A Short Story About Prejudice: The Packet Of Cookies

This short story about prejudice tells us about a woman who, already advanced in years, lived with a heart full of bitterness. She felt alone and believed that others were numb towards her. He didn’t trust people and tried to avoid them, even if at the same time he regretted his loneliness.

It hadn’t always been like that. As a young man she had been in love and married. She had had two beautiful children, a boy and a girl, and she was happy. Her husband, however, had died at a young age and from that moment everything had changed. She had stopped smiling and had become prone to anger, even with her children.

The children had left her alone as soon as they came of age. Although they loved her, they could no longer bear her constant criticism and demands. It is true that they visited her from time to time, but with great effort because she had a bad temper.

A brief history of prejudice, an unexpected invitation

The daughter was sorry that her mother lived so alone and drowned in bitterness. So he decided to invite her to spend the summer with her. Maybe a change of scenery would do her good and maybe – just maybe – she would make peace with life and people, even if only temporarily.

This short story about prejudice tells that, after thinking about it for a long time, the woman decided to accept the invitation. She didn’t want them to think of her as a bad mother. He packed his suitcase and went to the train station on the appointed day. She didn’t seem in a good mood, but rather flustered.

He bought the ticket and sat down to wait for the train. However, they informed her that there was a delay and that it was necessary to wait a couple of hours for the departure. The woman grumbled, but there was nothing to be done. It was hot and he decided to buy a packet of cookies and a bottle of water to pass the wait.

A strange travel companion

The woman put the cookies and water in the bag. A few moments later a smiling boy sat down next to her. She would have preferred to be alone on the bench, but she certainly couldn’t get up, otherwise someone might have thought she was a rude person.

After a few minutes, the woman saw that the young man was eating from a packet of biscuits. Instinctively he looked at his bag and saw that it was a little open. The boy chewed, while her anger grew at the thought that he was enjoying his cookies.

The young man smiled. Then he took a sip of water. The woman was incredulous. This meant that he had stolen the cookies and water from her bag and was eating and drinking in front of her without a shred of shame. So when he put down the water and biscuits, she took a sip from the bottle. The young man smiled again.

The moral of the short story on prejudice

It seemed to the woman that time never passed. While waiting for the train, he continued to eat at the same pace as the young man. He took a biscuit, and she took it too, looking at him defiantly. He drank, she drank.

In the end, a biscuit remained. The woman looked at the boy angrily. He couldn’t believe he’d have the cheek to eat it. The boy looked at her too and then took the biscuit. He broke it in two and gave her half. The woman accepted him reluctantly, cursing him inside. The same thing happened with the last sip of water.

Finally, the arrival of the train was announced. The woman got up indignantly and went to take her place in the carriage. She was incredulous at what had happened to her. It tells the short story about the prejudice that while waiting to leave, the woman was overcome with anger.

So it was that he opened the bag to take a handkerchief. As he did so he noticed that the packet of cookies was there, along with the bottle of water. He looked through the glass and saw the young man who was smilingly waiting for his train.