Off The Record

A Single Mom With Four Kids Buys A Used Car, And The Owner Tells Her To Check The Trunk When She Gets Home

Published on September 5, 2024

A single mother of four little children made the decision to purchase a used car. When she arrived home, the previous owner of the automobile instructed her to open the trunk. Her life would change upon discovering what’s inside the trunk.

Jennifer was a single mother of four young kids after her husband Adam left when he found out she was pregnant with their fourth child. “Another child to feed? No way! I’ve had enough!” he said one day, leaving their trailer and filing for divorce.

Jennifer experienced heartbreak. Despite the fact that she and Adam had not planned the pregnancy, she felt confident in his support during this trying period, particularly given their current financial struggles.

Adam ceased providing her with money for their kids after their divorce. Because he didn’t complete college, he said he didn’t have a job and no one would take him in.

Jennifer was so short on funds after giving birth that she had to hunt for a job quickly in order to pay for milk, diapers, and food. Jennifer would walk past rows of eateries and shops only to have the owners turn her away because she had four young children.

“It’s difficult to hire mothers with young children because something always comes up. Either your child is sick or you have no one to leave them with, so you have to miss work. I’m sorry, it’s too much for us to handle,” one employer outright told her.

Since no one in their neighborhood was willing to hire her, Jennifer began looking for work in a nearby city. Using what little money remained, she hired her neighbors to watch her kids for the afternoon while she took a cab.

When she got there, she saw an opening for a housekeeping job at a local hotel. She walked in, applied, and was hired immediately. “We badly need staff around here, especially with the summer season. We will be fully booked in a couple of weeks,” the HR manager told her.

Jennifer took the job, desperate for a job, even if it meant going to a different place every day. After expressing her gratitude to the HR manager, she headed back home to inform her children that she had finally found employment.

Jennifer realized she couldn’t afford to drive to work every day after spending nearly $30 on her taxi trip. She had no money for a car, even though it would have been preferable for her to take her own. She came to the conclusion that buying a used car was her best option.

She found one but she wondered whether the owner would agree to sell it for a lower price. “By any chance, would you be able to give me this car for $5000? You see, I’m a single mom of four, and it’s been difficult for me to earn money. I was hoping to get a car to take a job in a nearby city,” she admitted.

The owner decided to sell the car for $5,000 after learning that she was raising the four small children by herself. “If you can buy the car by tomorrow, I can give this to you for $5000,” he said to her.

Jennifer is really appreciative of the owner’s willingness to sell at a reduced price. Taking a chance, she went to the bank and requested a loan so that the next day she could purchase the car. Unfortunately, the loan was turned down right away due to her poor credit.

Jennifer considered her options carefully, not sure what to do next. Since her oldest child, Ethan, had just begun school close to the trailer park where they resided, she was unable to relocate to a different city.

Not only would it be impossible for her to bring the trailer with her, but the rent in the next city was significantly higher. To get to and from work, as well as to pick up her kids from daycare and school, she truly needed a car.

She then recalled the gold chain necklace her late mother had left her, a family relic that had been in her family for many years. Though she sorely needed a car in the long run to support her children, she sobbed at the notion of having to sell it.

Jennifer took the gold chain necklace from her trinket box and walked toward a nearby pawnshop. “I’m sorry, mom. I really need to do this right now,” she said aloud.

The value of the necklace was $5500 when she arrived at the pawnshop. Jennifer was overjoyed. She would have enough money left over after paying for the car to cover their daily expenses.

The following day, she went back to the used car dealership and handed the owner an envelope filled with $5000. “Thank you for agreeing to sell this to me, sir. You have no idea how much this will help my children and me,” she said and handed the man the envelope.

The owner, who introduced himself as Jeff, smiled. “Congratulations on your car. This is an excellent purchase,” he told her.

Jeff quietly put something in the car’s trunk while Jennifer signed the purchase documents, and as Jennifer got ready to head home, he called out to her.

“By the way, check the car’s trunk when you get home. I left something for your children inside,” he said, waving at Jennifer before she drove away.

Jennifer had neglected to check the trunk after purchasing the car since she was too busy driving to work and dropping her kids off at daycare and school. That is, until she noticed a letter in the glove box.

“I hope you and your children liked the gift I left inside the trunk. May it be of great help to you.” Surprised, she decided to open the trunk to search for the gift.

When Jennifer looked at one side of the trunk and saw nothing but a white envelope, she was initially perplexed. It dawned on her then that it was the identical white envelope in which she had placed her auto payment. When she opened it, her $5,000 was still undamaged.

The man’s thoughtful gesture shocked Jennifer, who started crying. After work, she took a direct route to the used vehicle business and expressed her gratitude to Jeff for his kindness.

“The world throws challenges at you, and it’s up to you to either rise from these challenges or succumb to them. I am proud of you for staying strong for your children, and I thought you could use the money more than I. Just don’t forget to pay it forward,” Jeff told her.

What can we learn from this story?

Compassion goes a long way. Jeff owned a used car dealership that earned a lot of money, while Jennifer was a struggling single mom to four young children. After Jeff found out about this, he decided to pay it forward and help Jennifer in a way he knew he could.
If there’s a will, there’s a way. Jennifer was determined to work hard so she could support her children. She did everything she could to make this happen, even after countless rejections and roadblocks along the way.

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