logo
An urban bus. | Source: Pexels
An urban bus. | Source: Pexels

Poor Man Gives Bus Ticket To Mom With 3 Kids, Finds Dozens of Boxes on His Doorstep Next Day — Story of the Day

Sonali Bharadwaj
Oct 01, 2022
01:20 P.M.

Richard buys a bus ticket for a desperate mother of three and finds dozens of boxes from her on his doorstep the next day. He has no idea her gift will land him in trouble until his daughter opens one of the boxes.

Advertisement

It was a bright, sunny morning. Richard was engrossed in the song playing on his headphones while he mopped the bus station floors. For the last 10 years, the bus station had been his world.

Suddenly, a voice distracted him. "Excuse me," it said.

Richard turned around to see a woman, probably 35 years old. She looked frail, and from her red, puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Richard could sense she was crying not long ago. She held a baby in her arms, and two older children stood beside her.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

"Can I help you with something?" Richard worriedly asked as he removed his headphones.

"I-I need to get to New York. Can you please help me buy a ticket?" she asked tremblingly.

Advertisement

"Is everything OK? You look tense," he said.

The woman hesitated. "I-I want to escape my husband. I shouldn't be telling you this, but he's… not a good man. I've not been able to reach him for days, and the things he's said and done… scare me. I just want to go to my sister who lives in New York. I lost my wallet. Please help us."

Noticing her plight, Richard couldn't refuse her, although he knew he'd have to let go of the last money he had. He went to the counter and bought the ticket.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart," she sniffled as he handed her the ticket.

"Please take care of your children," he said.

Advertisement

"Can you give me your address?" she asked.

"Why would you need that?"

"I want to repay you. Please," she said.

Richard relented, and soon, the bus the woman and her children boarded disappeared down the road.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Richard finished his shift and went home to his daughter, Amanda. She was all he had after his wife walked out on them. Richard was devastated by his wife's decision, but he had pulled himself together for his daughter's sake.

By the age of 10, Amanda had taken on responsibilities far beyond her years. After school, she would tie her hair up in a ponytail and dive into household chores, even helping Richard cook.

Advertisement

In their tiny kitchen, they danced together and tried new recipes. Then, they settled onto the couch by the evening, sharing the tales of their days. That evening was no different. But the next morning was.

Richard was startled awake by Amanda's voice. "Dad! Wake up!" she exclaimed, shaking his shoulders gently.

He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. "What is it, sweetie?"

"There's something odd outside! Come with me!" she insisted, pulling him out of the bed.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Richard stepped out into the yard to see a dozen boxes. He assumed it was someone's shipment gone astray, but then he noticed the envelope atop one of the boxes. It had a letter. He ignored that Amanda had already started opening the boxes as he began reading.

Advertisement

"Hi! It's me, the woman you helped yesterday. I wanted to express my gratitude for your kindness. These boxes hold the possessions I wanted to bring to New York, but I decided to leave them to you so you could sell them and make some good money. All the best."

Richard was still processing the letter when the sound of shattering porcelain distracted him. He spun around to see Amanda had dropped a vase on the ground. For a moment, he was annoyed at her recklessness. She had broken the woman's vase!

But then he noticed the sparking object among the porcelain shards. He picked it up. Richard had read somewhere that diamond didn't fog when you breathed on it. He was shocked to realize the shiny stone was a REAL diamond.

"Oh god! We're rich!" he exclaimed joyfully, his eyes fixed on the shining gem.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

Advertisement

"We need to return it, Dad!" Amanda skimmed the shipping documents and found the sender's address. "It's not ours!"

"Think about the bright future, Amanda! We could send you to a good school!"

"No, Dad! What if we are taking away someone's last hopes?"

Richard insisted on keeping the diamond, but Amanda talked him into returning it. Richard told her he would, but he had something else on his mind. On the pretext of returning the diamond, he visited an antique shop.

"How can I help you, sir?" the proprietor, Mr. Lambert, asked as Richard approached the counter.

"I wanted to get something appraised," he replied and placed the diamond on the counter.

Mr. Lambert adjusted the focus of his loupe. "This is a magnificent piece," he said, examining the stone. "The clarity, the cut…it's an exception. I'd estimate its value to be at least $100,000. If I may ask, where did you get it?"

Richard's eyes widened at the estimate, but he quickly composed himself. "Uh, it was… an inheritance," he said. "So…can you buy it?"

Advertisement

"I think I'll need to consult a colleague. Can you wait a moment?" Mr. Lambert asked. Richard nodded, and Mr. Lambert stepped away for a call.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

"Good news!" he exclaimed as he returned. "We can proceed with the purchase! Can I take a look?" He extended his hand so that Richard could hand him the diamond. But there was a moment of negligence, and the diamond landed on the floor. Mr. Lambert quickly bent down and picked it up.

"Don't worry. It's one of the strongest substances on Earth. It's definitely not harmed!" he said, taking a look, and returned the diamond to Richard. "I can offer you $10,000!" he said.

"Wait, but you just told me it's worth ten times that!" Richard argued.

Advertisement

Mr. Lambert explained that he could only offer Richard a fraction of the market value because Richard didn't have any documents proving the diamond's origin. Richard asked Mr. Lambert if there was a way they could work it out, but Mr. Lambert was adamant he would offer at most $10,000.

Richard decided he didn't want the money and drove home with the diamond. But he had a plan. Richard decided to move to another town, make fake documents for the diamond's origin, and sell it for its full market value. He would need to persuade Amanda, but he'd manage.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

As he arrived home, Richard sensed an eerie silence. "Amanda?" he called out, but there was no response. Usually, Amanda would come running at one call.

Advertisement

Richard sensed something was off. He searched the whole house, but there was no sign of Amanda. He began panicking, wondering where his daughter was, when he noticed a note on the kitchen countertop.

"You have my gem! If you want your daughter to be alive, bring it to the address mentioned below. If you call the cops, you won't see your daughter again!"

Richard's heart sank, and his hands shook. Then his mind raced to the woman he'd met at the bus stop. "My husband isn't a good man…" Her words kept ringing in his ears. He raced to the kitchen drawer and pulled out the shipping documents. The address mentioned by the kidnapper matched the shipping address.

A chill ran down Richard's spine. He had no time to lose or doubt if the woman was an accomplice in her husband's nasty schemes. He drove to the address and found himself in front of an old two-story structure.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Advertisement

Richard's heart throbbed in his chest as he approached the entrance. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door, which swung open. A man in a dark overcoat appeared in the doorway, aiming his gun at Richard's temple. He was probably 40 and bore a scar on his left cheek.

"You...Richard?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Yes, I am. Where's my daughter?"

"Did you bring what I asked for?" the man asked.

"Yes, I did. Where's Amanda? I need to see her!"

"All in good time!" grinned the man as he leaned closer to Richard while still aiming the gun at him. "First, the diamond."

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Advertisement

Richard pulled it out from his pocket and raised it in the air. The kidnapper asked him to place it on the table. Richard entered the house, the gun aimed at his back, and did as instructed.

While still aiming the gun at him, the man picked up the diamond and examined it. It wasn't long before his face contorted with fury. "This is glass! Where's the real diamond?"

Richard was shocked. Then, he recalled the moment when Mr. Lambert had dropped the diamond. Could he have switched the gem?

"You either bring me $10,000 in a few days, or you'll never hear your daughter's voice again!" The kidnapper warned him.

Richard had no time to lose and quickly drove to the antique shop.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Advertisement

"Oh, Mr. Richard! Back so soon?" Mr. Lambert smiled.

"I'm ready to sell the diamond for $10,000. I changed my mind!" he said, but Mr. Lambert refused.

"How about $7,000?" Richard further proposed.

"I'm sorry, but the diamond no longer interests me!" said Mr. Lambert.

Richard realized Mr. Lambert had indeed switched the diamonds. A strange fury gripped him. He landed a strong punch on the expert's head, causing him to stumble. Then he grabbed a cord from a nearby table and tied the man.

"WHERE IS THE DIAMOND?" he asked angrily. "My daughter's life is on the line, and you're playing games? Trust me, I will kill you if you don't answer!" He raised his fist, and finally, the expert spilled the truth.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

Advertisement

The expert revealed he and the kidnapper were in it together. They were planning on extorting $100,000 from Richard for Amanda's release. And then it dawned on Richard that the "colleague" the expert had contacted was none other than the kidnapper.

"He lifted the diamond from a billionaire's mansion! Every cop has been looking for it!"

Richard struck the expert on the head, rendering him unconscious, and snapped a photo of him. Wasting no time, he called the cops and left a note near the bound expert. Richard then drove back to the kidnapper.

As the door of the old house swung open, he approached the kidnapper. "I went to the antique shop, but guess what? Your buddy spilled quite a few beans! I know you plotted the kidnapping together.

"And well, turns out you've been played as much as me. He has the real diamond in a safe at the shop. I tried to get the combination from him, but things got heated, and he's no more."

Richard then showed him the expert's photo to ensure the man bought his story.

The kidnapper lost his cool. "That prick!" he yelled.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Advertisement

In a rage, the kidnapper stormed out of the house and sped off to the antique shop. Richard took advantage of the situation, found his daughter, and freed her.

"Dad…I heard the confrontation. Did you really…k-kill someone?" she asked, the tape across her mouth removed.

"No, honey. It was a ruse, a bluff. I had to make him believe it so he'd act recklessly," Richard said with a smile, trying to comfort her. "But, knowing him, I'd wager he's about to walk right into a trap. When I called the police earlier, I alerted them to the expert's involvement, and they were headed to the antique shop."

Amanda's eyes widened with realization. "So, he's going to be arrested?"

"Yes, and you are safe," Richard said, recalling the note he had left for the cops.

"In an hour, the man who stole the diamond you're looking for will be here," it read.

And Richard's plan worked. The kidnapper and expert were arrested. But there was a strange fear in his heart because he knew he would get in trouble with the law for not going to the cops immediately when he found the diamond. But at least he saved his daughter.

Advertisement
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

If you enjoyed this story, then you might like this one about a boy who finds a box hidden inside the sofa he inherited from his granny. The letters and legal papers inside force him to make a life-altering choice.

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.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Husband Lays on Couch All Day Ignoring Wife’s Pleas for Help until Ambulance Takes Her Away — Story of the Day

March 18, 2024

'Emily's Been Keeping a Big Lie from You All This Time': Mother-in-Law Reveals a Secret Under Anesthesia

February 12, 2024

Waitress Notices Napkin Scribbled with the Words "HELP ME" on Restaurant Floor — Story of the Day

February 12, 2024

Wife Wakes Up from Coma and Surprisingly Points Finger at Her Caring Husband: "It was him" – Story of the Day

December 07, 2023

After Husband Dumps 8-Months-Pregnant Wife, Neighbors Take Turns Coming to Her House – Story of the Day

March 11, 2024

Waitress Finds Napkin Scribbled with the Words "HELP ME" on Restaurant Floor — Story of the Day

January 09, 2024

Boy Finds Old Tube in Late Grandma's Attic, History Teacher Opens It and Gasps – Story of the Day

March 08, 2024

Woman is Speaking to Her Boss on a Video Call When Her Angry Husband Bursts in – Story of the Day

March 25, 2024

Children Refuse to Support Old Dad, Learn He Died Trying to Earn at Least a Penny – Story of the Day

February 16, 2024

Lady Informs Fiancé's Family She Is Pregnant, 'He's Infertile!' His Mom Says – Story of the Day

February 11, 2024

Am I Wrong for Testing My Mother-in-Law on Christmas?

December 15, 2023

My SIL Is on Her 31st Week of Pregnancy, but I Saw Her with Absolutely Flat Belly & Decided to Follow Her

February 08, 2024

I Was Trapped in a Marriage With a Monster Until One Day I Got a Chance to Escape – Story of the Day

December 29, 2023

Man Mocks and Dumps Loyal Wife for Another Woman, Life Dumps Him Later

March 07, 2024