One day an old lady was caught in the pouring rain after a sudden downpour. She decides to take shelter in a well-known cafe, but is kicked out by the restaurant manager. What happens next stuns the arrogant employee.
Linda Myers was getting ready for dinner when it suddenly started raining heavily. She didn’t have an umbrella with her, so her well-groomed hair was suddenly damp and spread across her face. Her blouse and jacket looked shabby as they were also wet.
The nearest establishment to her at that moment was a famous cafe frequented by the rich and famous people. As she approached the entrance, she was suddenly stopped by the porter.
‘Ma’am, this is an exclusive cafe. You have to make a reservation to enter here,’ he began before looking her over from head to toe. ‘Looks like you can’t afford to dine here either,’ he muttered.
Offended by the rude remark, she asked the porter to get the restaurant manager. But instead of letting her in, the manager repeated the porter’s words and asked her to leave.
‘Ma’am, I have over a hundred people inside right now. Let’s not waste time here. I’m going to have to ask you to leave,’ the manager, whose sign said “Simon,” told Linda.
‘I just need a place to stay until the rain subsides. I’ll even make a reservation,’ she insisted.
‘I can’t let you come in looking like that. You’ll scare away all our guests,’ Simon shook his head. At that, the woman left, trying to find another place to wait.
The next day, when Simon came to work, the owner of the café was already there. He immediately beckoned Simon over to him. ‘Today is a special day for us. We have an important guest coming over – a friend of mine and his wife. They are potential buyers of this cafe. So everything must be at its best.’
Simon instructed the waiters on what needed to be done on the day so that everything would be well prepared for the arrival of the VIP guests. In the evening, the restaurant owner called Simon to their table.
‘Let me introduce you to our manager. He is a great part of our team. He knows his business and is very kind, sensitive, responsive and helpful,’ the owner said. At that, the woman turned to him with a smile on her face.
‘Very nice indeed. I can see that he is exactly as you described him,’ said the woman, who turned out to be Linda.
The manager couldn’t hide the horror on his face when he realised that this woman was the very person he had rudely blown off the night before. Seeing the look on his face, Linda turned to the café owner again.
‘You have a great restaurant and such a nice staff. My husband and I would love to buy this cafe,’ she said.
The next day, Linda and her husband got right to work. They wanted to observe the day-to-day operations of the cafe and get to know the new staff better.
When Linda saw Simon, she gave him the bad news. ‘Simon, my husband and I have made the decision to demote you as a waiter. We feel that the way you treated me last night is not suitable for dealing with customers,’ she explained.
Simon was immediately given an apron and tray and started working as a waiter. He was humiliated but didn’t want to lose his job completely.
A few days later, a poor woman walked into the café. She sat down at a table and ordered a sandwich and hot tea. When she finished her meal, Simon handed her the bill.
‘Oh dear,’ the older woman said, looking in her purse. ‘I must have left my purse at home. I’m really sorry about that. I can do the dishes or clean the restaurant – anything to repay you,’ she said.
Simon shook his head. ‘Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll pay your bill this time,’ he said with a smile.
The woman continued to thank Simon, to which he replied, ‘No problem. People should help each other.’ A couple of days ago, the new owner of this restaurant gave me a second chance because she is a kind person. I want to be like her. After all, I believe in karma.’
‘I think you’ll be manager again,’ the woman replied. Simon was puzzled as to how the woman knew about his demotion. At that moment Linda approached the table.
‘This woman is a friend of mine. I wanted to test you and see if you learnt your lesson. I am happy to know that you have passed the test. You may return to your duties as manager immediately,’ Linda said as she patted him on the back.
Simon was delighted. He had never seen such kindness in anyone and was grateful to Linda for giving him another chance to do his job well.
From that day on Simon went to work with a smile on his face. He loved his job, all thanks to the confidence the new owners of the café had given him. He patiently looked after the staff and customers and this led to the café becoming even more successful.
What can we learn from this story?
- We should not judge others by their appearance. The receptionist and Simon were quick to judge Linda for her appearance, not knowing that she would end up owning the business they worked in.
- People deserve a second chance. Linda was nice enough to give Simon a second chance, knowing he liked his job.
Share this story with your loved ones. Perhaps it will inspire them and make their day better.
