“Miss, it’s fine. If you have another seat in economy, I’ll take it,” I quietly told the kind flight attendant. “I spent all my savings on this seat, but it’s better not to inconvenience others.”
“No, ma’am,” the flight attendant shook her head.
“You paid for this seat, and you deserve to be here. No one has the right to make you feel otherwise.”
Then, she turned to Franklin. “Sir, if you don’t settle down, I’ll have security remove you from this plane.”
I could hear him grumbling under his breath as he reluctantly sat down.
Thank God, I thought. Thank God it’s over. I tried to relax after the plane took off, but I was still shaken by the confrontation.
My hands were trembling and I accidentally knocked my purse onto the floor. My heart skipped a beat as the contents spilled everywhere. But to my surprise, Franklin leaned over and started picking them up.
His earlier hostility seemed to have faded a little. “This is a beautiful piece,” he remarked as he picked up my ruby locket. “It belonged to my mother,” I replied, gently taking it back from him.
“My father gave it to her before he left for World War II. He promised he’d return, but he never did.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said as his expression softened. “It was the only thing we had of him after he disappeared,” I continued.
“My mother treasured it her whole life and passed it on to me. I’ve held onto it through some very tough times.”
Franklin nodded. “You know, I owe you an apology for earlier,” he confessed.
“I’ve been going through a rough patch, but that’s no excuse for how I treated you. I’m sorry.”
I accepted his apology, feeling the tension between us ease. Then, I opened up about why I was on the plane.
“I’m actually flying to New York because of my son,” I said. “You’re going to visit him?” Franklin asked. “No, I won’t be seeing him… not directly,” I began.
“You see, I gave him up for adoption many years ago. I wasn’t in a position to take care of him at the time.”
“I found him through one of those DNA tests later, but he didn’t want to reconnect,” I continued. “Today is his birthday, and this flight is my only chance to be near him.
He’s the pilot on this flight.”
Franklin’s eyes widened in surprise, and he sat back, absorbing what I’d just said. “I don’t even think he knows I’m here,” I whispered. This was the closest I’d been to my son in decades, and yet, he was completely unaware.
The next few hours passed quietly. As we neared our destination, the pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll be landing at JFK shortly,” he announced.
But then, to my shock, his voice continued, “Before we land, I want to make a special announcement. My birth mother is on this flight today. It’s her first time flying, and I’d like to welcome her aboard.
Hey, Mom, please wait for me after we land.”
That was the point I realized he knew I was there. Tears welled up in my eyes as I covered my mouth with my hand. When the plane landed, the moment I had dreamed of for so long finally arrived.
My son, Josh, stepped out of the cockpit and walked straight toward me. The entire cabin erupted in applause as he wrapped his arms around me. “Thank you, Mom,” he whispered in my ear.
“Thank you for everything.”
And just like that, all the years of distance and heartache melted away. 3. I Was Kicked Out of a Luxury Store, but a Kind Cop Brought Me Back Later
“Grandma, I don’t care about prom!” my granddaughter, Anne, said through the phone, trying to sound indifferent.
I knew her well, though. She was embarrassed because we didn’t have enough money to buy a dress. My daughter, Lisa, and I scraped by on our limited incomes, and Anne didn’t want to ask for help.
But I wasn’t about to let her miss out on such an important moment. “Are you sure, sweetie? Prom can change your life!
Your grandfather asked me to his out of the blue, and we were married months later,” I told her, hoping she’d reconsider. “Grandma, it’s fine. I don’t even have a date,” she replied and soon hung up.
After that call, I decided I wouldn’t let her stay at home. I had been saving a little bit of my pension every month for my funeral costs, but this was more important. Anne deserved a beautiful dress for her prom, so I decided to buy one for her.
I went to a fancy boutique at the mall the next day. I was admiring one of the dresses when a saleswoman approached me. “Can I help you… uh, ma’am?” she asked, looking me up and down with disdain.
“I’m looking for a dress for my granddaughter’s prom,” I said with a smile. “Well, these dresses are quite expensive. Perhaps you’d be better off shopping at Target,” she suggested, crossing her arms.
I understood what she was trying to imply. She didn’t think I belonged there because of how I looked. “I know they’re expensive.
I’m just going to browse around, okay?” I responded, trying to remain calm. The saleswoman followed me around the store, throwing more insults. “Hey, you!
You can really get it at Target in your price range. This is simply too much!” the saleswoman insisted. “By the way, we have cameras everywhere.
You won’t be able to stash anything in that ugly old bag of yours!”
I wasn’t expecting that. I felt so hurt and ashamed, so I hurried out of the store. I couldn’t hold back my tears and started crying standing outside the store.
Suddenly, a kind voice interrupted me. “Ma’am, are you alright?” A young police officer named George asked. His face darkened after I explained what had happened.
“That’s unacceptable! Let’s go back in and get you that dress,” he said firmly, taking my hand and leading me back to the boutique. The moment we walked in, the saleswoman saw us and changed her attitude instantly.
“Oh, officer, how can I help you?” she asked sweetly. “We’re here to buy a dress, and we’re not leaving without one,” George replied. As I picked out a beautiful dress for Anne, I heard George complain to the manager.
I felt a bit terrible when I saw the saleswoman being scolded. But that day, I realized it’s people like George who make this world a better place. I could’ve never bought a dress for Anne if it wasn’t for his kindness.
