Tyler wished to purchase a sack of fresh fruits for his beloved grandmother, but he adamantly refused to accept them as a gift. The proprietor of the grocery store happened to witness the determination and intelligence of the young boy and chose to intervene in an unexpected manner.

“What is perpetually ahead of us, yet remains unseen?” Tyler was silently engrossed in his favorite video on his mother’s phone. He and his grandmother were seated on the porch of her home, gently swaying on their rocking chairs.

The whispering gusts of wind muffled something amusing that Tyler’s grandmother had uttered, but the boy caught just enough to break into laughter, soon joined by his grandmother’s hearty chuckles.

Tyler grinned once more, simply watching the reflection of his grandmother’s joy on the screen.

‘Meemaw looks so radiant when she laughs!’ he thought to himself.

To eight-year-old Tyler, the sixty-year-old woman was his dearest companion. Like many grandmothers, she played a crucial role in looking after him when his parents were preoccupied with work.

However, Martha was unlike any other. She encouraged him to ask questions without hesitation, to explore books that were beyond his understanding, and to ponder over ideas that even she sometimes struggled to explain.

Martha instilled in him the belief that food was nature’s medicine and that sickness was the body’s way of signaling what it needed more or less of.

While Tyler’s classmates shared fantastical tales of knights and castles from their grandparents, Tyler narrated true stories of bravery and compassion from Martha’s time as a dedicated nurse.

Yet, what he cherished most were her riddles. Martha had an endless collection of them, and Tyler saw it as his mission to solve every single one, no matter how long it took.

When he finally got the right answer, she would reward him with fifty cents.

That evening, as Tyler lay in bed, he gazed at the piggy bank on his nightstand. It was filled with those fifty-cent coins, collected over months. He carefully picked it up, ensuring he didn’t wake his mother with the slightest clatter.

‘What can I do with this money to help Grandma recover faster?’ he pondered, staring intently at the small box of coins.

He recalled the doctor’s words from earlier that day.

“She will gradually regain her strength, but there’s a serious risk of pneumonia. If she contracts it, things will become complicated.”

Tyler remembered the term well—he himself had suffered from pneumonia once. A hazy memory surfaced of his grandmother never leaving his side during those difficult days. She would hum lullabies, ensure he ate well, and serve him steaming bowls of soup. Among other treats, he distinctly recalled her bringing him fresh orange slices twice daily.

“These are packed with Vitamin C, Ty! They’ll help you get better faster, and soon, you’ll be back to running around like before!”

‘That’s it!’ Tyler’s eyes widened with realization. He knew exactly how to use his savings.

‘Tomorrow,’ he whispered under his breath, ‘I’ll get you a big bag of the juiciest oranges, Grandma!’

The next morning, his father drove him to the hospital to visit Martha. The journey was brief, but as they neared a familiar grocery store, Tyler eagerly requested his father to pull over.

“Please, Dad! Just for a few minutes. It’s a surprise for Grandma. I promise I’ll be quick. You don’t even have to come inside.”

His father sighed and parked. “Alright, but be fast, Ty. Do you need any mo—”

“No, thanks, Dad!” Tyler had already jumped out with his backpack and shut the door before his father could finish.

He darted toward the fruit section, meticulously selecting the ripest produce he could find. He gathered cartons of strawberries, blueberries, apples, kiwi, and most importantly, a hefty bag of oranges.

Satisfied with his choices, he made his way to the cashier. “Good morning! I’d like to buy all of these, please! And could I get a paper bag too? I’m paying in cash. How much will that be?”

Tyler impatiently tapped his foot, aware of his father waiting outside.

Stella, the store owner, had been watching him from a distance. She was entertained by the boy’s mature demeanor and diligence. But what truly astonished her was what he did next.

Tyler handed his piggy bank to the cashier and confidently declared, “There’s exactly forty-two dollars and fifty cents in here. You can count it to make sure. Will this cover everything?”

One of the employees began counting the coins, while Stella, intrigued, decided to strike up a conversation.

“That’s quite a lot of fruit. Who are they for?”

“For my grandma. She’s at the city hospital. These fruits will help her recover!”

The cashier whispered something into Stella’s ear.

“What’s your name, young man?” she asked.

“Tyler.”

“Well, Tyler, you’ve saved an impressive amount of money, but unfortunately, you’re fourteen dollars short. However, don’t worry—you can take everything with you.”

“No, no! I don’t want to take anything without paying,” Tyler insisted, looking down at his shoes in disappointment.

“Well, perhaps you could leave the oranges behind? That way, your total will match what you’ve saved.”

“No, that won’t do! My grandma needs Vitamin C to battle pneumonia!”

Stella was deeply moved by Tyler’s knowledge and resolve. She was about to offer the fruit as a gift when Tyler’s eyes gleamed with an idea.

“I have an idea! I’ll ask you a riddle! If you get the answer right, I’ll ask my dad for fourteen dollars and pay you. But if you don’t know the answer, you have to give me fourteen dollars.”

Stella chuckled and agreed to the deal. A small crowd of employees and customers gathered, curious about the challenge.

“What is always ahead of us, yet invisible to our eyes?”

The listeners murmured among themselves, throwing out possible answers. Stella furrowed her brows in concentration.

“Is it air?” someone suggested.

“Nope.”

“Eyeglasses?” another offered.

“Not quite. One last chance,” Tyler teased, his excitement growing as he saw their puzzled faces.

Stella hesitated, then sighed in defeat. “I give up. What’s the answer?”

Tyler grinned triumphantly. “The future!”

The small crowd gasped in admiration, and Stella burst out laughing. True to her word, she handed Tyler fourteen dollars and clapped him on the shoulder.

“You, young man, are wise beyond your years. Your grandmother must be so proud.”

Tyler beamed as he paid the remaining balance. He carefully packed the fruits into the bag and rushed back to the car, eager to surprise his grandmother.

As he settled into his seat, his father asked, “So, what exactly happened in there?”

Tyler smirked. “Just a little riddle magic, Dad.”

And with that, he clutched the bag tightly, eager to see his grandmother’s delighted expression. The future was, indeed, something he couldn’t see—but he was determined to make it brighter for his dearest Meemaw.