Homeless and poor Brandon offers his last $2 to a needy elderly man at a gas station convenience store and inherits his company the next day. Brandon thinks this is the start of a new life for his family.
Brandon clutched his paper cup of change as he made his way into the gas station convenience store. He had already reached the aisle when he was distracted by a loud voice. He saw a line of angry shoppers standing behind an elderly man who was hard of hearing.
‘Excuse me, what did you say about the water being funny?’ – The elderly man asked the cashier.
‘Money!’ – she moaned. ‘I said you didn’t have enough money, sir!’
‘Yes, it was a sunny day!’ – replied the man, frowning.
‘You need more money! For water!’ A younger guy standing behind the man grabbed him by the shoulder and shouted in his ears.
Brandon noticed everything. He had the urge to intervene, but he didn’t want to incur the wrath of the customers. Meanwhile, the elderly man explained that he was short of money and asked if he could buy a smaller bottle of water since he needed to take his pills.
‘If you can’t pay, you’ll have to leave!’ – shouted the cashier.
‘I can leave?’ He smiled and turned to leave, but the cashier snatched the water bottle from his hands. ‘Get out, old man!’ – she hissed. ‘You’re making too much trouble!’
The elderly man asked for pills, but his pleas went unanswered.
Brandon had had enough. He approached the cashier and offered to pay for the old man.
‘Have a heart, lady,’ he said and set his cup on the counter. The woman looked at him in disgust before counting out the money.
‘That’s enough,’ she said as she took all the money, including his last two dollars. ‘Now step aside. You hold the line.’
Brandon tossed the can of beans onto the counter and held out the water to the older man.
‘Here you go, sir. I brought you some water,’ he spoke slowly and clearly so the man could see his face in case he needed to read his lips. The man thanked him. They walked out of the shop together and Brandon headed towards his tent on the bare patch of land adjacent to the station, but the man stopped him.
‘Wait!’
Brandon turned around.
‘Why did you help me when you obviously needed money?’ – The older man asked.
‘If I’ve learned anything from being homeless, sir,’ Brandon replied, ’it’s that the world works when people are kind to each other.
‘But what will your children eat? You left the beans on the counter.’
‘We have the last of yesterday’s bread,’ Brandon replied. ‘We’ll manage.’
The man walked away, frowning. Brandon noticed him getting into a gleaming SUV and wondered why a man like him couldn’t afford a bottle of water.
The next day, as Brandon was dividing cold fries between the kids, a silver sedan pulled up outside his tent. A man in a fancy suit approached him.
‘Good morning, sir. Mr Greaves‘ last wish was for me to give you this,’ he said, holding out an envelope.
Brandon wiped his hands and took it. Inside lay a letter.
‘Dear Sir,
Yesterday you proved yourself to be a man of good character when you spent your last few dollars for me. Your kindness and belief in doing good for others inspired me to repay you with the greatest gift I can give you: my business.
My time in this world is coming to an end. Lately, I have become wary of leaving my company to my son, as I have become convinced that he is a selfish man with a heart of stone. It would ease my conscience greatly if you inherited the company in his place. All I ask is that you take care of my son and provide him with a safe and comfortable life.’
‘Is this a joke?’ Brandon looked at the man.
The man pulled out a stack of printed papers and a pen. ‘Mr Greaves was very serious. And once you sign these papers, it’s official.’
‘But I just met this guy yesterday. And now he’s dead and left me everything?’ asked Brandon, studying the papers.
‘I understand your concerns, sir, but these papers were drawn up by the best lawyers. All we have to do is put your name in and the lawyers will do the rest.’
This was his chance to provide for his children, and Brandon signed the document. The man then drove him and the children to their new home.
As they pulled up to the house, Brandon looked around at the huge mansion.
Brandon could hardly believe it himself. But as soon as he swung open the double doors, he sensed something was wrong. The house was a mess: the desk was lying on its side in the hallway and the wardrobe was overturned.
Brandon dropped his luggage, ran for his car, and told the driver to call 911. Hours later, he was standing amid slashed couches and broken furniture talking to police officers.
‘We inspected the entire house and found no signs of forced entry, sir,’ the officer said. ‘That, combined with the fact that the security system appears to have been disabled with the correct code, suggests that whoever vandalised the place had a legitimate way to get into the house.’