A poor mother of quintuplets got a pleasant surprise when she ran out of money at the grocery store and a stranger stepped in to help her out.
Rachel Wilson and her husband Jack were overjoyed when they found out they were expecting quintuplets. They had been trying for a baby for years, and when they welcomed five children at once, they couldn’t control their joy.
Jack Wilson was a truck driver who made a good living, so when the babies were born, it was easy for Rachel to quit her job to care for their children. Everything went well for four years; Rachel and Jack never expected things to go wrong. However, something bad happened, and Rachel was distraught.
One day, Jack left for work early in the morning and never came back. It was their anniversary, and Rachel had tried to stop him because she had a feeling something was wrong. But Jack managed to convince her. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll be home on time. I promise.”
However, Jack didn’t keep his promise. Later that evening, Rachel received a call from the police informing her that he had died in a collision with a truck. The young widow couldn’t stop sobbing, but it didn’t change anything. Jack was gone, and she had to take on the role of the man of the house.
Since her children were only four years old, she could not leave them alone at home. Hiring a nanny was out of the question, as her savings were limited and she had no income. She could not even ask for help from her neighbors, who were anything but friendly.
Distraught by the situation, Rachel was not even able to properly mourn her husband, as she quickly went to work to support her children. She began knitting scarves and hats and selling them to earn a living, but problems arose when summer came. Her talent could no longer support her, and money was scarce.
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One day, she was in a grocery store buying items for her son’s birthday, but the prices on the products made her frown. “Since when did the price of cocoa powder go up? $5 for a small one?! Ughh, I haven’t bought half of the items yet, and the total is already $50! Damn! I have to put some items back where they belong.”
She put the cocoa powder back on the shelf and picked up a pack of cocoa biscuits instead to replace the cake flavour. Then she moved on to the next aisle when one of her sons, Max, started insisting on buying her some candy. “Mom! Can you buy me some candy? Please?”
“Oh, honey!” Rachel paused. “Candy isn’t good for you. Doctors say candy hurts your teeth. Plus, it’s a little expensive, and Mommy has to make a cake for your birthday, so she’ll have to buy the ingredients.”
But the four-year-old boy didn’t want to understand. So he started crying loudly, which attracted the attention of some customers. “No, Mommy! I want it! I WANT CANDY!”
“Yes, Mom! We want candy too! PLEASE!!!” the other four boys shouted at the same time.
Rachel nearly panicked in the grocery store when everyone started staring at her, and she had to give in to her kids in the end. However, when she approached the cashier to pay the bill, another problem awaited her.
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“Is it so hard to check prices before you buy something?” the cashier, Lincy, grumbled to Rachel. “You’re $10 short, so I’m going to have to take some items off.” She picked up the chocolate chip cookies, candy bars, and a few other items. Then she started to prepare the bill, but Rachel stopped her.
“Oh, please don’t take those items away. Umm… let’s do one thing. I’ll take the bread away and….” Rachel started choosing which items to take away.
Help can sometimes come from unexpected places.
Meanwhile, Max had wandered off to the milk carton aisle, but Rachel was too busy to notice. He was walking around when he bumped into an elderly woman. “Hello, young man! I’m Mrs. Simpson. What’s your name? And what are you doing here all alone?” she asked kindly, smiling at him.
“Hello, Mrs. Simpson. My name is Max, and I am four years old. How old are you?”
The older woman blushed. “I’m just a little older than you, Max. Let’s say 70? Where’s your mother?”
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“Mom is arguing with someone. She says mom doesn’t have enough money and we have to leave some products.”
“Oh, is that right?” Mrs. Simpson asked worriedly. “Can you take me to see your mom?”
The boy nodded and rushed to the checkout with Mrs. Simpson. Meanwhile, the cashier grew impatient with Rachel and snapped at her.
“Listen, lady! If you can’t afford stuff, don’t come here in the first place! Now, move! There are other customers waiting their turn!” She pushed Rachel’s bag aside and motioned for the next customer to come over to her. “Next!”
“No, please wait…” Rachel had just started to speak when a voice behind her cut her off.
“There’s no need to remove these items. Your bill is already paid!” Mrs. Simpson approached Lincy and handed him her credit card. “Bring all the items, including the ones you removed. I’ll pay.”
“Oh no, please,” Rachel interjected. “I’m afraid I can’t take that from you. It’s okay.”
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“Don’t worry, it’s okay,” the older woman insisted, and Rachel finally agreed.
As they settled their bills and walked out of the store, Rachel couldn’t help but thank her. “Thank you so much for helping us out. I’m sorry I can’t pay you back right away, but come see us sometime. Here’s my address,” she said, handing her a note with her address on it. “I’d like to buy you some tea and cookies. I make really good cookies.”
“Oh, that’s really nice of you, young lady!” the elderly woman replied. “See you soon, Max! Bye-bye, boys!” she added before leaving.
The boys waved back, and Rachel was puzzled when Mrs. Simpson mentioned Max’s name in particular. “Do you know Mrs. Simpson, honey?” she asked Max kindly.
“Yes, mom! I told her you were arguing with someone, so she helped you.”
“Oh, she’s so adorable!” Rachel thought as she walked back to her car.
The next day, there was a knock at her door. “Oh, Mrs. Simpson! Please come in. You’ve come at just the right time! I just made cookies,” Rachel said, showing her the way inside.
When the elderly woman sat down, Rachel brought her biscuits and a cup of tea. “Oh, you didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” she replied, taking the cup of tea. “Do you live alone with your children?”
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“Actually, my husband passed away last year, so I’ve been raising my children alone ever since. Unfortunately, I’m not working at the moment, so we don’t have much money. I had a small business selling knitted sweaters and hats, but no one buys them in the summer, and I’m still looking for a job.”
“In that case, why don’t you join me in my clothing store?” the elderly woman suggested. “I need an assistant and I would be delighted to have you. Don’t worry, I can take care of your children. My husband died many years ago, and we never had children. So I’m just an old lady counting down the days until God takes her.”
“Oh my God, Mrs. Simpson!” Rachel cried. “How am I going to repay your kindness? Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“You can do the same for me, dear,” Mrs. Simpson smiled. “All you have to do is make me a nice cup of tea every night. Deal?”
“Of course, Mrs. Simpson!” Rachel said, wiping away her tears. She started working at Mrs. Simpson’s store the very next day. And after months, the mother was promoted to supervisor.
When she showed Ms. Simpson her design samples one day, the older woman recommended she start a side business and encouraged her to share some of her work on social media.
You won’t believe it, but Rachel’s designs went viral all over social media, and a famous designer soon offered her a job. But Rachel turned down the offer because she didn’t want to leave her job at Mrs. Simpson’s store. She now lives with Mrs. Simpson, and her children affectionately call the elderly woman Grandma Simpson.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
- Help can sometimes come in unexpected ways . When Rachel ran out of money, Mrs. Simpson stepped in to help her.
- Kindness is like a boomerang, it always comes back to you in one form or another . Mrs. Simpson was left all alone after her husband died, but after helping Rachel, she gained a loving family and five adorable grandsons.
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