An older woman forced to work as a cleaner long after retirement age is stunned to find a huge sum of money in her bank account. What is more terrifying than getting old alone and penniless? Lucy Martin was sixty-seven years old and had worked hard all her life as a mid-level administrative in a big Mid-West company!
However, Lucy and her colleagues realized that the money in the company’s retirement fund had vanished shortly before her retirement. The prospect of a wretched old life loomed large, and the hope of a peaceful retirement faded. Lucy was forced to retire by the company’s demise just days before her 65th birthday.
She had no choice but to take any job she could find, and at her age, all she could find was work as a cleaner at the local college. Fortunately, Lucy was not the type of lady to cry over spilled milk or complain about life’s injustice, so she buckled up. She was really proud of herself for doing her job effectively. Lucy had become a sort of unofficial campus granny over her nearly three years as a housekeeper in the college dorms.
Lucy was available for the students if they had a problem and needed someone to cry on. Lucy went out of her way to make a new student feel at ease when she sensed they were struggling to adjust. During one especially dismal winter, several of the dorm students caught the nasty virus that was going around and was bedridden for several days.
Lucy had arrived after school with a steaming thermos of chicken soup and had babysat them all. She brought them hot tea and toast, orange juice, and basically acted mom. Lucy was a blessing to many of the pupils, some of whom were away from home for the first time. Her ready smile and motherly teasing brought the shy out of their shells and soothed the nervous.
Don’t give up because life may just surprise you. “Hey, Grandma Lucy,” exclaimed Matthew Frost, one of the pupils who had just returned from the hospital. “Your chicken soup is a powerful potion! Your children are extremely fortunate.” Lucy’s eyes welled up with tears, and her beautiful grin faded, much to Matthew’s amazement. “Oh, I only have one daughter, and she lives in Arizona, 3000 miles away.”
“Hey!” Matthew expressed his confusion and concern. “Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, you’ll be with her soon, right?” However, Lucy did not appear to be reassured by Matthew’s remark. She hurried out of the dorm room, her hand to her mouth. Her eyes were red and inflamed when she returned an hour later. She had clearly been sobbing.
“I’m sorry, Lucy,” Matthew apologized. “Please explain what is wrong. You’ve always supported me. Remember when I wanted to change my major but was terrified to tell my father? Allow me to be a friend to you as you have been to me.” Lucy sobbed as she sat at the foot of Matthew’s bed. “I’m very sorry,” she apologized after calming down a little. “You see, it’s been nearly three years since I’ve seen my daughter.”
“I can’t afford the trip, and she can’t afford to pay for me either. She has two babies and her husband is unemployed,” Lucy explained. “She needs help, and I can’t give it to her.”Matthew held Lucy’s hand while she explained how she had lost all her savings and the pension fund to a scam, and why she had to work so hard at her age.
Matthew said, “Hey, you remember what you said to me when I was down? Life always surprises you, and every difficulty brings new strength. I believed it, now it’s your turn…” Lucy walked out of Matthew’s room feeling oddly comforted, but as she was leaving the dorm, she saw one of the second-year students sitting on the steps crying, with a crumpled envelope in her hand.
“Liz!” Lucy said, immediately forgetting her own sorrows. “What’s the matter, honey?””Oh, Gran Lucy,” Liz sobbed. “I have to drop out. My scholarship only pays three-quarters of my expenses and the bank refused to extend my student loan. My parents are having a hard time, so they can’t help me either…”
“Oh dear,” Lucy said, sitting down next to Liz and putting an arm around her shoulder. “And you are doing so well too! When do you need that money?” “Not until September,” Liz said. “But I can’t see how I’m going to get my hands on $15,000!” “Well,” Lucy said firmly. “No more crying, Lizzie, my girl! Chin up! Something will turn up.
Like I always say, life has a way of surprising us!”Lucy was right because, at that very moment, Matthew Frost was busy on his computer. He had a brilliant idea, and he was sure his fellow students would be eager to help bring about a miracle… When Lucy went to the ATM to draw on her salary two months later, she had the fright of her life. The balance of her account was $364,563.
Lucy squinted. That couldn’t be right! She marched into the bank and asked the teller to give her a bank statement. There it was: $364,563. “This is a mistake!” Lucy said to the teller. “You made a mistake. That’s not my money!” Mrs. Martin, the money was deposited into your account three days ago by a Mr. Matthew Frost…” the teller said. A flustered Lucy thanked the woman and ran out.
She went to the dorm, but Matthew was in class so she waited for him. There he was, walking along with his arm around a pretty girl! “Matthew!” Lucy hollered. “What is going on?” Matthew walked over to Lucy with a huge grin on his face. “I see you’ve been to the bank…” “But…but…” Lucy stammered. “Where did you get all that money?”
Matthew winked. “It was magic!” he said. “We started a Go-Fund-Me page, and every student in this college and their parents wanted to show you some love. $363,000 worth of love. You can visit your daughter, Lucy, you can help her, you can move to Arizona to be with her.”Lucy had tears in her eyes. “You crazy kids!” she choked.
“You’re crazy, crazy…” But even as she thanked Matthew, Lucy’s mind was working overtime.Maybe, just maybe, this wonderful, magical windfall could help someone else! The next day, Lucy knocked on the door of Liz’s room, and in her hand was a check for $20,000. “This is your share of my miracle,” Lucy told her. “Because you see, when life surprises you, you have to give back a little of that love…”