Man Gives A Boy $30. 20 Years Later, A Millionaire Comes Knocking…

A Chance Meeting on the Bus

Michael used public transportation almost every day, but he never thought he’d meet the love of his life on the bus. At the time, he was working in the steel mill and, often after a hard shift, he liked to sleep on the bus on his way home. Michael’s co-workers would often push Michael by the shoulder to make sure he didn’t miss his stop.

Today, though, Michael was alone, and there was no one there to wake him. From the looks of things, Michael would have eventually ended up at the final stop where he’d have to walk 30 minutes back home. But at that moment, a pleasant female voice plucked Michael from the sweet embrace of sleep.

“Young men, it’s time for you to get up, or you might miss your stop.”

Michael opened his eyes in surprise to see a beautiful girl sitting in the chair next to him.

“Oh, thank you. How do you know what my stop was?” he asked in surprise.

The girl burst out laughing and said that it wasn’t her first time on the bus with them. She lived one stop after Michael, so she knew more or less when and where he had to get off. They exchanged a few words and felt an obvious affinity for each other. That evening, Michael stayed on the bus a bit longer to see his companion home at the next stop, who, as it turned out, was named Sarah.

Building a Life Together

As they walked, they talked about everything there was to talk about, and when they parted, they arranged to meet up the next day. Sarah and Michael began to date, and six months later, they decided to get married. They were a beautiful couple, attracting admiration and pleasant smiles from passersby.

Two years later, the loving couple had a daughter, Diane, who immediately became the meaning of life for the young parents. The girl’s carefree childhood was tarnished only by the frequent illness of her mother, who for some unknown reason showed signs of lung disease. Usually, Sarah sought treatment at home, always postponing appointments for unspecified periods of time.

“Sarah, I think you should see a doctor. How much longer are you going to suffer?” Michael said with concern in his voice.

“Honey, how can I leave the two of you? I’d have to stay at the clinic for tests, and Diane is only four years old. When she’s a little older, we can come back to this conversation,” said Sarah as she tried to put on an upbeat tone to her voice.

A Tragic Loss

Perhaps if Michael had known where Sarah would end up with this kind of disregard for her health, he never would have agreed to postpone the doctor’s visit. Trouble came to the Patterson family one month after the unfortunate conversation. On that fateful morning, Sarah felt lightheaded and dizzy.

Deciding she could manage on her own, she continued to rummage around in the kitchen as if nothing was wrong. But by noon, her condition had worsened, and Michael had to call an ambulance. On the way to the hospital, Sarah slipped into a coma and was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit. Upon arrival, doctors trying to calm Michael down assured him that everything would be okay.

“Dad, is Mom going to be okay? Who’s going to make pancakes and do my hair in the morning?” asked Diana, who decided to visit her mother the next day with her father.

“Well, of course she’ll be okay, honey,” Michael answered, clutching a bouquet of his wife’s favorite flowers in his hands.

But when the father and daughter entered the lobby of the hospital, the nurse on duty stopped them and did not let them go further. A few minutes later, an elderly doctor came out and, taking Michael’s hand trustingly, said:

“Mr. Patterson, we are very sorry, but your wife died half an hour ago. We’re sorry for your loss. There was nothing we could have done. At this point, treatment was sought too late, and most of your wife’s lungs were infected with the illness already. Be strong.”

Michael did not hear the doctor’s last words, for he was already halfway out the hospital doors, tossing the now useless bouquet into the nearby trash can. He cried softly, Diane by his side.

“Daddy, Daddy, why are you crying, and where is Mommy? Why did you lie to me and tell me everything would be all right?” four-year-old Diane asked anxiously.

But Michael, trying to cope with the despair that overwhelmed him, did not know what to say to his daughter, who had lost her beloved mother half an hour before.