Young Girl Shelters Old Man with Nowhere to Go on Rainy Evening, Months Later They Become a Family — Story of the Day

When Vivian decided to aid a helpless old man in the middle of the night, she was testing the universe. Soon, the answer became crystal clear.

"Note to self: When your grandmother says something, go do it. When she asks you to oil your hair, oil your hair. When she asks you to stay the night, stay the night. When she tells you to break up with the guy, don't try to justify your choice. Save yourself the heartache and just break up with the guy.

"And most importantly, when your grandmother asks you to carry an umbrella, don't be a fool double-checking the weather forecast. Carry an umbrella."

Vivian stopped the audio recording on her phone. This was the fourth spontaneous voice note she had recorded in the past hour.

'Nothing gets your creativity going like being stranded alone on a dark road and the rain threatening to crash through the roof of your broken down car.'

She had been staring at the wipers squeaking from side to side.

'I should have just stayed back with Grandma today,' she thought.

Thank goodness she didn't.

Because a few minutes later, she would meet the man who would make her heart skip a beat.

"You okay in there?" A car had pulled up next to hers, and a man was speaking through a rolled-down window. Vivian was surprised that someone would stop in the middle of torrential rains to check on a complete stranger.

"Not really, no. The car won't start. And I have a long way to go."

The man thought for a second and said, "Are you heading uptown?"

"Yeah, Weldon Street."

The man took a second to think.

'Ah, I know how this goes. He's working up a plan in his mind. He's going to offer to drop me. A very chatty ride will follow, where he'll tell me everything I did not need to know about his life. And then he'll want to come upstairs for a coffee.'

"Oh, man. Sorry, I had to look up Weldon Street. It's far out of my way. I would offer to drop you, but I've got to get home in an hour."

Vivian was shocked at how wrong she was. 'This is certainly not my day,' she thought.

"But wait. Maybe I can take a look at the car."

He got out without hesitation like it was the middle of a sunny day.

Vivian started to unlock the door and get out of the car, but the kind stranger stopped her.

"No, no, you stay inside. I'll call you if I need you."

Saying this, he smiled. And that's when Vivian really saw him. The warmth and charm in his smile took her by surprise.

This was new.

It took him less than 15 minutes of prying into the car's hood before he asked her to try starting the car. His face was straight, his eyes squinted and focused, and he stood with his hands on the hips, looking at the headlights in anticipation.

Vivian wanted the car to start just to see him smile again.

It worked! The man let out an excited clap. His victory smile was even more beautiful.

"Thank you so much! You've been incredibly kind. The kind of kind that made me suspicious."

Vivian tried to offer her money for his help. He acknowledged her thanks but politely refused to take the money.

"Pay it forward. It'll come back to me some way."

The man forgot he was standing in the rain while he told her his philosophy.

"If I did something good for you, it's not on you to pay me back. You just make sure to pass this kindness forward, and the universe will find a way to 'pay me back' in some form."

"That's fascinating. You know what? We should definitely meet under dryer circumstances," Vivian said.

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Give me your number. I'll call you soon."

He got her number. She got his name.

The unexpected rendezvous between them ended on that note of possibility.

It had been a week, and she still hadn't heard from Martin.

'He probably didn't like me. Maybe it IS true. Men don't like funny women.'

There was nothing she could do about the 'funny' part. Being a comedian wasn't her childhood dream, but it fit her like a glove. And she hadn't looked back since the day she unwillingly got on stage to do her first open mic set.

"Ah, well, Grandma. You were right. I should've just stayed back that night!" Vivian told her grandmother over the phone.

Vivian got caught up in work, doing gig after gig. By the end of the week, she couldn't wait to rest her head on her grandmother's lap and fall asleep.

The weekend flew by. On Vivian's way home, it was another rainy night, with the streetlights still broken. But this time, her car ran smoothly, and there was an umbrella in the backseat.

As she drove along the road, she saw the blurry image of a man sitting alone on the sidewalk a few feet ahead of her.

He appeared to be holding nothing but a bunch of papers over his head to shield himself from the rain. 'He looks old. And he's probably lost.'

She almost drove past the man, giving in to her general hesitation towards strangers. But then, she remembered Martin's words.

'Pay it forward, he had said. Let's see if that really works.'

The kindness you give always comes back to bless your life in some form.

She pulled over in front of the old man, rolled down the window, and asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

The old man tried to get up from the sidewalk but couldn't lift himself beyond a few inches.

"Here, let me help."

Vivian took the umbrella and got out of the car. "Do you have someplace to go?" Vivian asked after noticing that the man had no belongings with him.

The old man chuckled out loud and immediately grabbed his back in pain. "I'm not homeless. I've just had my appendix removed."

The man went on to explain that he had been operated on earlier that day. His son was away for work, but he promised he would make it the following day by the time of discharge and drive him home.

"But the hospital discharged me earlier than expected. And being the foggy-headed oldie I am, I realized I had forgotten my phone at home."

The old man then thought of taking the bus home.

"But with the kind of day I was having, I realized midway through that I was on the wrong bus altogether."

"So I got down at the next stop, which was here. And then, of course, it had to rain. My files are drenched, so I can't show you I'm telling the truth."

Vivian placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "That's okay. I believe you. Nobody can lie that well about a bad day!"

"Come on, let's get you out of here. Do you remember your son's phone number or your home address?"

The old man didn't remember either.

"I'm sorry I'm being such a burden to you. You are only a stranger trying to help," the old man cried at his inability to help himself.

Vivian took a moment to devise a plan, and she decided to shelter the old man at her house for the night.

It was a long ride that began with a light-hearted conversation, but soon, the man was exhausted and fell asleep.

Vivian helped the man feel at home in her guest bedroom, ensured he had everything he needed by his bedside, and called it a night.

Before she fell asleep, she thought of Martin. 'He would be flattered to know that I followed his advice. And then he would have flaunted that smile of his!'

She had to get an early start the following morning. She drove her new older friend back to the hospital according to plan. With no way to contact the man's son, that was the only way to reunite them.

While waiting in the reception area, she learned a lot about the old man's son. He was the owner of multiple car dealerships in the neighboring city.

"If only he understood women as well as he understood cars…."

The old man suddenly locked eyes with someone at a distance. "Speak of the devil!"

As the son approached, Vivian couldn't take his eyes off the young man. Neither could he take his eyes off her.

"Martin?" Vivian was too excited to notice the cooing in her voice.

"Vivian! How come you're here?"

Vivian told him the whole story, with Martin's father interrupting to emphasize how kind it was of her.

Martin couldn't help but smile at how beautifully the universe had reconnected them. Vivian felt it, too. Usually, she would shrug off theories that bet on the kindness of humanity. But this time, the evidence was too compelling.

"I thought I would never see you again. I lost the little piece of paper I wrote your number on. For the next few days, I kept driving by the same spot, just in case you were passing by the same route again."

"Ah! So THIS is the funny girl with the beautiful smile!"

Looking at the two awkward young people trying not to blush, Martin's father made a wish in his heart.

Over the next few months, there were many dates, spontaneous beach trips, and visits to Vivian's gigs.

Her grandmother would often taunt her, "You guys, get married already!"

Vivian didn't want to hope too hard. 'Maybe this is as amazing as life can get. And that's enough for me.'

Vivian and Martin made some incredible memories together. They also stayed on each other's side when Martin lost one of his biggest business deals and Vivian was dropped from a tour that would have made her career.

Her material improved, and she loved having her grandmother, Martin, and his father laughing in the front row.

In one of many such shows, Vivian's act was interrupted by Martin, who got on stage. He got down on one knee, pulled out a small velvet box, and asked the love of his life to marry him.

"I will, but I will kill you first for embarrassing me like this!" Vivian blushed awkwardly.

As Martin and Vivian exchanged their vows in a beautiful ceremony a week later, Martin's father closed his eyes and thanked the universe.

What can we learn from this story?

• Love will always find a way. After Martin lost Vivian's number and tried to see her again in vain, they had given up hope of running into each other. However, love reconnected them most unexpectedly.
• The kindness you give always comes back to bless your life in some form. Just as Martin said and Vivian later realized, it is best to pay kindness forward without worrying about getting something in return.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a girl whose act of kindness towards a lady at a grocery store brings her just the blessing she needs.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.