Cashier gets fired serving hungry old lady after store hours, later boss finds out she was his mother – Story of the day
A young man who works in a grocery store is fired for serving an elderly lady after closing time. Then his angry boss finds out who the hungry customer was.
“You are fired!” shouted George Martell. “DISCHARGED!”
Quartermaster Hallson gritted his teeth. His life has not been easy. His mother was on disability and his father had died just as he was about to start college. Steward worked two shifts to support his mother, and now he’s been fired.
Steward had no one to blame but himself. He knew when he broke George’s rules what he was risking, and yet he would do it again…
Steward worked at the grocery store to support her mother. | Source: Unsplash
It had all started late the night before when Steward was closing the till. The store’s phone rang and Steward answered, “Martell’s Grocery!”
“Hello,” said a woman’s voice. “I wanted to place an order for immediate delivery…”
Never forget that the stranger you are helping is someone’s beloved family.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Steward said. “I’m afraid we just closed and all of our delivery staff are gone.”
“Oh no!” cried the woman. “Is there a possibility you’re making an exception? You see, I just got back from a long trip. My son was supposed to bring me some groceries, but he apparently forgot. I don’t even have a liter of milk or a crust of bread in the house, and I’m so hungry!”
Steward closed the store after the night shift. | Source: Unsplash
Steward thinks quickly. “Listen, ma’am,” he said. “It’s against store policy, but…give me your address and I’ll bring you some groceries.”
He quickly packed a bag of groceries with bread, milk, eggs, honey, fruits and some vegetables. Then he took the keys to one of the delivery scooters and drove off to deliver the order.
When he arrived, he was surprised to see that the woman was in her 80s, with a bright smile and a young voice. “There, ma’am,” Steward said.
“How much I owe you?” asked the woman.
Steward shrugged. “I had already closed the till, ma’am,” he explained. “So this time it’s in the house.”
A desperate customer called to request a delivery. | Source: Unsplash
The woman came forward and kissed Steward on the cheek. “Young man, you will go far!”
Unfortunately, it seemed like she was very wrong. Steward wasn’t going far. He was laid off and on his way to the unemployment line. “You took one of the delivery scoters!” shouted George. “Our insurance does not cover you! »
“Mr. Martell,” Steward tries to explain. “Nothing happened…”
“I do not care!” George snapped. “You broke the rules! You’re not supposed to ride! And where is the money for delivery?
The steward blushed. “Well, the till was already closed, and the woman was hungry and desperate. So I didn’t blame her…”
The steward prepared provisions for the starving woman. | Source: Unsplash
“You didn’t charge her?” Am I a charity? George turned purple with rage. “I don’t care if she WAS starving! You’re FIRED! FIRED!”
That’s when a quiet voice interrupted George’s rant: “I’m the starving woman you don’t care about, George!”
George turned around and his mouth dropped open. “Mom?” He was panting. “But what?”
“Twenty-six years ago, your father and I opened this store,” the old lady said. “We were part of that community, and that community made us successful.
“We swore we’d be there for anyone who needed us! You don’t seem to get that, George! In the two years you’ve been running the store, you haven’t shown any community spirit. You could learn from that young man you’re trying to shoot!”
Steward took one of the scooters from the store. | Source: Unsplash
“But Mom…” George gasped.
“Don’t ‘Mom’ me!” said the woman. “I’m still the owner of this store and I’m promoting this young man to night manager.”
The promotion came with a big raise and great benefits. Steward’s mother was delighted.
At first, George and Steward had trouble getting along. But over time, George learned to appreciate Steward’s talent for dealing with customers. The store had more and more customers, and they kept coming back.
“You could learn from that young man you’re trying to fire!” | Source: Unsplash
Ms. Martell made sure Steward went to college and got an MBA. George and his mother opened a second, then third store, and soon Steward was running a chain of seven grocery stores.
At the eighth store opening, Steward dedicated her success to her mother. “Everything I have, everything I’ve achieved was only possible because of how you raised me,” he said. “Thanks Mom!”
What can we learn from this story?
- Always treat everyone kindly and you will be rewarded with kindness. Steward’s gesture towards the unknown was rewarded with a level of success he had never imagined.
- Every stranger is someone’s mother or father, son or daughter. Never forget that the stranger you are helping is someone’s beloved family and worthy of consideration.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you liked this story you might like the story of a bookstore clerk who fires a poor woman who is hanging around the shop reading books and is shocked when her boss walks out of the store after her .
This piece is inspired by stories from the daily lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or places is purely coincidental. All images are for illustrative 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.
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