Lady Buys Week’s Worth of Groceries for Disabled Old Man in Park, Inherits His Mansion Later — Story of the Day

A single mother's life takes an unexpected turn when she helps a disabled older man in the park. She risks her breadwinning job for the stranger without foreseeing what he will bring to her doorstep shortly.

"Sorry, I'm late! I had to clean up after a patient vacated his room. Did Shaun wake up?" Samantha opened the door, greeting her mother, Dorothy. She returned home that morning after finishing her night shift at the local nursing home.

"Do you have to do this, darling? Look at you...you look so tired, but you barely rest. You keep running all day for us." Dorothy was disappointed.

After Samantha lost her husband Josh in a fire accident, her life toppled. She was drowning in his debts and had to take up a second job to provide for the family and keep the roof over their heads. Samantha waitressed part-time during the day and worked full-time as a caretaker in a nursing home.

With her earnings, she sent her eight-year-old son Shaun to school, bought medicines for her mom, and settled her debts while setting aside a meager amount to make ends meet. But still, nothing seemed enough, and her struggles as a single mother kept piling up...

"Shall we go?" Samantha asked her son. "Be a good boy...no fighting...I'll pick you up from the stop at three sharp... Don't go anywhere if I'm a bit late. I promise to be there on time, alright?"

Despite all that exhaustion, Samantha usually arrived home on time every morning to take her son to the bus stop and see him take off on his school bus.

Shaun hugged his mother with tears brimming in his eyes. He knew how tired she was and how badly she needed to rest. It pricked him to know his mother had to give up so much of her time to support the family.

No act of kindness is big or small. It takes a big heart to be kind.

Samantha kissed her son goodbye and helped him get into the school bus. "Gosh, it's getting late!" she mumbled and hurried back home to get ready for her day job at an elite restaurant. Samantha waitressed there.

She was running late, so she took a shortcut through a park.

Samantha ran as fast as her legs could carry her. "I must get to work fast, or my boss will ruin my day. He said there was a special booking for breakfast and inspection today. I must hurry."

As Samantha bolted across the park, she saw a disabled older man named Francis in a wheelchair enjoying the morning air and sunshine. She ran past him and then heard the man's faint voice calling out to her.

"Lady...Hey, lady...You dropped your purse."

Samantha slid her hand into her hoodie's pockets and found her purse wasn't there.

"Lady, it's here...near my wheelchair...look down!"

Samantha walked toward the older man and saw her purse near his wheelchair.

"Oh, thank you so much!" she exclaimed.

The man was holding an empty water bottle, and Samantha saw a piece of paper that had fallen near his wheelchair. She picked it up. It was a grocery list.

"Is this yours?"

"Oh, yes! Thank you, miss. I think it must have fallen from my coat," Francis said.

She observed him and guessed he could be hungry. She saw the time on her watch and knew she was already late for work, but she decided to thank the kind older man and ran to the nearest supermarket.

Moments later, she returned to the spot Francis was sitting and handed him a bag of a week's worth of groceries. He was stunned and sat speechless for a few seconds before he began to talk.

"What is this? Why did you buy me groceries, miss?" Francis exclaimed.

Samantha sat back on the bench near him and exhaled deeply. "My mother always told me to return the favor when someone is kind. I just did that!"

The last time Francis remembered tearing up was when he mourned over his dead wife's coffin. After that, he never found a reason to cry. But at that moment, tears rose in his eyes, and he couldn't hold them back.

"What is your name? And where is your house?"

"My name is Samantha, and I live with my son and mother in a little house at the end of this street!"

"Oh, I see! Glad to meet you, Samantha. And thanks for this. I'll never forget your help!"

Just as Samantha laughed and got up to leave, she got a phone call from her boss.

"G-Good morning, s-sir. I'm on my way."

"Miss Samantha, it's okay. You don't have to take so much trouble. You're FIRED for being late again." The boss hung up on Samantha, ruining not just her day but a part of her breadwinning job.

"What happened, Samantha? Is everything alright?" Francis inquired.

"My boss fired me. What do I do now? Finding another job is not that easy. I must go home now. I need to figure it out. It was nice meeting you, sir. Goodbye!"

Samantha cried her way home, cursing her fate. But she knew little about how her life was set to change a week later when Francis unexpectedly showed up at her doorstep.

"Oh, hello, sir! Please come in!" Samantha was startled when she found Francis at her doorstep in his wheelchair. He was dressed in an expensive suit and looked nothing like how she had seen him at the park the other day.

She nervously watched Francis push his wheelchair inside the living room. He stopped and invited Samantha to join him for a small discussion—one that would go on to change her life completely.

Francis took out a folder and a cell phone. He called someone over to Samantha's house. Minutes later, a lawyer arrived to join the discussion.

"Samantha, meet Alex, my lawyer," Francis began. Samantha shyly smiled and nodded.

"Hello!" she said.

"My wife and I never had any children. We worked hard to build our fortune, and we were too old when we wanted to have a family."

Samantha started to bite her lips in anxiety. She was puzzled.

Francis continued: "After she died ten years ago, I continued to establish and grow my business. I was successful. But I always wondered—who would take up after me? I have no friends or family. Then who will be my heir? I found the answer in the park last week!"

Samantha gasped and puffed heavily as her tears sprang to her eyes.

"Alex, please read my will to Samantha and get her signature!"

It turned out that Francis had long wanted to move into a nursing home but was worried about the fate of his fortune. After meeting Samantha and witnessing her kindness, he decided to bequeath his estate to her.

"Sir, what I did is just a small gesture of kindness. But I feel giving away your house and money to me is too much. Please, I cannot accept this."

"Dear, you are like my daughter, and please understand...no act of kindness is big or small. It takes a big heart to be kind. If you regard me as your father, please accept it. I'll be happy and live the rest of my life peacefully."

Although Samantha was reluctant, Francis convinced her to agree and sign the papers. Soon, Francis' big mansion and his bank balance were bequeathed to Samantha in recognition of her kindness.

What can we learn from the story?

• No act of kindness is ever wasted, no matter how small or big. Samantha bought Francis a week's worth of groceries after he called her attention to her fallen purse at the park. Touched by her compassion, Francis bequeathed his estate to her.
• Everybody deserves kindness and love. Francis and Samantha were two different souls who proved kindness begets only kindness. Ultimately, their compassion and loyalty fetched them each a reward. While Samantha inherited Francis' estate, Francis found peace after finding a deserving heir to his fortune.

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A waitress offers free food to a hungry beggar and his dog. One day, he leaves a note and disappears, only to startle her in an expensive suit weeks later. Click here to read the full story.

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.