A poor older man is unexpectedly rewarded for the kindness he showed to a stranger when he steps out of his house one morning and finds a brand new sports car instead of his old one.80-year-old Gregory Smith stood on his front porch, dumbfounded. He pinched himself twice to ensure he wasn’t dreaming and called out to his wife, Cynthia, as he stared at the contents of the envelope in his hand and then at the gleaming sports car in front of his house!
“Cynthia! Cynthia! Come here quickly!” he shouted, his hands trembling with anxiety at the sight of the new car and his old one gone. “What’s the matter with you, Gregory?” Cynthia emerged from inside, drying her hands on a towel and frowning. “I burnt the pancake because of you! If you don’t know, we were down to our last packet of pancake mix! And you’re just standing here? When are you planning on going to the grocery store?”
Gregory waved his hand dismissively. “Look at this, Cynthia,” he said, showing her the envelope he had found on their front porch. “There were car keys inside the envelope and our old car is gone! Look over there,” he added, pointing outdoors where he had parked his old car last night. “That’s a brand new car! Who could have done this? What should I do now?””And there’s no note inside or anything indicating who sent this?” Cynthia asked, confused.
“I had already checked the envelope twice. There aren’t any! What should we do—” A car honk cut Gregory off before he could finish his sentence. He noticed his old car parked in front of his house and a man stepping out of it when he looked out the front door. Gregory’s eyes welled up when he realized who the man was. “Oh my gosh! Cynthia, he kept his word! “Turning to face her, he said. Cynthia smiled, as if she knew what was about to happen.
Gregory received a warm hug from the man. “Gregory, how are you doing? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” “Jack? Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it… I’m perfectly fine, dear. How are you doing? And please assure me that you did not do this! “He sobbed and hugged him back. “Gregory, I had no choice. After what you’ve done for me… Who, after all, is so kind these days? And you can’t entirely blame me for it. Mrs. Smith assisted me in carrying out the plan “He smiled as he spoke.
“I obviously did not take him seriously! But now that I see that gleaming new car outside our door, I’m sorry.” To be honest, darling, I tried to refuse him “Cynthia informed Gregory. “But this boy was deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafening And it was so difficult to play along! Isn’t it true that I’m a terrible actor? “Jack laughed as she asked, her nose scrunched. “Not at all, Mrs. Smith!”
Gregory repeatedly shook his head. “So this old man was duped and had no idea? Oh, what should I say….” Cynthia and Jack both laughed. Cynthia finally said, “Alright, alright, enough talking.” “We can’t just let Jack go because he’s come all the way here for us. Come in and join us for breakfast, Jack, and no need to go shopping, Gregory. We have enough groceries to last at least a week…
It was all part of the plan,” she chuckled as she walked inside, Jack close behind her. As everyone sat at the dining table, Cynthia served breakfast and Jack began to recall his first encounter with Gregory. Cynthia knew bits and pieces of their story, but she wasn’t aware of the entire episode. “So three weeks ago, Mrs. Simpson,” Jack began. “I met your husband at the airport. I was meant to fly the same flight as him to see my wife.
She was in labor and I was very worried. In my anxiety, I didn’t realize I got the date wrong on my ticket. It was for the next day. I only realized it while checking in. “Because there were no more seats available that day, Gregory offered me his ticket and said, ‘Boy, you NEED to be with your wife! Use my ticket and I’ll use yours.””Okay,” Cynthia said slowly, nodding. “I know about the ticket swap. But what about the cars?
I’m still wondering what this car exchange has to do with anything….”Gregory chuckled. “That’s another interesting part…Before we went to the check-in, Jack and I had met in the waiting room. We were casually talking, honey, and I mentioned that we were still paying off loans, so we can’t afford a new car, and how our old one is giving us problems… After we exchanged tickets, this boy said, ‘Today we switched tickets; in a few weeks, we’ll exchange cars, that’s a promise!’
“I clearly didn’t take him seriously! But now that I see that shiny new car parked outside our door, I regret telling him we wanted a new car. Before departing, he took my address, and look what he’s done! We can’t keep it, Jack. We value your intentions, but this is unnecessary, boy…”Cynthia nodded. “Gregory is right. We won’t be able to keep the car. I didn’t think much when you met with me yesterday and told me about this whole surprise, but I regret saying yes.
Please, this isn’t necessary….”But Jack shook his head. “Trust me; it’s nothing in return for what you did. Because of your husband, I got to be with my wife and baby. Please, I would feel bad if you turned down my present. I insist….” Gregory and Cynthia couldn’t say no to Jack. They accepted the car, but Jack’s generosity did not end there.
He was aware that after Gregory retired, he and Cynthia were struggling to pay off their loans, and as a result, they’d been unable to complete their house repairs. So Jack took care of it for them. And one day, he came to visit them with his wife and baby daughter. While they live in different cities, the Smiths feel like they’ve become a blended family with Jack. The young man checks on them every now and then and makes sure they don’t miss out on anything, especially after learning the old couple didn’t have any children of their own.