To feed a starving boy, a waitress runs to the busy diner across the street and gets a sandwich for him. In return, the boy does her job for her, and she has no clue about it until she arrives at the diner later that day.

Melissa was your typical American woman and a single mom of three struggling to get by amidst the inflation and skyrocketing prices of daily goods. To support her children, she worked two jobs, one of which was waitressing at a small diner in her hometown during the weekdays. On weekends, she worked at a friend’s hair salon.
One morning, Melissa was preparing for the diner’s opening when a 12-year-boy approached her and ordered the biggest burger at the restaurant. Melissa looked at him apologetically because it was way before their opening hours, and she couldn’t get him anything as the pantry was yet to be stocked and the kitchen was being prepared for the day.
“Sorry, kid,” she said. “I guess you’ll have to try another place today. We are yet to open for the day.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
The boy pursed his lips and looked around. “I am new to this place, and I don’t know where else I can eat. Mom is sick, and I’m starving. She gave me money to get a burger and told me to come here. Are there any good places around here?”
Melissa deliberated for a while, and then it struck her. A diner across the street opened early every day and was often packed with locals in queues, desperate to grab their breakfast first. If the kid went there alone, it would take him forever to get his food, so Melissa decided to go there herself.
“Just wait here, alright? I’ll be right back.”
Melissa dashed over to the diner across the street, and because she knew a fellow waiter there, she got a double chicken sandwich for the boy in no time. She also got him a drink and a side of fries.
“Here you go! They didn’t have burger buns, but they made you a delicious chicken sandwich. Would you like to sit here and eat?”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
The boy grinned. “Thanks. I can’t carry everything home, so I’ll eat here. How much was it?”
“You just need to pay for the sandwich,” she replied, smiling. “The fries and drink are on me.”
The boy introduced himself as Jerry and paid Melissa some cash before devouring the delicious meal. To keep him company while he was eating, Melissa talked to him while doing her work simultaneously.
“You can call me Melissa. Do you live nearby?” she asked.

Jerry nodded. “My mom and I moved here only three weeks back. My dad will be joining us soon. I wish he were here. Mom has to manage everything on her own, and her office hours are LOOONG!! I’m tired of helping her all the time!”

Melissa grinned as she laid down the menus on the tables. “You’re such a sweet boy, Jerry! So many children don’t help their parents, but you do. I appreciate that, and I’m sure your mother does as well. I have three children, and my worst fear is to see them go hungry, so I work hard for them, just like your mother does for you.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“My mom is the best!” Jerry said, taking a big bite of the sandwich. “But she’s sometimes too busy, and I hate that. She doesn’t get to spend time with me!”
“Well,” Melissa sighed. “I guess that’s the case with almost every working mom, Jerry. I rarely get to spend time with my children. My neighbor helps me look after them when I’m not home, and by the time I return, they’re already asleep. It takes quite a while to finish my work here, including cleaning the diner, so I often get home late.”
“That’s sad. You should finish your work quickly!” Jerry said as he devoured his sandwich.
Melissa smiled awkwardly. “I so wish I could, Jerry.”
“Anyways, I’m going to leave. I’ll have my fries and drink at home. I remembered just now mom told me to be home soon. Bye!”
“Walk back home safely. It was nice meeting you,” Melissa told Jerry. Then she cleaned the table where he was eating and returned to her work.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
That day turned out to be busier than usual at the diner, and Melissa was exhausted by the time she got home. She was only planning on taking a short afternoon nap when she slumped on her bed, but she awoke barely minutes before she had to leave for work again. Her kids were busy watching a movie, so they didn’t disturb her while she was sleeping.
To earn some extra money, Melissa had very recently started working evening shifts at the diner, which needed to be cleaned before it closed for the day. Before leaving, she called her neighbor who babysat her children and told her she would be late since the day had been busier than usual at the diner, and she would have to spend more time cleaning the place.
However, when she arrived at the diner, she saw something unexpected. The tables were neatly set with menu cards and cleaned for the next day, the floors were shining bright as if someone had already cleaned them, and Jerry was standing beside the tables holding a mop.
“Jerry?” she asked, surprised. “What are you doing here at this hour? You should be home!”
“Don’t worry, Melissa! I asked permission from mom. I wanted to help you because you helped me in the morning, so I thought I could clean this place up. Your manager helped me too! Now you can spend time with your children and make a good dinner for them. I guess I did a good job!” he rubbed the back of his head, grinning.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Oh, Jerry….” Melissa whispered, teary-eyed. “It’s perfect! Thank you! Thank you so much, honey. But you really didn’t need to.”
Jerry gave her a bright smile. “It’s okay. You don’t need to thank me! I just did what you taught me — to help someone in need!”
Before Jerry left the diner that day, Melissa thanked him again and gave him a hug. And at home that night, she had a wonderful time with her children. Just because she was home early than usual, she made their favorite food for dinner and read them a story after she tucked them in their beds.
“Today’s story is about a good boy named Jerry,” she began. “Jerry was hungry one day, so he visited a restaurant… And what he did proved that what goes around comes around…”
What can we learn from this story?

Children quickly pick up on our actions; if we are kind and help others, they learn to be kind too. When Melissa met a hungry Jerry for the first time, she didn’t hesitate to help him. Moved by her kindness, Jerry cleaned the restaurant for her so she could spend time with her kids.
A little help costs nothing but goes a long way. Melissa’s help motivated Jerry to do something nice for her. And now, through Jerry’s story, Melissa’s kids will learn the importance of helping others too.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a kind ice-cream seller who did something heartwarming for two children when they couldn’t afford ice cream and were being mocked for it.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.