Jimmy was stunned when the homeless man he had bought coffee for earlier boarded the plane and sat next to him in first class. Who was this man and why was he even asking for money?
I never really thought about destiny until I met Kathy.
Three months ago she came into my life and within weeks she became my world. People called me crazy for proposing after only a month, but I couldn’t ignore how everything fell into place with her.
We had the same outlook on life, the same love of skiing, and even a shared obsession with science fiction novels. It felt like the universe was nudging me, whispering that she was the one.
And here I was, flying to meet her parents for the first time.
Katie had warned me about her father, David. She called him a stern man who doesn’t give his consent easily. But she also claimed that he has a good heart and loves her more than anything in the world.
To be honest, I was scared. I knew I only had one chance to prove that I was worthy of his daughter, and I didn’t want to mess it up.
I arrived at the airport too early, nerves pushing me to leave the house long before I needed to. To kill time, I walked into a small, cosy coffee shop across the street.
The buzz of conversation and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee distracted me from the thoughts swarming in my head.
That’s when I noticed him.
A man in tattered clothes entered. His face was wrinkled, showing that he had worked hard all his life. His shoulders were slumped slightly, and his eyes, though tired, were searching the room as if he were looking for something.
I watched as he walked over to a few tables and spoke softly to the people sitting there.
Most people shook their heads, avoided eye contact or awkwardly apologised. Then he stopped in front of my table.
‘Excuse me,’ he said politely. ‘Could you give me some change? Enough for a coffee.’
I hesitated. My first instinct was to refuse. Not because I didn’t care, but because I wasn’t sure how much I could trust him. You know, some people are sincere and others are just looking for a handout.
But there was something different about him. He wasn’t pushy and looked embarrassed to ask.
‘What kind of coffee do you want?’ I asked.
‘Jamaican Blue Mountain,’ he replied, almost without embarrassment. ‘I’ve heard it’s very good.’
I almost laughed. It was the most expensive option on the menu. For a moment, I thought he was joking. But the way he looked at me made me stop.
‘Why this particular one?’ I asked.
‘It’s my birthday,’ he smiled. ‘Always wanted to try it. Thought…why not today?’
Some part of me wanted to roll my eyes.
Of course it’s your birthday, I thought.
But another part of me decided to believe him.
‘Okay,’ I said, standing up. ‘Let’s get you some coffee.’
His face lit up with a genuine smile. ‘Thank you,’ he said.
But I didn’t just treat him to coffee. I added a piece of cake to the order because, honestly, what’s a birthday without cake? Handing him the tray, I gestured to an empty chair at my table.
‘Sit down,’ I said. ‘Tell me your story.’
He hesitated for a second, as if he wasn’t sure if I meant it.
But then he sat down and took the coffee cup in his hands like it was something sacred. And he started talking.
His name was David, and many years ago he had lost everything: his family, his job, and even his home. Betrayal and bad luck had played their part, but he made no excuses.
He spoke straightforwardly, with such sincerity that it was impossible not to listen.
Sitting there, I realised that this was not just a man looking for a handout. This was a man who had been broken by life, but he had not given up.
When he finished his story, I felt a lump in my throat that I couldn’t swallow. Before I left, I slipped him $100, but he tried to refuse.
‘Consider it a gift from me, kid,’ I told him. ‘And happy birthday!’
I walked out of the café thinking that I had done a small good deed for a stranger. I never imagined I’d see him again. And that just a few hours later he would turn my whole world upside down.
The airport was buzzing with its usual chaos as I sat in the first class waiting area sipping another cup of coffee.
My nerves about meeting Katie’s parents had calmed down a little, but the thought of her father kept me on my toes. What if he doesn’t like me? What if he doesn’t think I’m good enough for her?
I picked up my phone to text Katie, who had already made it to her parents’ house.
‘I’m really nervous,’ I texted. How’s everything going over there?
Everything’s great,’ she replied. I’m sure Dad will be thrilled with you.
When the boarding bell rang, I joined the queue and took a window seat.
First class seemed like a luxury I didn’t deserve, but Kathy insisted I treat myself for once. As I buckled in and looked around, I couldn’t help but think about the man in the café. His story kept me on my toes.
I hoped the $100 I gave him would make his birthday a little brighter.
Just as I was seating myself, a figure appeared in the aisle. My heart nearly stopped when I looked at his face.
It was him. The same man from the café.
But he wasn’t wearing his old tattered clothes.
No, this man was dressed in a strict suit, his hair neatly combed, a watch gleaming on his wrist.
He caught my gaze and smirked.
‘Mind if I join you?’ – he asked nonchalantly, lowering himself into the seat next to me.
I stared at him, my brain refusing to comprehend what was happening in front of me. ‘What… what’s going on here?’
He leaned back, a sly smirk appearing on his face. ‘Let’s call it a… test.’
‘A test?’ repeated I. ‘What are you talking about?’
The man chuckled softly, pulling a sleek notepad out of his bag.
‘Allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m David.’ He paused, watching my reaction. ‘Katie’s father.’
‘Wait…you’re her father?’ I whispered. ‘The one I’m flying to meet?’
‘Same thing,’ he said, still smirking. ‘You see, I’ve always believed in a hands-on approach. I wanted to see who my daughter’s fiancé really was, beyond the polished introductions at dinner and the carefully rehearsed answers.’
I couldn’t believe it. Why hadn’t Katie told me about this? Was she really part of the plan?
‘So it was all an act?’ I asked.
‘Necessary,’ he replied calmly. ‘It’s easy to show kindness when everyone is watching. But I wanted to know how you’d take to a stranger, especially one who doesn’t seem to have anything to offer you. It appears that you have passed the first part.’
‘The first part?’ repeated I. ‘And how many parts are there in total?’
He opened a notebook and handed me a pen. ‘One more. Write a letter to Kathy.’
‘A letter?’
‘Yes,’ he said, leaning back in his chair. ‘Tell her why you love her, why you want to marry her, and how you’ll take care of her. Don’t overthink it. Be honest.’
I stared at the blank sheet, beads of sweat appearing on my temples. This wasn’t what I’d signed up for. But as much as I wanted to protest, I knew I couldn’t.
So I began to write.
The words came slowly at first, stumbling over thoughts and emotions. But soon the pen seemed to move on its own.
I wrote about how Katie made me feel like a complete person, how her laughter brightened my darkest days, and how I wanted to build a life of trust and joy with her.
By the time I was done, my arm was sore, but my heart felt lighter.
However, I still wasn’t sure if I would pass the test. What if it was a trick question? What if David’s test wasn’t as easy as it seemed?
After I handed him the notebook, he stared at it for a while. Then he looked up and smiled.
‘You’ve passed the test,’ he said. ‘Welcome to the family.’
Hearing those words gave me a huge sense of relief.
This man, who had just tested me in the most unexpected way, held out his hand to me. I shook it firmly, realising that I had overcome the last hurdle.
‘Now let’s see how well you do at home,’ he said.
When we finally landed and got off the plane, I was exhausted both physically and mentally. As we walked through the terminal, I tried to even out my breathing, hoping I had done enough to impress him, but my nerves were still fraying at the edges.
The drive to Katie’s parents’ house was uneventful. She and her mother were waiting for us there.
Meanwhile, my mind was swarming with thoughts of what the evening would bring. I wasn’t just meeting her parents anymore. I’d passed the ‘test.’ But what did that mean? Would David’s approval be enough? What would happen at their house?
When we arrived, Kathy’s mother, Susan, greeted us warmly. Kathy’s brothers and sister were here, too.
David, however, maintained his usual serious expression and looked across the table at me. I couldn’t tell if he was sizing me up or just deferring judgement.
Dinner passed awkwardly, with everyone making polite conversation and David sitting off to the side, watching intently.
Every time I spoke, he nodded or grunted, but offered nothing in response. Katie’s siblings were acting quiet, but David’s silence was almost deafening.
I couldn’t help but wonder if I had really passed the exam.
As the meal came to an end, David set down his wine glass and cleared his throat.
‘You did a good job, Jimmy,’ he said. ‘You showed me who you really are. And that counts for something.’
Katie squeezed my hand under the table.
‘I always knew you were right for me,’ she whispered.
‘I’ve seen enough to know he’ll take care of you,’ he said, smiling at his daughter. ‘You have my blessing.’
I was very happy at that moment, but there was something unspoken in the way David looked at me.
After dinner, as Katie and I helped her parents clean up, everything seemed to fall into place for me.
And then I came across a folded piece of paper on the table.
Unfolding it, I realised it was a receipt for a cup of coffee from the café I’d visited earlier that morning. The same one where I had met David.
However, the cheque was not for the coffee I had bought for David. At the bottom was an additional charge.
‘Additional donation – $100.’
I picked it up and turned to Kathy.
‘What is this?’ I asked her.
‘Oh, it’s my dad’s way of tying up loose ends.’
I frowned, puzzled. ‘Tie up loose ends?’
She leaned against the counter, her eyes glittering. ‘You gave him $100 at the café, remember? He didn’t keep it for himself. He gave it to the cafe staff and told them to count it as an extra donation after you left.’
‘And… how do you know that? You knew about his plan from the beginning? Were you part of it?’
She smiled slyly.
‘Well, I was,’ she said. ‘You didn’t think it was just about the coffee, did you? And how do you think Dad found out about your flight? Of course it was me, Jimmy.’
At that moment I realised I wasn’t marrying into an ordinary family. These people were special, and they wanted me to realise the importance of generosity. And what it meant to be a part of this family.
