Max Wilson, 55, cleaned dishes excitedly as he stared out the small window of an Italian restaurant’s kitchen in frigid New York City during a light snowstorm. He noted that the folks on the street were having a good time and wondered if they didn’t have the same problems he did: his mother was unwell, and he was working additional hours to make ends meet.”Someday, things will change for me too. “Hope certainly brings change,” Max told himself as he finished his task and gazed out at the frigid metropolis.
Max’s life as a dishwasher in a restaurant boils down to two things: washing dishes and a desire to deal with responsibilities. When he had some free time, his employer would send him to the tables to take orders, which occasionally resulted in more tips. When there wasn’t enough staff, the manager requested him to take instructions. But then Max noticed an old woman near the restaurant, surprised and carrying a suitcase. “What happened to her?” Max wondered himself, staring at her.
“Table 9, Max!” the chef called out, and after finishing the order, Max noted that the old woman stayed in place. He noticed she was dressed inappropriately for the weather and felt compelled to assist. Max’s heart was flooded with sympathy for the elderly woman, so he decided to approach her. He left the restaurant and requested the waiter to take his orders. “May I assist you, ma’am?” He queried as he approached. “Are you waiting for someone?”
With hope in her eyes, the woman said, “Yes, my son was meant to pick me up, but he was stopped at work. I wanted a location to wait, but I am not familiar with the city.” “Ma’am, you’ve met the right person,” Max said, smiling. “I work in a local restaurant. Would you like to drink some coffee while you wait for your son?” “That would be wonderful,” the woman said. Max noticed her trouble walking and offered to help, as well as her worn-out shoes and his boots to keep her warm.
As the woman sat in the restaurant, Max gave her coffee and took off her shoes. “Your shoes are really worn, ma’am. Let me lend you mine. She was moved by his thoughtfulness and told him about her treasured shoes. Following greetings, Max and the wife, Stella, talked until her son, Andres came. Max declined his offer of money to assist his mother. The next day, Max found a lottery ticket and wondered what to do with it.
“I’m concerned about finding the owner and possibly losing it. But let’s give it a shot,” Max decided, taking a chance and heading to the nearest store, hoping for the best. When Max checked the serial number, he nearly exclaimed in amazement. “Wow! You won the lottery! $5,000 is yours. Congratulations!” “What?” Max exclaimed with wide eyes. “Is this for real? “Of course, yes!” the merchant told him.
After obtaining his reward, Max silently thanked God. But in reality, the lottery ticket he discovered was purposefully left behind by Andres, the son of the old woman he had assisted the day before.It came out that it was not even a legitimate lottery ticket! Everything was planned to thank Max for his kindness to his mother. Although Max had no idea what a great act he had done by lending his boots to a stranger in the cold, Stella and her son deeply appreciated his charity and decided to honor him in some way.