‘You Old Bat!’ Office Clerks Mock Poor Janitor, Not Knowing She’d Be Their Boss the Next Day — Story of the Day

When 73-year-old janitor Elizabeth requests the staff to leave their offices so she can mop and sweep, they insult her, knowing little they were in for a huge shock the next day.

Elizabeth, 73, marched out of the cemetery, tears streaming down her face. She'd gone to visit her late son Jerry's grave. Elizabeth visited the graveyard daily and spent some time near Jerry's grave, recalling their good old days.

"Jerry, darling, I am sorry...mama is a bit late today," she cried over his tombstone. "I hope you love the sweet scent of your favorite white flowers I picked from our backyard."

Jerry died 20 years ago in a motorcycle crash. With him, Elizabeth's joy and future were nailed to his coffin. She could never be herself after his loss and ended up working as a janitor in a private company just to make ends meet...

Elizabeth wiped her tears away as the scent of flowers lingering in her hands reminded her of her son. "I'll come again tomorrow. Bye, sweetheart!" she said and walked away as fast as she could because she was late for work.

"Hey, Mrs. Joel! Good morning!" the security guard outside the office greeted her.

"Good day, Simon. I'm almost late. Is the boss visiting today?"

The company's boss, Mr. Jefferson, was heading many branches in different cities and states. Everyone was told he would be arriving to inspect the particular unit where Elizabeth worked.

"Yes, Mrs. Joel. But the boss hasn't come yet. Please start your work early coz I'm sure the ones working in the early morning shift would've messed their offices up by now."

Elizabeth quickly changed into her work uniform and went to clean the office rooms. She heard people laughing inside and saw that some clerks were still occupying the rooms she had to clean next.

Do not mock someone over their job. Their area of specialization might be your weakness.

She waited outside the glass door of one office, hoping they would see her and know it was time to clean up. But even after ten minutes, the guys inside wouldn't leave.

Elizabeth had a lot of work to do, so she lost her patience and knocked on the door. She politely said: "Sir??"

The guys turned around, and one of them yelled at poor Elizabeth.

"WHAT??"

"Sir, it's getting late. I have to clean this office."

"Come back after five minutes! We're not done yet!"

Disappointed, Elizabeth sighed heavily and walked away with the bucket and mop to clean another office. She swept the floor and disposed of the garbage there, then she returned to the first office again.

The guys were still chatting there. Wrappers and food packets were lying around, and it looked like they had celebrated a colleague's birthday.

Elizabeth knocked again. "Sir, can I clean this office now?"

The guys were busy laughing and turned a deaf ear to Elizabeth.

"Sir?? Can I start cleaning now?" she spoke loud enough for them to hear and turn around.

"YOU OLD BAT!" one of the clerks shouted. "Are you blind or something, lady? Don't you see?? We're discussing something important here! Come back five minutes later!"

"Yeah, go do your work instead of disturbing us, old lady. Get out!" another clerk added. "Look at her, man. Who hired her? She's so annoying. We have to get her fired."

Suddenly, silence filled the air as other staff flocked around Elizabeth. The clerks turned pale with shock. Their boss, Mr. Jefferson, was standing right behind the poor janitor.

Elizabeth turned around to leave in tears. Though she didn't immediately recognize her boss, Mr. Jefferson quickly recognized her as his late best friend Jerry's mother.

"Mrs. Joel!! What are you doing here?" he cried and everyone else gasped in shock. "Mrs. Joel, it's me... Jeffery, Jerry's best friend from school and college. How are you?? It's a pleasure meeting you. What are you doing here in my office?"

"Oh, Jeffery, my boy! How are you, son?" Elizabeth cried in Mr. Jefferson's arms.

"It's been so many years since I last saw you at my son's funeral. I quit my job and retired early because I could no longer focus on my work after my son's death. I did my best to save Jerry's life after the accident. And I was emotionally destroyed after he died. I had no purpose in life."

As it turned out, Elizabeth was a well-experienced accountant years ago. She was a widower who had dedicated her heart and soul to raising her only son. The motorcycle crash led Jerry to undergo urgent surgery due to a blood clot in his brain. She spent all her savings to save his life, but fate had other plans.

"Years passed in distress. I am glad the pension still helps, but I could not stay idle. I was looking for a job, but nobody was ready to hire me. They said I was too old, and then I landed a job here as a cleaner last year," Elizabeth said.

Mr. Jefferson hugged Elizabeth and wiped her tears away before turning back to his employees.

"You have no idea who she is. How dare you mock my best friend's mom? She's a great mother, and I still wish I had a mom like Mrs. Joel," Mr. Jefferson began.

"You don't know what she's been through. You are not worthy of even a small nail on her little finger. Learn to respect your elders and honor their sacrifice."

An eerie silence filled the office. The clerks who teased Elizabeth knew they were in deep trouble.

"Mrs. Joel, please come with me. We need to discuss something really important!"

Those who insulted Elizabeth were in for a big surprise when they returned to the office the next day.

"Good morning, everyone! Meet your new CHIEF ACCOUNTANT, Mrs. Joel!" Mr. Jefferson formally introduced Elizabeth to everyone. Those who teased her and looked down on her the previous day hung their heads in shame. They had no choice but to apologize to her and treat her with dignity and respect from then onward.

Mr. Jefferson helped Elizabeth move into a comfortable house in his neighborhood. He cared for her like her son and never made her feel lonely or orphaned again.

What can we learn from this story?

• A mother is a selfless and loving person who will sacrifice anything for her children. Elizabeth quit her job and spent all her savings to save her son. She did not think about herself and fought hard to save her son's life.
• Do not mock someone over their job. Their area of specialization might be your weakness. The clerks ridiculed Elizabeth when she asked them to leave so that she could clean their office. They knew little she would be their boss the next day.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

A man kicks out his birthday guests who insult an old housekeeper, unaware he would disappear from the city with her the next day. 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.