have to pay for her actions.
Nothing Special
Like any other day, it began as usual. Her day at college had just ended, and she was heading to work. Despite being late, she knew her manager would be understanding. In every situation, he was understanding.
She headed into the back of the huge store and clocked in, rushing through the doors. She completed a few tasks over the next few hours. There was nothing unusual about the situation. As soon as the couple walked in, everything changed.
In A Hurry
She noticed the grumpy expression on the younger man's face as she restocked one of the shelves. He was followed by an old woman walking with a cane. The woman was clearly having difficulty keeping up with his pace, but he didn't seem to care.
His only action was to walk ahead of her. It wasn't until later that Jenna began to pay more attention to them. Her assumption was that they were just in a hurry.
Going About Her Business
She mindlessly went about her business, not really focusing on anyone around her. She had an hour of work left and couldn’t wait to go home to rest. She was distracted by her own thoughts when she heard the loud stomps behind her.
When she turned to glance at the person, she noticed the grumpy man from a few minutes ago. He had made his way into the back of the store and the old lady was feet behind him.
Odd Characters
Jenna thought it was strange that the man wasn’t waiting for the old woman, but since she’d started working at the supermarket, she’d seen many odd characters.
But as the man passed her, he turned around and grumbled, “Keep up.” Those two words changed the way Jenna felt about the entire situation. Something about the way he spoke to the old woman didn’t sit right with her. She stopped what she was doing and turned around. She didn’t know it at the time, but the old woman was in serious trouble.
Something Didn’t Feel Right
Jenna looked at the woman who wore an old bucket hat that covered her eyes. She was facing the floor, the only part of her face that was visible was her nose. She frowned, watching as the old woman tried to pick up speed, but she wasn’t catching up to the man.
Jenna wasn’t usually one to pry, but she couldn’t help herself as her eyes followed the pair into the very back of the store. Something about the man’s demeanor didn’t sit right with her.
He Was Furious
She was still holding a box of canned tomatoes when she spun her chair around slightly. When they had just walked through the doors, she didn’t think much of the grumpy expression on the man’s face, but now that she was really looking at him, he looked furious.
He stopped in front of one of the shelves and turned to face the woman with narrowed eyes. He then said something that made the woman’s head drop even lower. Jenna watched with worried eyes. What on earth was going on?
Was She Crying?
The woman raised a shaky hand and wiped it across her cheeks as the man rolled his eyes. Was she crying? What had he said to her? Jenna placed the box down and fully spun her chair in their direction. Something wasn’t right.
He turned away and began harshly tossing items into a shopping basket, making the woman flinch. Jenna felt an overwhelming wave of sadness wash over her as she watched.
Don’t Get Involved
She wondered if she could just walk over there and ask the woman if she was alright, but she knew that she couldn’t get involved. She wanted to turn away and keep working, but her eyes wouldn’t leave the woman.
She tried to look at her once again, but the lady was staring down at her shoes, making it impossible to catch a glimpse of her face. Jenna was about to look away, but just then, the woman glanced up for just a second.
Worried
Her watery eyes landed right on Jenna, catching her as she stared. But Jenna wasn’t worried about the fact that she had been caught staring. What worried her was what she saw on the woman’s face.
A large black and blue bruise covered the old lady’s left eye. It was swollen to the point where she could hardly open it. But the woman looked away almost immediately, knowing that she had made a mistake. A shiver ran down Jenna’s spine. This was worse than she thought.
What Could She Do?
Her eyes were wide as she looked back at the man. He hadn’t noticed the interaction, he was still angrily chucking groceries into his basket. Jenna didn’t know what to do next.
Was she supposed to go over there and ask the woman about it? What if the man was responsible? She didn’t want to make any assumptions, but she was terrified of the man. It was clear that he was in a terrible mood. But Jenna wasn’t the kind of person to just let this go.
She Couldn’t Let It Go
Gathering all of her courage, she stood up from her chair. She couldn’t let the old woman leave without ensuring that she was okay.
The man and woman now had their backs facing her as she approached them quietly. She took slow, hesitant steps until she finally reached them. “Excuse me, sir and madam,” She spoke up.
Talking To Them
When the man turned to face her, his eyebrow raised. He did not want anyone to bother him. The old lady turned around too, merely glancing at Jenna’s face before looking down again.
Her hands trembled as they twisted around her cane. She knew that she’d made a mistake by looking up earlier, and she was terrified of what Jenna would do.
Intimidation
“Uh, I’m sorry to bother you,” She stammered over her words as the man’s eyes bored into hers. She quickly turned to the woman, trying to ignore the man who was trying to intimidate her with his harsh gaze. “But I noticed the mark on your face, ma’am. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright?”
A thin layer of sweat had appeared across her forehead as the man let out an irritated grunt.
Leave Us Alone
“She’s fine, she fell down the stairs,” he grumbled, “Now please leave us alone.” He tried to turn the old woman away from Jenna, but Jenna stopped him.
“Excuse me sir, but I was talking to her. I will only leave you alone once she tells me that she’s alright.” Jenna challenged the rude man, now angered by the way he was treating her. She didn’t like him and she didn’t trust him.
She Knew Better
The lady raised a hand to her cheeks again, wiping tears away. She still refused to show her face, her eyes not leaving the floor. Jenna was a smart girl, and she knew better than to leave the woman’s side.
“Look, she is my grandmother, okay? I live with her, and she fell down the stairs last night. Now back off, or I will report you to a manager.” He spat.
Backing Off
By now, a small crowd had formed around them. One of the cashiers, Sarah, had crept closer, watching with suspicious eyes. She had noticed them too. Jenna didn’t want to leave, but she also didn’t want to get into trouble for harassing a customer. She slowly backed away from the man and woman.
But as she was about to turn around and walk off, the old woman raised her head. She didn’t make eye contact, but she spoke in a delicate voice.
What’s Going On?
Unfortunately, she spoke in Spanish, and Jenna couldn’t understand a word of what she’d said. “I said, leave us alone.” The man glared and she nodded, slowly walking off despite not wanting to. She spotted her manager who was watching from afar, and made her way toward him.
“What was that about?” He asked. Luckily, he didn’t seem upset with Jenna. She was about to explain when Sarah, the cashier, ran up to them.
Call The Police!
“We have to call the police!” Sarah told the manager. She came from a Spanish household, and she overheard what the old woman had said. “You have to hurry before they leave.” She warned.
But the manager refused to call the police until Sarah told him what the woman had said. They were about to learn how bad the situation really was.
Getting Help
“She asked Jenna to help her, and she said that the man hurt her,” Sarah explained, and Jenna’s heart dropped. The manager didn’t waste a second as he rushed into his office.
Within minutes, he was on the phone to the police. Thanks to Jenna and Sarah, help was on the way. But what exactly was going on? Was he really her grandson?
An Explanation
Once the call was made, Jenna explained the situation to the manager. She explained how the man had treated the woman, which Sarah could confirm as she had been watching them too. She then mentioned the bruise, shocking both the manager and Sarah.
Jenna was the only one who’d seen it. They just hoped that the police would get there in time. Who knows what else would happen if the man got away?
The Officers
Ten minutes after the manager had made the call, a police car pulled up outside the doors. Two officers came in, and the manager walked them to where the man and woman were standing in line.
“Sir, we would like to have a word with you outside,” One officer said before they led the man outside. The woman stayed behind, immediately bursting into tears of relief
The Full Story
It turned out that he was in fact her grandson. He had moved in with her after the sudden loss of his mother and her daughter. He was a thirty-year-old man with no ambition.
He lived off of his grandmother’s money and hurt her whenever she couldn’t give him exactly what he wanted. She cried tears of joy when Jenna told her that he had been arrested. But the old lady wondered what would happen once he was released.