"Nothing is Ever Free"

"Nothing is Ever Free"
When I was six and my brother was five, our Mom allowed us to walk to the corner store to buy some candy. As we approached the front of the store I witnessed a man taking Coke bottles out of the outdoor refrigerated case, and he put them in his car and drove away. I looked at my brother and said, "Cokes are free today!" We loaded up as many as we could carry and headed for home. When I told Mom about the free Cokes, she marched us back to the store and made us return the drinks and tell the clerk we were sorry. Mom explained that the customer had paid for the drinks first inside the store, and then came outside to get his purchases and leave. And then she said those words that have been seared into my brain ever since: "Nothing is ever free."