Old Man Comes to Store with Grocery List for Wife, Cashier Later Learns He Doesn’t Have a Wife at All

When an elderly man fails to appear for his wife’s weekly grocery shop purchases, the grocery store clerk takes the opportunity to inquire about his well-being. She finds out that he has no wife to purchase groceries for.
Emma is happy with her work as a grocery shop employee. Having worked at the same store for years, she is familiar with all of her regular clients.

Roger, an elderly guy, used to visit the store once a week to buy groceries. He would be shopping with a long list of items, which would include the components for chicken pot pie.

“You must really love your chicken pot pie, Roger!” After assisting him in selecting the components for the nth time, Emma made a statement.

“Yes, Emma, I do. He answered, “You see, my wife Laura makes the best chicken pot pie in town.

Emma grinned, thinking it was wonderful that Roger treated himself to his wife’s delectable homemade speciality once a week. Emma thought it odd that she had never met Roger’s wife because she had never accompanied him to the store.
In all the years Emma has worked there, she has never once seen Roger’s wife come or go from the house, which piqued her curiosity even more. Roger resided only down the street from the grocery shop.

Still, she dismissed the idea and, when they had finished gathering Roger’s goods, bagged them. As she passed the bags over, she said, “See you next week.”
“See you next week, Emma!” Roger answered as he did each and every week.

But when the following week arrived, Roger did not stop by the store on his usual Saturday afternoon. Emma found this to be strange. He had never skipped a supermarket shop before.
She waited one more day, and Roger had still not shown up. Roger did say “see you next week” when they last saw each other, so she started to worry.

Emma made the decision to check on Roger after her shift ended. She could easily stroll to his house because it was close by.
She rang the doorbell when she got there, but no one answered. “Roger?” she exclaimed.

Emma hesitated a while, but the door was unanswered. Just as she turned to walk away, she heard a loud cough coming from inside the house.

Emma turned the doorknob, taking her chance. It was made accessible. She opened the door and yelled for Roger once more. “You, Roger? Do you happen to be here? Emma from the grocery store is who I am,” she remarked.
“Emma,” Roger spoke to her from a separate room. Despite the chilling sound that ran down her spine, she made the decision to approach the room.
She noticed Roger, pale and frail, resting on the couch. “Hey, Roger! How are you doing? “Where is your spouse right now?” Emma asked.

Emma followed Roger’s slow stare as he turned to face a table in the same room. There, she noticed an urn with Roger’s wife’s picture next to it.

“Roger, I’m really sad to hear that your wife passed away. “I wanted to check on you because I got worried when you didn’t show up this weekend,” she said to him.
Roger was helped up by Emma to take a seat. He said, “Thank you,” in a feeble tone. He appeared to have gone days without eating a healthy meal and had a temperature.

After giving him some medication, Emma asked him to wait in the living room while she prepared dinner. She proceeded to the kitchen and was shocked to see cans of carrots and peas sitting on the counter.

“I’m not sure I understand,” she told herself. “Every ingredient is not used. Has his wife passed away for some time now?” she wondered.

She took out an unbaked pie crust and some chicken breasts from the freezer. In the hopes that it might cheer him up, she made Roger a chicken pot pie.
When she was finished, she went to the living room to deliver the pie to him. “I know it’s probably not as good as your wife’s chicken pot pie, but I hope it makes you feel better,” she said to him.

Roger gave her a smile. With a deep bow, he added, “Thank you, Emma. “It has been over four years since I last had chicken pot pie.”

Emma’s unanswered questions were addressed by that statement. Roger kept buying ingredients for her chicken pot pie even after his wife passed away some time ago. However, why?

Emma dismissed her thoughts again, pleased to see that Roger’s vitality was gradually returning to normal. She decided to ask him a question after waiting for him to finish his meal.

“May I ask you a question, Roger? Why do you purchase the ingredients for chicken pot pie each week and store them in the kitchen? Do you prepare it by yourself?
Roger gave a headshake. “To tell the truth, Emma, I’ve been having a fantasy about my wife Lara returning. So every week I get everything ready for chicken pot pie in anticipation of her return.

Roger’s words upset Emma because she knew he was still grieving for his wife. She looked at the picture of Roger’s wife once again, unsure of what to say. She exclaimed, “She’s beautiful.”

Roger grinned. “She is the most stunning girl I have ever laid eyes on.” Every day I miss her. Emma, you’re correct. Perhaps it’s time to stop living in my imagination and accept that she won’t be returning.

Roger, she’ll be with you forever. Emma reassured him, “She may not be physically present with you, but she will always be in your heart.
Roger gave a nod. “Emma, I’m grateful you helped me recognize that. I appreciate you also following up with me. I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted if you hadn’t been by to see how I was doing. I’ve been feeling sick for days,” he said.

Emma assured Roger that she would be there to support him at all times. She learned that although Roger would prepare basic meals for himself every day, he was never able to successfully make the chicken pot pie that his wife Lara used to make.

Emma knew this and cooked him a range of nutritious meals each week that he could reheat whenever he felt like it. This made him much healthier, and ever since Emma had vowed to look after him, he seldom ever got sick.
As a father figure in her life, Emma always anticipated their time together. They grew great friends, and Roger was grateful for Emma’s care for him.

Emma, you are my daughter that I never had. One day, at dinner, Roger said to Emma, “Thank you for looking after me.