An elderly retiree meets a mother with her three children at a bus stop. He makes a surprising sacrifice and receives an unexpected reward for his kindness.
Donald was 79 years old, and on cold mornings, he felt every one of those years. That day, he had planned to go to a supermarket 30 km from his home to do his shopping.
It was a long distance, but the store had good prices, and Donald had a very small pension, so it was worth the trip.
That day, before leaving, he checked his pockets: wallet, house keys, bus money… Everything was OKAY.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
When he arrived at the bus stop, he saw a young woman standing there. She was carrying a baby in her arms and trying to get her two other children to behave. “Stop, Mike!” she shouted, rocking the baby. “Stop, Ricky!”
But the two children (about 4 and 3 years old) weren’t listening. “Come on, boys,” said Donald. “Take care of your mom!” Hearing this strange voice, the children stopped and stared straight into Donald’s eyes.
“Thank you,” said the woman. “My car broke down, and I have to take the baby to the doctor… But these two are definitely needed!”
The noblest hearts sacrifice themselves for others, even if they are strangers.
“Are you new to the neighborhood?” Donald asked.
The woman smiled. “Yes! My name is Ellen, and Mark is my husband. We live in the pink house…”
Donald smiled back. “It’s next door to mine! It’s good to have young people coming back to the neighborhood. Kids bring things to life!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Ellen sighed. “Right now, I’m exhausted! My boys are too restless! I had to rush out of the house this morning because of them.”
Donald chuckled, “I remember when my wife and I were new parents… We were tired all the time!”
“How many children do you have?” Ellen asked.
“Six,” Donald replied. “But they all live so far away…”
“SIX?” Ellen wondered. “That’s quite a handful; and a lot of expense!”
“Yes, but you learn to hunt for bargains. I always go to the same supermarket! You should try it. I get the best prices, and it allows me to make better use of my pension…”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“Thanks for the tip,” Ellen said. “Oh, look! It’s the bus!”
When the bus stopped, Ellen approached the driver. “Your ticket, please,” he said. Ellen nodded and opened her bag to look for her purse. Suddenly, she frowned because she couldn’t find it.
Ellen started to get nervous. “I can’t find my purse! Oh, no!”
“Look again,” Donald said kindly. “Sometimes, when you’re in a hurry…”
“He’s not here!” Ellen shouted. “What am I going to do? I have to be at the doctor’s in half an hour! Please, Donald, can you lend me some money to buy the bus ticket?”
Donald shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ellen, I don’t have any money. I shop with my food stamps this time of month…”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Ellen looked so discouraged that Donald said, “Take my bus ticket! Kids don’t pay, so this will get you into town!”
“But you, how are you going to do it?” asked Ellen anxiously.
“Don’t worry,” Donald told him. “I’ll do the shopping next week!”
Ellen accepted the token and boarded the bus, struggling to keep Mike and Ricky under control.
Donald watched them leave, then went home. He went into the kitchen and looked at his empty pantry. He had to make do with what little he had, but the sacrifice was worth it to help the exhausted young mother.
He opened his last can of soup and sat down to eat his meal while watching reruns of his favorite 80s show. Then he dozed off in front of the television.
Later, he woke up with a start when someone rang his doorbell. Who could it be? He NEVER had any visitors.
Donald stood up slowly and walked to the front door. He opened it and looked around.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
There was no one there! Then he looked down and saw several boxes lined up neatly on the doorstep—”What are these?” he exclaimed. Who could have left these boxes here, and what was inside?
Donald opened the first box: it was full of beautiful fruits and vegetables! The second box contained cakes, cookies, fresh bread, flour, sugar, milk, and eggs.
The next box contained sausages, hamburgers, and ham. The last box contained canned goods. Someone had gone shopping and provided him with enough supplies for a whole month!
Donald also noticed a note taped to the top of the first box. He opened it and read: “Dear Donald, thank you for your kindness to me and my children. Please accept this token of my gratitude.”
“Please come to lunch on Saturday, and you can try to make Mike and Ricky behave!”
Donald smiled as he read Ellen’s note. He had a feeling this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship!
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