Amusement Park Guard Gets Pay Raise after Buying Annual Passes for 3 Orphans – Story of the Day

Sometimes we take the power of doing good for granted and may even grow weary of doing good. For Peter, he came to learn the power of doing good after helping three poor orphans. What would follow would not only change Peter's living conditions, but his take on life.

Peter never thought this was where 62 years of life would take him. He always envisioned that at this point in life, he would hold a senior position in the police force and have a large family bustling with grandchildren.

However, that was not his reality. Peter was a small-time security guard at the local amusement park. He had never had any children of his own, so, in a strange way, his job allowed him the pleasure of watching over the children of others and permitted him to dare to dream and imagine what could've been.

And while Peter was disappointed at how things had turned out, he never let it get him down. He was lonely, but he was content with where he was and the life he had. It wasn't much to look at, but it was his, and he lived, loved, and embraced it accordingly.

One day, on his way back to work from his lunch break, he noticed three children playing with broken bottles and cans on the street. Concerned about their safety, Peter approached the children.

"Our parents are gone, sir. We are orphans,"

"Hi, there. My name is Peter," Peter said.

"Hi, Peter. I'm Sally, that's my brother, Tom, and my sister, Jane," said Sally.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you kids. What are you guys doing there?" Peter enquired, pointing to the bottles and cans.

"Oh, nothing. We just playing," said Sally.

"Oh, okay. It looks a bit dangerous, though. You could hurt yourselves, especially with those bottles," Peter remarked.

"This is all we could find in the trash bins to play with. Grandma can't afford to buy us toys. She says our imagination is the best toy we could ever have," said Jane.

"Well, I can't argue with that. And what do your parents say?" asked Peter.

"Our parents are gone, sir. We are orphans," said Tom dolefully.

"Oh, so sorry to hear that," Peter replied.

Peter was moved by the children's unfortunate circumstances. He took it upon himself to do something about it. So, the next day, he bought three annual amusement park passes for the children.

A pass went for about $450 each, and given the little money Peter earned, that was a large chunk of his pay. Moreover, Peter had to dip into his savings to pay for the passes. But for Peter, it would all be worth it once he saw the joy on the children's faces.

Later that day, Peter gave the children their passes, and needless to say, they were over the moon with joy. They thanked Peter for the passes and were extremely grateful.

Over the next couple of months, the children would often come to the park, and it would bring Peter great joy to know that they no longer had to play with garbage on the street. He was pleased to know they could enjoy themselves safely and freely and that they had hope for a happy childhood regardless of their unfortunate circumstances.

"Now, having said that, I have concerns about some recent activity at the park. A group of street children has been entering the park under your watch,"

One day, Peter's boss, Randel, saw the children playing in the amusement park, which didn't sit well with him. The children weren't as privileged as their usual customers, and Randel perceived them as street children who had somehow eluded security and accessed the park.

Concerned about security's incompetence, Randel called Peter into his office.

"Peter, you have been with us for a while now, and I could always count on you to keep the order here at the park," said Randel.

"Yes, sir," replied Peter nervously.

"Now, having said that, I have concerns about some recent activity at the park. A group of street children has been entering the park under your watch," Randel stated.

"Street kids, sir?" asked Peter, perplexed.

"Yes, street kids. Particularly three of them. Around the age of ten. I have no idea if they are even paying for the rides," said Randel.

It then dawned on Peter that he was talking about Sally, Tom, and Jane.

"Peter, if you can't do your job, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to get someone who can. You understand, Peter?!" Randel continued, becoming slightly agitated.

"Sorry, sir, if I may. I believe there's a bit of a misunderstanding here. Those aren't street children. But they are orphans. I bought them annual passes, fully paid for from my own pocket. I was just trying to help; these kids have had it rough, you know?! Saw them playing with garbage outside, thought I'd help," said Peter.

"Orphans, you say?" asked Randel.

"Yes, sir," responded Peter.

"It's an admirable thing that you're doing for these children, Peter," Randel said, beginning to tear up, to Peter's surprise.

"Please excuse the waterworks. It's just that... Peter, we didn't have much when I was growing up. I grew up not too far from here, and I always watched the other kids enjoying the rides but never got the chance to ride myself. My parents simply couldn't afford it. If only someone was as kind to me as you have been with these children," Randel explained.

"Thank you for your kind words, sir. And sorry to hear that. But, it seems you've done well for yourself," Peter said.

"Yes, as true as that may be, it seems I may have also forgotten where I came from somewhere along the way. Listen, Peter, I know you couldn't have afforded all those passes with what we pay you. So, let me do my part as well," Randel said.

"How so, sir?" asked Peter.

"I'll up your salary from today going forward. So, if you would like to help other children, you don't have to put yourself under any unnecessary burden. How does that sound?" Randel said.

"That sounds great, sir! Fantastic, actually!" said Peter ecstatically.

From that day on, Peter's pay was doubled, and he checked on Sally, Tom, and Jane regularly, aiding them in whatever way he could. Sometimes, he'd even join in on the fun.

What can we learn from this story?

• Do good, and it will be appreciated. Even though Peter did not help the children to be rewarded, his act of kindness did not go unnoticed and ended up doing him good in the end.
• Don't judge a book by its cover. Randel had unfairly judged the children he had more in common with than he had thought. He was reminded of his own humble beginnings.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an old widow who helped a homeless man in the park because he was the spitting image of her late spouse.

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.