The Key to the Secrets of Life

Sara, the eight-year-old girl in the story, overhears her parents discussing her younger brother. She learns that her brother is gravely ill and they lack the money for his treatment. Her father recently lost his job and cannot afford the expensive surgery. Sara hears her father quietly tell her mom that only a miracle can save their son. Distressed, Sara goes to her room and retrieves a piggy bank from under her bed. She breaks it, counts the coins, and finds she has just five dollars. She quietly leaves the house through the back door and walks a few blocks to the pharmacy. At the counter, she waits for the busy pharmacist to notice her, but he is too preoccupied to pay attention to an eight-year-old girl. Sara fidgets and coughs to catch his attention. When patience runs out, she pours the coins loudly onto the pharmacy counter. The pharmacist, startled, asks her what she wants. Sara replies, ‘My brother is very sick, and I want to buy a miracle.’ Confused, the pharmacist asks again, ‘Excuse me?’