Rich Lady Mocks Blind Veteran at Museum Auction until Host Calls Him to Stage — Story of the Day

After losing his sight during the war, a veteran gathered the courage to make his first public appearance at an auction, unaware of how a rich lady would mock him there. What happened next left most guests shocked.

At 43, Sam was sitting on the front porch of his small house in one of the inexpensive areas of town. It was a bright sunny morning when he was sipping tea after having breakfast, sitting with his best friend, his pet dog, Butch.

It was a beautiful chilly morning, but all Sam could think of was his ex-fiancée, who had broken his heart into a million pieces. Sam always wanted to be a part of the army and fight for his country. He was tall, strong, and handsome―the three qualities his ex-fiancée had once loved the most.

When Sam was away from home, he always kept in touch with his ex-fiancée. They would talk for hours, laugh at silly jokes, make promises, and plan future adventures. Back then, Sam's fiancée was his happy place, but he didn't know that his life would soon change forever.

Sam's plan was to marry his woman soon after returning from his deployment. But everything wasn't going to be smooth sailing for the devoted soldier. While fighting the country's enemies, Sam sustained severe injuries, lost his vision, and was sent home immediately.

At least I have her, Sam thought. Since his ex-fiancée came to see him the day after he returned, unaware that he had lost his vision. He was on his bed, lying with an injured leg and scars on his face that reflected his love for the country. The overwhelming fragrance of her perfume made Sam realize she had come. It was a fragrance that brought back so many good memories.

Sam was delighted to learn she was there, but the truth is, her feelings for him had changed. She saw him, pitied him, and left without saying a word. That moment made Sam believe true love didn't exist after all.

Since that day, Sam had been living alone with Butch, who was his guide dog. Life wasn't very eventful anymore, but during his last visit to the supermarket, he learned that his neighborhood museum was hosting an art exhibition and an auction. Maybe I should visit it, he thought while feeling unsure because it was his first public appearance after his ex-fiancée left him.

"Why did he bring his dog here?" a woman said.

On the day of the event, Sam decided to shave his beard. He could only use his fingers to feel his facial hair, and shaving for the first time after losing sight was not easy.

He ran his fingers over his cheeks, then slid the blade over the patch of hair he felt. He did this multiple times until his face was shaved clean. Then, he gently rubbed his fingers on his face and felt something wet.

"What's this?" he said while rubbing his index finger and thumb before realizing he had accidentally hurt himself while shaving.

"Oh no!" he said and sanitized his face to prevent infection.

After wearing his best dress, Sam put on his big black glasses and wore his favorite braille watch. Then, he held his white cane in his left hand and navigated toward Butch, who was up and ready to move.

"C'mon, boy. You're going with me to the exhibition!" he exclaimed before holding Butch's leash and leaving the house. Sam thought he would have a good time at the museum, but he had no idea he was about to be mocked in public by some rich woman there.

Once Sam stepped inside the museum, he felt his heart skip a beat. He could sense the discomfort in the air. He felt people stare at him and Butch, but there was nothing he could do to stop feeling awkward.

"Why did he bring his dog here?" a woman said.

"That's so unprofessional of him," another replied.

Then, a woman walked toward Sam, looked at his dog, and shielded her son behind her back. "Ugliness! Why did you bring your dirty dog inside?" she yelled. "This place is for art connoisseurs, not for dirty dogs! My son is allergic to dogs! Get him away!"

Sam was shocked after hearing the woman's words. Before he could respond, she said, "Oh! Look at that cut on your face! It's disgusting. Also, what are you doing at a place like this when you can't even afford a decent razor? You're making everyone here uncomfortable just by being here. Leave!"

"Excuse me!" Sam blurted while everyone looked at him. "This museum is pet-friendly, and we live in a democratic society."

"Oh really?" the woman yelled. "Leave right away, or I'll call security!"

Just then, Mr. Howard stepped in. He was the event organizer and the owner of the museum and wanted the chaos to settle immediately.

Suddenly, everyone had their eyes on Sam and his dog.

He quickly apologized to the rich woman and took her away from Sam. Then, the event began, and the lady enjoyed watching the art exhibition and the auction that followed. Meanwhile, Sam stood in a corner with his dog and tried to listen to Mr. Howard onstage.

Toward the end of the auction, Mr. Howard displayed a jaw-dropping sculpture of Jesus that arrested everyone's attention. People raised their hands one by one and bid their best prices. In the end, there was a tie between two bidders―the woman who mocked Sam and another guest.

"Well, this is an impossible tie. I'll have to call the mastermind behind this sculpture himself to decide what to do," Mr. Howard smiled.

While people locked their eyes on the stage, Mr. Howard pointed towards the back of the hall, where Sam stood with Butch.

"Please welcome the artist, the veteran who lost his vision while fighting for our country."

Suddenly, everyone had their eyes on Sam and Butch. They watched him stroll towards the stage as he felt the ground with his white cane. "What?" the rich woman gasped, while she instantly regretted mocking Sam earlier.

Once Sam was on the stage, standing right next to the best piece of art in the room, the sculpture he had made with his hands, Mr. Howard told him to make a choice.

"You will decide who gets to take this masterpiece, Mr. Sam!" the museum owner said while the audience looked at him anxiously.

There was silence in the hall for a few seconds before Sam cleared his throat and spoke into the mic. "I think Ms. Molly wins the sculpture," he said. Meanwhile, the lady who mocked Sam couldn't believe he had taken her name. She looked at him with eyes wide open, shocked at his kindness.

"Congratulations, Ms. Molly!" Mr. Howard exclaimed while pointing his hand in her direction. "You can take this precious sculpture with you. This brave man has put his heart and soul into making it come alive."

"It's me!" a familiar feminine voice replied.

The woman walked towards the stage, feeling ashamed of her behavior. She stood beside Sam while he held the sculpture in his hand and extended his arms to give it to her.

"Don't let evil conquer you, instead, conquer evil with good," Sam smiled at the woman. "I hope your son wouldn't be allergic to this sculpture of Jesus."

Ms. Molly was shocked to hear his words. She took the sculpture from him and looked at the ground while the audience applauded.

Then, Sam gently struck his cane on the ground to see where the stairs were before holding Butch's leash and leaving the museum. He felt happy that his sculpture was considered the best in the museum and that the money he got from it would help him live without working for a few years.

A few weeks later, Sam was at home having lunch when he heard the doorbell ring. "Who is it?" he asked while standing up to walk toward the door.

"It's me!" a familiar feminine voice replied.

Then, Sam opened the door and waited for the woman to introduce herself. "I'm Molly! Remember I met you at the auction a few weeks back?" she said.

"Oh, yes!" Sam exclaimed. "How can I forget you!"

"Can I come inside?" Ms. Molly asked apologetically. "I know what I did at the museum was wrong, but I wanted to talk to you about something important."

"Please come inside," Sam gestured to Ms. Molly to enter his house.

Upon entering his house, Ms. Molly felt mesmerized by all the sculptures sitting on the shelves of his small living room. She could see all kinds of themes and detailing and styles, and it was hard for her to believe that a blind man could create such good designs.

"Oh really?" the veteran was surprised by the woman's intention.

"Please have a seat," Sam said and went inside his kitchen to bring some snacks for her.

"Hey! Please come back," she said. "You don't need to bring me anything. I'm good."

"I believe it's always nice to feed one's guests," Sam replied while he slid his hand on the countertop, looking for a glass. "And you are my guest today."

"That's so kind of you, Mr. Sam," Ms. Molly replied. "I think I only deserve to be kicked out after what I did that day. I apologize for mocking you."

"It's okay," Sam chuckled. "You prepared me for future public appearances as a blind man."

Then, Sam walked towards the coffee table and put a food tray on it. "Please have something to eat, Ms. Molly," he said while pointing his hand toward the food.

After Molly took a sip of juice and a few bites of butter cookies, she told Sam what had brought her to his house. "I have a business proposition for you, Mr. Sam."

"Oh really?" the veteran was surprised by the woman's intention. "What is it?"

"Well, after I learned you are a veteran and that you lost your eyesight while fighting for the country, I realized there must be many people like you who need help."

Sam nodded and asked the woman to tell him more.

"I am planning to open a charity fund for veterans with disabilities, and I'm sure we would find many people like that around us," she continued. "Don't you agree?"

"Yes," Sam nodded. "I agree."

"Well, if you like my idea, you can be the head of the charity find, Mr. Sam," the woman smiled.

"I'd be honored to give you that position."

After thinking about how veterans needed help, Sam agreed to the proposition. He could relate with other veterans and felt happy to play his helping people who served the country.

A few weeks later, the authorities approved the charity fund, and Sam began working full-time. Sitting in his office daily, he stopped feeling insecure about his looks. Moreover, working a job he liked helped him forget everything his ex-fiancée did to him. He felt confident about himself for the first time in a while and continued working to help veterans with special needs.

Ms. Molly soon became his best friend, and he often gifted her sculptures. "I hope your son isn't allergic to my gifts," he would joke whenever he gave the boy a gift.

What can we learn from this story?

• Good things happen when you step out of your comfort zone. After losing his eyesight, Sam wanted to stay home, in his comfort zone, so people didn't see him. However, his life completely changed once he decided to visit the museum. He had never imagined working for other disabled veterans or that it would help him feel better.
• Meeting new people might change your life. Sam's first interaction with Ms. Molly was unpleasant, but she was the one who later changed his life. When he first met her, he had no idea about her plans. He only dealt with her kindly, unaware of how his gesture would help him in the future.

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

If you enjoyed reading this story, you might like this one about sons who mock their 'deaf-mute' father, splitting his inheritance until he says, "my turn."

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.