Just one thing

I know, I already started one story back there someplace.... and I will get back to it again at some point but I'm in the mood to put down another idea I have now, tonight, for another story. So, that other goes on the back burner for a while. I already had an idea of what to do with it but lack the ambition for it at this point. Other ideas.
So, the idea this time was something like you see in that commercial about everyone going around doing something nice for one another, some insurance ad I think it is. Only this focuses in a bit more, and in my style not theirs.

Simple things...one good deed. My mom never told me if I did one good thing for someone every day I'd feel good about myself. She probably never thought about it, even when someone did something nice for her.  
Do you do nice things for people everyday? I mean, not just the person you're in love with, or your child who you love with all your heart and are supposed to take care of. But, the average person, whom you probably don't even know.  The old lady carrying groceries and trying to load them into her car all by herself. Would you stop and help her? Would you even notice her? 


Jake was walking down the street in his neighborhood, he had just gotten off the city bus, coming home from his friend's house. Headed home for dinner.  Walking down the sidewalk backpack slung over his left shoulder just whistling and watching his shadow as he walked. Wondering what was for dinner...
Next door to his place was a house where a single mom lived with her 5 year old son Alex. Jake didn't know them well. He had waved at Alex a time or two but the mother kept to herself a lot, didn't seem real friendly.  Jake approached their place now, his house just past it.  Alex sat on the front porch alone. It was nearing dark so it seemed odd to Jake that he would be outside by himself.  For a minute or so Jake kept walking, he looked at Alex, sitting there silently. Alex didn't even look up at him as he walked by. Was just staring at his dirty white sneakers and poking the cement of the front porch step with a small stick.  Jake was almost past their place to his when he decided to stop. 
"Hey Alex?"  he called over to the boy. 
"Where's your ma?"
As Jake looked and waited, Alex barely looked up at him but said nothing in response to the question.
His silence bothered Jake. Alex was usually an upbeat kid, and not usually quiet like this.  He began to wonder if something was wrong.  Jake stood there a moment longer and decided what to do.
"Alex?" he said as he turned and walked up the path to his neighbor's front steps. 
"What's going on buddy?" he said, "Where's your mom at?"
Alex looked up at him again and then stood up as he approached him now. Still didn't say anything.  All of the sudden Alex wrapped his arms around Jake and hugged him tightly.  Jake put his arm on Alex's back and asked him again what was wrong.  Jake hugged him a moment longer and then stopped and looked down at him.
Alex pointed at the house, "inside", was all he said.
Jake walked up to the front door and went inside, leaving Alex on the porch alone for a minute.   That was all it took, just a minute.  Inside he found Alex's mom laying face down on the floor. He called 911 and came back outside to Alex to wait for help. 
A short time later the police, and medical response had come and taken Alex's mother to the hospital and the police officers were ready to take Alex to someplace safe while his mother recovered from her heart attack. 
The officers told Jake it was a good thing he had stopped to help, the woman might not have survived if she didn't get help soon.  
Jake wondered how many people had walked by Alex sitting on that porch that evening and had not even noticed him sitting there alone, or saw him and had not even thought about it as they went by.