Mphy

do, she decided. Each morning, she took the five-speed bike and made the trek to the university, a distance of approximately fifteen miles. The road was hilly and sometimes treacherous with snow covered tracks, but Eileen was too stubborn to give up. On occasion she would ‘wipe out’ going down the hills and it was always dark before she would reach home. Sometimes her hands and feet were numb from the cold, but she wouldn’t quit.

When Alphy and Margurita learned about Eileen’s daily trek to the university on her bicycle, they became very concerned and worried. They soon came up with a plan to help.

The couple had saved a modest amount of money for their burial, but now they decided that the money should be used to purchase a motor for Eileen’s van instead. At first, Eileen wouldn't hear of it, but both Alphy and Margurita insisted that they would have more peace of mind if she took the money to repair the van.

To lighten things up, Margurita expressed, “We are not planning to leave this world just yet, and there will be lots of time to save for our burial.”

Eileen finally accepted the money, with the arrangement that she would pay the money back in full. Years later, when she offered to repay her parents, Alphy and Margurita refused to accept the money, saying they already had received payment enough.

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