Off The Record
An Elderly Homeless Woman Asked Me For A Lift To Church—What Happened Three Days Later Left Me Speechless
A struggling single mother When a homeless woman asks for a lift to church, Rachel hesitates because she barely makes ends meet. Gas is not inexpensive. However, the woman says yes because of something in her eyes. Reality is upended three days later by a knock on the door: the same woman is standing there, changed. Why?
I never imagined that going to Walmart would have such a profound impact on my life, but last Saturday it did.
As usual, I was standing in the toiletry aisle, figuring out if I could afford both shampoo and conditioner this time.
Everything had become so costly. I gazed at the shelves, frantically looking for a lower price that I might have overlooked. I noticed a sale sticker on an adjacent shelf at that point. I focused on it. There was a sale on the kids’ 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner.
I grabbed a bottle from the shelf and put it in my shopping cart.
“Isn’t this for babies?” Joey leaned forward from his cart seat to look at the bottle and said, “My son.”
“No, honey.” I gave him a smile. “It all works the same, and that one smells like strawberries, which is way better than the stuff we usually get, don’t you think?”
He gave a shrug.
“Well, I believe having strawberry-scented hair will be pleasant. Let’s have some mac and cheese for supper now, shall we?”
It always went like this. I made just enough money as a medical receptionist to keep us afloat, but not enough to be eligible for benefits.
I handled insurance claims every day for clients who were better covered than Joey and I could ever hope to be. I didn’t miss the irony.
Since my spouse left us when Joey was two years old, I’d been trying to save every dime, but it never seemed to be enough.
I noticed the old homeless woman standing close to the cart return as we were making our way to our beat-up Honda.
Even though her hands were filthy, her gray hair was disheveled, and her coat was worn, there was something in her gaze that drew my attention. Contrary to popular belief, they were neither tormented nor desperate. Rather, they were delicate; they had a soft warmth that caused me to stop.
“Please,” she cried in a shaky voice. “Is it possible for you to take me to St. Mary’s Church? I have to get there.”
The woman stepped forward, and Joey leaned closer to my side. I reflexively gripped my handbag tighter while figuring out how much the drive would cost. It was a solid 20-minute trip to St. Mary’s, and gas wasn’t cheap these days.
“I’m sorry…” As I opened my mouth to speak, I noticed tears forming in her eyes.
She muttered, “Please,” and I felt a crack in my gut.
I glanced back at the woman after glancing down at my son. I couldn’t help but feel something when I heard the despair in her voice.
I let out a sigh. “Alright, get in.”
It nearly hurt to watch the deep thankfulness that lit up her face.
She said it again, “Thank you, thank you so much,” and climbed into the backseat.
She repeatedly thanked me during the drive. Since I had nothing more to say, I tried to dismiss it and convince her it wasn’t a big deal. It felt decent to assist her as she was most likely going there to pray or find refuge.
She virtually sprang out of the car as we arrived at St. Mary’s, murmuring a final “thank you,” and then vanishing through the massive oak doors. Joey and I were silent as we watched her leave.
As we drove home, he murmured, “Mom,” his little face looking grave in the rearview mirror. “Helping that woman was the correct thing for you to do. I’m grateful for my loving mother.
I blinked back tears as I grinned. “Thank you, my love. Kindness can sometimes take precedence above all other considerations.
I must admit that I felt conflicted about what I had done. Even with the extra gas I just used, we could still make ends meet for the time being, but if any unforeseen costs arose…
I sighed. The world was more complicated than that, but it would be lovely to live in a world where my advice to Joey to be kind was unquestionable and true.
Three days later, when someone knocked on our door at seven o’clock in the evening, these memories came back to torment me.
Joey had his homework spread out on the floor of the living room, already in his pajamas. As I moved to open the door, he gave me a questioning glance.
I initially assumed that the woman standing there had received the incorrect address. With her tastefully done hair, understated makeup, and a cream-colored Gucci coat that likely cost more than three months’ worth of my rent, she looked as though she had stepped out of a glossy fashion magazine.
Then I gasped as I peered into her eyes.
The woman from the Walmart parking lot who was homeless was the one! Even though her look had drastically changed, I could instantly identify her warm eyes.
“What… what’s going on?” I stumbled.
She said, “May I come in?” in a more elegant and powerful voice than I could recall. “My name is Eliza, and I owe you an explanation.”
I gave a stupid nod and moved aside to make room for her.
“Mom?” From the living room, Joey called. “Who is it?”
I continued to gaze at her metamorphosis as I said, “It’s the lady from Walmart,”
Eliza smoothed her pricey coat and sat down on our shabby couch. “I understand that you’re probably wondering why I’m here and how I’ve changed so drastically in the short time since we first met. I must tell you about Albert in order to explain why my situation has changed.”
“Forty years ago, I was young and foolish,” Eliza recalled. “I was engaged to Albert. Despite our intense love, I made the worst decision of my life on the day of our wedding. I put my work before my affection.”
At first, it appeared to be a wise and sensible decision. My company prospered for a number of years before gradually collapsing around me. All I had left was Albert’s letter, in which he promised me his undying love. He promised to wait for me at St. Mary’s every Sunday at noon until I was ready in that letter.
She stopped and clasped her hands together.
“Shame prevented me from returning to check if he had fulfilled his promise for decades. But I reached my lowest point three days ago. I asked you to accompany me to St. Mary’s because I knew I had nothing left to lose.”
I took a seat next to her on the couch as comprehension began to set in. “Did he wait for you?” “After all these years?”
With tears in her eyes, she nodded. “As promised by him. He said that his love for me and his faith in our relationship had never wavered. While he waited, he established an empire, and now I get to live the life I’ve always wanted with the guy I love.”
“On that day, I begged a lot of people for assistance, but you were the only one who gave me a glance.” And he urged that we locate you when I informed him about you. “Outside, Albert is waiting,” Eliza murmured. “May he come in?”
I gave a nod. Eliza approached and unlocked the door, revealing a dapper-looking man in a spotless suit.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to you.” You didn’t have to assist Eliza, Albert added in a kind and earnest tone. “However, you did. And I was able to reunite with the love of my life because of you.”
“No issue, but How did you discover me at all?” With hardly more than a whisper, I asked.
“Traffic cameras, police connections,” he freely acknowledged. “I realize this seems concerning, but I just wanted to say thank you. Permit me to return the favor, please.”
He retrieved an envelope from within his jacket. “This is just a small token of our appreciation,” he said, holding out the envelope to me, “because your son’s education will be fully funded through college.”
I opened the letter with trembling hands. There was a $150,000 check inside. I have never seen that much money in my life.
“Is this real?” The statistics kept capturing my attention.
Albert laughed. “Very genuine. There’s still another thing. Next month, Eliza and I will tie the knot. It would be wonderful if you and your son could attend.”
I was unable to talk. Joey approached me, put his arms around my waist, and gazed up at me with his sage eyes.
I held the check close to my chest as I stood in our living room after they had left. As Joey gave me a firm hug, I started crying uncontrollably.
He said, “Are you okay, Mom?”
I muttered, “Yes, sweetheart,” as I ran my fingers through his hair. “I’ve never been better.”
I felt hope, something I hadn’t felt in years, as I looked about our tiny apartment. Actual, palpable hope. For Joey’s future as well as for myself. All because that day at Walmart, I had opted for kindness over caution.
The tiniest deeds of kindness can occasionally transform lives in unexpected ways. I learned from that day that there is always space for kindness, even in the midst of hardship, when every cent matters, and when the future appears uncertain.
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