In this story, inspired by AmoMama readers, a boy’s act of kindness toward an old, shabby man turns out to be the best decision he’s ever made. Mason was not well off; his father had died a year before, leaving him as the man of the house. Mason was now forced to care for his mother, who was also ill. He had no siblings to assist him in any way. To make matters worse, Mason was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident.
Mason’s dreams of attending university on a football scholarship were dashed, and he now worked two jobs just to support his mother and himself. Mason worked very hard and earned very little money; finding a good job is even more difficult when you are in a wheelchair. But Mason still had one thing that made him happy. He would go to a local boot sale market once a week and spend $5 on old tapes with music from the 1970s and 1980s.
Mason had worked harder than ever that week, but the medical bills kept coming in. Mason knew his weekly meander around the market was a bad idea because he only had $5 to spend, but he went anyway. Mason’s mother, despite the fact that her son worked hard to put food on the table, was upset that he had dropped out of school. Mason, on the other hand, could not afford it.
Another argument between them erupted that Sunday morning. Mason stormed off in his wheelchair to go to the market and escape. The boot sale market was his only safe haven, the only place where he felt a smidgeon of happiness in his otherwise bleak life. As he looked around at all the old stuff, especially the old music tapes, his problems completely vanished. Mason recalled his father’s fondness for music.
Mason entered the market and took a stroll around. It was a beautiful day, and the entire establishment was busier than usual. As the smells from the food vendors filled the air, he wished he could afford a hotdog. He went to his favorite vendor, a man who sold the old tapes he loved. While going through the tapes, an old, scruffy-looking man spread a blanket on the ground, brought out some bags and suitcases, and placed a crate on the ground to use as a chair.
Nobody was interested in the old man’s suitcases, which were falling apart and mildewed. Mason couldn’t help but be intrigued, so he rolled his wheelchair over to the old man and stopped looking through the CDs. Mason questioned the man’s belief that he could sell bags in such poor condition. The Man simply replied that these suitcases were full of hope. One of his suitcases would be a dream come true for the right person.
Mason gave the old man a smile and told him that hope was exactly what he needed. He asked the old man for advice on which old suitcase would be best for him. “Young man,” the old man said cheerfully. “This here marvel is made of 100% genuine leather from the 1930s, and it’s only $5!” Mason was aware that he only had $5 in his pocket and that purchasing this old rotting suitcase would mean no new music this week.
But he took a chance and handed the old man the $5. The old man looked Mason in the eyes and told him that he deserved everything that was coming to him because he was a good person. He assisted in placing the old suitcase on Mason’s lap. It was much heavier than he had anticipated. Mason returned home, and his mother rolled her eyes as she opened the door. “More junk? Mason, are you sure? Why the hell did you buy that broken old suitcase when we can barely afford to eat?”
Mason ignored her and rolled his chair into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He tossed the old bag, which smelled like moth balls, onto his bed. Perhaps his mother was correct. What was he doing purchasing used garbage? He decided to open the bag and see what he could salvage. Mason eventually pried the rusted latch open. As he opened the suitcase, his jaw dropped. It was stuffed with cash. Hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Mason screamed, and his mother dashed into the room to see what had happened. He displayed the money in the bag to his mother. So the pair counted it that evening. That old, shabby bag held nearly $400,000 in cash. Mason’s mother immediately began discussing how they could spend it: the house could be paid off, Mason could attend college… Mason, on the other hand, felt bad and uneasy.
“But mom,” Mason mumbled. “This isn’t our money. This suitcase was sold to me for $5 by a man who appeared to be impoverished. I’m sure he had no idea about the money.” Mason had returned every week for four weeks to look for the old man since purchasing the suitcase. Unfortunately, he was not to be found. On his way home from another unsuccessful search for the man one Sunday, he noticed him about to board a bus.
He yelled but did not turn around. Mason finally yelled as loudly as he could at the man to stop. Mason explained that he had to return the bag because the man had made a terrible mistake and his money was inside. Mason received a friendly smile from the elderly gentleman. “I told you that suitcase was full of hope, and it would mean the world to the right person.” He waved and climbed onto the bus, leaving Mason speechless.