Sandra decided to help some of the homeless men she encountered in her town, and she ended up getting close to them. Years later, she was surprised to see them again, this time using a luxury car.
Sandra Park lived alone and had no family living near her, so she tried to show her love to those around her instead. The whole neighborhood knew her as a kind old lady who tried to help everyone she met.
One day, she left the supermarket only to find a couple of homeless people lining the streets. Three of them saw Sandra struggling with her plastic bags, so they decided to help her. “Would you like us to carry your grocery bags? We’d be happy to help you out,” one of them said.
“Oh, you are an angel. Please, I’d appreciate that a lot,” she said, handing over the bags to the three men. She did not think badly of them, and was grateful they offered to help her.
They walked her all the way to her house, which was a five-minute walk from the grocery store. The three men started to conduct some small talk so Sandra would feel comfortable with them. They introduced themselves as Allan, James, and Samuel
When they got to her house, she asked if they wanted to come in for a meal. As the three men were hungry, they happily accepted the gracious offer.
Sandra’s house was in bad condition, as she never learned how to call for help to repair the broken things in her house. When the three men saw what was happening, they offered to help her again.
“Hey Sandra, you know Allan and Samuel here worked as builders in their youth. Do you want us to help fix some of the things that need repairs in your home?” James asked.
Sandra, who was busy preparing their lunch, smiled. “If you have some time to do so, I would appreciate that,” she nodded.
So, after their lunch, the boys got busy. They started coming to her house daily, helping her fix several things such as the roof, fence, flooring, and bathroom tiles. In exchange, Sandra would give them food and some pocket money.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking, Sandra, but why are you all alone here?” Samuel asked her one day while they were fixing the pipes of her kitchen sink.
“Well, I lived most of my life in this town. I taught economics and marketing in the local high school here for years. So I decided to purchase this house and I’ve lived here ever since,” she explained.
“If I had my way, though, I would very much like to live in a small house outside the city, away from the busy streets. That is my dream,” Sandra added.
Sandra’s life amused the three boys, and they realized that they could learn a thing or two from her as she was a teacher. They asked her if she was willing to teach them economics and marketing instead of paying them for their services.
“I would love to teach you!” Sandra excitedly replied. She missed her work, but teaching in high school drained her energy too much, and it was not something she wanted to do at her age.
In the evenings, she started to teach the three men. They behaved just like how kids in a class would – one listened attentively, one would make silly comments and jokes, and the other would be fast asleep. This routine brought them closer to one another, and Sandra started seeing them as her children.
One day, one of her neighbors asked her who repaired her house. Without hesitation, she responded: “Oh, I hired a team of professionals who offer their services at very affordable rates. Their work has such high quality.”
At that, the neighbor gave the three men a call. Sandra made sure to buy them proper work clothes, give them her late husband’s tools, and sent them to the neighbor’s house. They earned a decent amount of money, and soon, more of their neighbors started to avail of their services.
The three men all did this while attending classes with Sandra during weeknights. One day, however, they told Sandra that it would be the last lesson they’d be asking from her. “You’ve been extremely kind to us, and we really value your presence, but we think it’s time we stop being a burden to you,” Allan explained.
While Sandra didn’t see them as a burden, she understood what they meant. She was relieved that they promised to visit her once in a while as they tried to do something with their lives. Unfortunately, those visits never came.
Years passed, and Sandra thought the three men had forgotten about her. One day though, she came back from the store while carrying a bunch of bags. She was surprised when someone from a parked luxury car in her driveway suddenly shouted:
“If we knew you were coming from the store, we would’ve carried your bags just like last time!”
When Sandra looked at the car, she realized she’s never seen it in the area before. It was a bulletproof SUV with heavy black tint, something similar to what presidents use.
After observing the car for a couple of seconds, she saw Allan, Samuel, and James getting out. They were wearing expensive suits, gold watches, and signature sunglasses. Sandra dropped her bags and gave each of them a hug
“I’m so happy to see you again. Please, come in,” she said, opening the door for them. While inside, she prepared some snacks for them as they caught up about their lives.
The three men shared that they left town to start a repair business. After a while, their business was big enough for them to rent an apartment for themselves, as well as a small office space where they kept their repair equipment.
“Our repair company grew, and within a year since we started, we were able to expand to being a construction company!” James explained.
Sandra was so proud of them that she couldn’t help but shed a few tears. “It’s all thanks to you, Sandra,” Samuel told her as she wiped her eyes
“Thank you, Sandra. Thank you for teaching us, for feeding us, and for believing in us. Because of you, we live more comfortable lives,” Allan smiled.
With that, she handed her a key. “What’s this for?” she asked curiously.
We built something for you. It’s small, outside the city, just like you wanted. Shall we go take a look?” Allan asked.
Sandra was surprised but extremely happy. She couldn’t believe that an encounter from years back led her to this. While she was touched that they decided to give her a new home, she was happier that she was able to change the men’s lives for the better. .
What can we learn from this story?
We should be kind to everyone we meet. Sandra chose to be kind to the homeless people who offered her help, and it led to a great friendship that spanned years.
We should never forget those who offered us help when nobody else did. Since the beginning, Sandra showed the three men nothing but kindness. They made sure not to forget this by gifting her with her dream home.