Lucas Brighton was about to go on a trip when he found a man at the airport looking sad and defeated. He restored the man’s hope by extending him an act of kindness
Lucas Brighton is a kind and intelligent 12-year-old boy who came from a wealthy family. His family enjoyed traveling together and one day planned a trip to India, as they loved learning about unique cultures.
As they were the type to plan ahead, the Brighton family would always arrive at the airport hours before their scheduled flight. As this was during a time when the internet wasn’t readily available just yet, they preferred to arrive early to skip the check-in lines.
To pass the time, Lucas’ parents went to the shops while the little boy sat nearby with their suitcases. He sat quietly waiting, until he realized the man next to him was crying. “Hi, mister. Are you okay?” the boy asked. At first, the man looked at him and did not answer. “Where are you about to fly?” he asked again. Finally, the man spoke up.
“I’m supposed to fly back home to India. I promised my mother that I would come home for her 65th birthday, but I lost my plane ticket,” he said. “I’ve been saving up for this ticket for such a long time. I work as a janitor at a fast-food restaurant, and I won’t be able to afford to buy another ticket,” he sighed.
Lucas felt sorry for the man. He seemed really sad. Soon the boy saw his parents returning from the shops, and that meant they were headed towards passport control. Quickly, he stood up and before his parents could come closer, he leaned towards the man and said, “Check under your seat. Isn’t that a ticket? Maybe you can ask the ground staff to change it to your name.”
The man, Sinan, was at first confused. But when Lucas left, he checked under his seat and saw a ticket lying there. It wasn’t his, but he was desperate, so he did as Lucas told him. He approached passport control to request for a name change.
He handed the ticket to the woman at the counter, and as he waited, he saw Lucas getting scolded by his parents. “How could you be so careless and lose your ticket?” his father shouted.
At that moment, Sinan realized whose ticket it was under his seat. But just as he did, the woman at the counter called his attention. “Excuse me sir, I believe this is that boy’s missing ticket.” She pointed to Lucas.
Upon overhearing what the woman said, Lucas’ father turned towards Sinan’s direction and said, “You’re a thief! Why do you have my son’s ticket? I’m calling the police!”
But before things could escalate, Lucas intervened. “Dad, wait! Don’t get mad at him! I lied! I didn’t lose my ticket. I deliberately left it on the floor so that this man could use it to go home to India and be with his mother on her 65th birthday. He lost his ticket and he can’t afford to buy another one, but we can. So please, dad, let this go!” he begged.
Surprised, Lucas’ mom smiled and turned to her husband. “Lucas was trying to do a good deed,” she said, touching her husband’s arm. “Let’s just buy another ticket,” she suggested.
“Is this story true?” Lucas’ dad asked Sinan, who was shaking out of nervousness.
Yes, sir. I promised my mom I’d be with him on her 65th birthday. I’m an immigrant, I work as a janitor at a fast-food restaurant. Somehow while I was rushing to the airport, I lost my ticket. They said they couldn’t issue me another one unless I had a physical ticket to show them or money for them to re-issue. Unfortunately, I don’t have any money,” he said.
Lucas’ dad heaved a sigh, suddenly feeling bad for Sinan. “I’m going to take my son’s ticket,” he said, taking it from the woman at the counter.
Sinan bowed his head, ready to head back home to his dormitory in defeat. But then Lucas’ dad spoke up again. “I do want to buy you your own ticket so that you could see your mom on her birthday. Our flight isn’t until another hour. You can take the same flight should there be an available seat,” he said.
Sinan couldn’t help but cry. He was feeling overwhelmed with what just transpired, thinking he was about to be arrested and lose his job for allegedly stealing a ticket. Instead, it led him to a second chance at seeing his mother on her special day.
Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. I will never forget your kindness,” he said, as Lucas’ dad asked the ground staff to issue a new ticket for him.
When they arrived in India, Sinan gave his address and phone number to the Brightons. “My mother is celebrating her birthday in three days. If you are still in the area, you are more than welcome to join us. Please, we would love for you to be there,” he said, with a smile on his face.
“Thank you for the invite, Sinan. We will try our best to be there,” Lucas’ mom said, accepting the paper he handed out.
Three days had passed, and the Brightons had toured much of the city. As they had time to spare, they decided to attend Sinan’s mother’s birthday party. It turned out to be the coolest and funnest day of their vacation.
We went to India to learn more about your culture, and this was the best way to do just that! Thank you so much for having us, Sinan,” Lucas’ dad said, patting him on the back
“I’m glad I met you,” Lucas said. “I hope we can see each other again.”
“Oh, we will, sweet boy. Because of you, I am here for my mom’s special day. Thank you. Visit me at work any time and I’ll treat you to some burgers and fries,” Sinan replied.
When they all went back to America, Lucas and Sinan ended up being good friends. The Brightons would frequent the fast-food restaurant where he worked.
After Lucas’ dad put in a good word with Sinan’s manager, he was promoted from janitor to salesman. He worked at the cashier, and he started earning better. This allowed him to go home to India once in a while so that he could spend time with his mom and the rest of their family.
What can we learn from this story?
We should not be quick to judge others. Lucas’ dad was quick to think that Sinan stole Lucas’ ticket without hearing his side of the story.
What goes around, comes around. After the Brightons helped Sinan, they also experienced the kindness they generously gave when they were invited to the birthday party of Sinan’s mother.
