When she lost her husband to Covid and then her house was destroyed by a tornado, Diana Salinger, a sweet woman in her fifties, found herself at a crossroads. She thought about her life and, after some reflection, decided to invest her remaining money in a business in a small town in Michigan.
Her plan was to sell exotic goods, so she bought a tiny grocery shop and hoped for the best.
Fortunately, the neighbourhood where she settled turned out to be cosy. The people were friendly and accepted her as one of their own. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for her landlord, Chris, who was a grumpy man and seemed to care only about himself.
Diana was the tenant everyone wanted. She was quiet, paid her rent on time, and never asked for anything.
But one day in December, everything changed. When it was time to pay the rent, she was $120 short.
When she handed Chris the envelope and he started counting the money, he flew into a rage and demanded that she pay for the flat in full.
Diana explained that she would have the money in two weeks, but Chris wouldn’t listen to her. Nevertheless, she told him that she helped families in need and would be able to pay in full as soon as possible.
Chris started yelling and told her that she could pretend to be Mother Teresa all she wanted, but he wouldn’t wait a single day. Angry with her, he asked her to leave the flat by the end of the week.
‘I’m a businessman, not a philanthropist,’ he told her and accused her of using him for her own benefit.
Chris saw people leaving Diana’s shop with bags full of groceries and was sure that her business was doing well enough to cover the rent, which made him even more indignant.
Poor Diana found herself out on the street. She was forced to leave her home and look for another place to live.
Meanwhile, Chris felt no remorse for kicking her out of the house.
A few days later, he decided to visit his sister Vanessa. She was a single mother raising her son on her own. Her life was difficult, but she was a strong and independent woman whom Chris loved very much.
He put a £20 note in an envelope for his nephews’ birthday and went to see Vanessa.
When she opened the door, the pleasant smell of home cooking wafted through the air. Vanessa looked happier than usual. She greeted Chris and said that dinner was ready. When he asked about his nephew, Vanessa replied that he was upstairs playing video games with one of his friends. At that moment, Chris’s nephew came downstairs with a woman. It was Diana, the woman Chris had kicked out of his house.
‘I had no idea you were Vanessa’s brother,’ Diana said.
Chris was stunned. He realised that one of the families in need that Diana said she was helping was his sister’s family.
‘But why doesn’t she ask me for money?’ he muttered under his breath. Leaning towards him, Diana whispered, ‘Because it’s always easier to ask friends than family, and Vanessa is a hard-working but very proud woman.’
Chris felt ashamed of himself. He now realised that he had treated Diana unfairly and wanted to make amends, so he offered her half the rent she was paying so that she could continue to help people like his sister. What’s more, he promised to help Diana whenever he could.
Diana gladly accepted the offer. She hoped that Chris had learned a valuable lesson that day.
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