I Was A 16-year-old Orphan Hiding The Fact That I Lived Alone In A Crumbling House. I Returned A Rich Man’s Lost Wallet And He Gave Me A Job Washing Dishes. But When I Begged Him For A Massive Loan To Save My Dying Neighbor, His Reaction To Her Old Photo Left Me Speechless.

Left Alone in an Old House

Jody woke up in the middle of the night desperately fighting off a panic attack. She was dreaming again about her parents who had died a year ago in a car accident.

Jody had recently turned 16 and was living in her parents’ old house. The Garcia family had moved to New Jersey from Arkansas 10 years earlier.

Given their small income, Jody’s parents had bought an old house on the outskirts of town. The building needed repair, but the Garcia family always put it off for later, hoping that things would get better in their lives and they’d finally have some cash.

Ironically, Jody’s parents did not have the time to make her dreams come true and left their orphan daughter with the only few savings they had accumulated over the years.

Since Jody did not want to be appointed a guardian or placed in an orphanage, the 16-year-old girl decided to conceal the fact that she no longer had a family. Initially, she could live off her parents’ savings, but then she would need to find some kind of a job.

A Stroke of Luck

Deciding not to put it off, Jody began her search.

Unfortunately, it was not so easy to find one. When she became desperate, fortune smiled at her in the form of an elderly restaurant owner whose wallet she found on the steps of the entrance.

Since Jody was well-mannered, she returned it to his rightful owner without any hesitation.

“Young lady, this is the first time I’ve seen such honesty. You say you want a job? Well, if you’re not afraid of the kitchen routine, I think I can help you,” said Howard Butler, the owner of the restaurant.

The girl immediately agreed when she heard such a tempting offer.

Jody was accustomed to working in the kitchen since childhood, and she came to love the position of a dishwasher. So, thanks to the kindness of Mr. Butler, an orphan girl got a job which gave her a livelihood.

The girl worked hard and diligently and immediately earned the love of the restaurant workers. Despite the fact that she earned her first salary, Jody was still living in her parents’ old house.

The New Neighbors

One morning on her way to work, she saw the door of the house next door wide open.

Knowing that new tenants had recently moved in, Jody decided to pay them a visit. Cautiously crossing the doorstep, she felt the distinct smell of burnt food.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw a young man stirring something with a spoon in a pot on the stove. Not far away at the table sat a girl about five with mischievous blonde pigtails.

“Hi lady,” said the girl, greeting Jody who was blushing with embarrassment.

“Hello, I’m your neighbor,” she replied, trying her best to remain calm.

At that moment, the boy at the stove turned around and gave Jody a lovely smile.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Albert and this is my sister Betty,” he added as he took the burnt porridge off the stovetop.

The kitchen, modestly decorated, made it clear that there was no other food in the house.

“We’re going to feed Mama now so that we can go play. She’s sick and she can’t eat by herself,” said the girl, moving her hands through her plate.

These words surprised Jody. She initially thought that there was no one else in the house except for the kids.

A Sorrowful Past

Jody had a little free time, so after a polite exchange of goodbyes with Albert and Betty, Jody went off to work.

Today was payday for the restaurant workers and spirits were high. At the end of the day, Mr. Butler handed Jody an envelope with money.

It contained an amount that greatly exceeded her salary. The girl looked questioningly at the restaurant owner, but he only smiled.

“Take it. You know, you look so much like my Emily when she was young. I’m already 64 years old and she must be over 40 now,” said Mr. Butler sadly, wiping away the tears in his eyes.

Jody heard a sad story from the restaurant staff of how many years ago Howard Butler had a small fight with his daughter who, as revenge, ran off with her good-for-nothing fiancé to the countryside.

Since then, no more news was heard from Emily. Mr. Butler’s pride knew no bounds; for years he had hesitated to look for his daughter, expecting her to come back on her own.

Clearly, Emily was like her father in character and did not want to be the first to reconcile. This is how Howard Butler spent his life in the dark, deep down missing his daughter.

Extending a Helping Hand

After receiving his due salary, the first thing Jody did was go to the supermarket where she bought a whole bag of goodies. Jody still could picture the face of the skinny girl next door.

It must be hard for them and their sick mother. It wouldn’t hurt me to help them in any way I could, Jody thought as she headed for her neighbor’s house.

Albert and Betty were unspeakingly pleased and were able to have a proper meal today thanks to Jody.

As Albert explained in a private conversation, he, together with his mother and sister, had come from another state to start a new life and break ties with their alcoholic father who spent all the family’s modest savings on booze.

For this very reason, the boy’s mother had to work several jobs at once. As a result, the woman fell ill and was desperate to restore her health that had been ruined by her hard life.

“The doctors say my mother needs surgery but we don’t have that kind of money,” Betty said as she ate the delicacies Jody had brought her.

“If I wasn’t tied down by my mother and sister, I would find a job and earn a lot of money. So much money that it would be enough for the operation and for a normal life,” said Albert, his voice trembling with tension.

Suddenly, Jody’s heart began to ache. For so long she thought she was worse off than everyone else and she didn’t even realize that there were people living close by who were also having it rough.

“You know what? I think I can help you,” said Jody, who was already hatching an interesting idea in her head.

Albert looked at her hopefully, but Jody decided not to reveal her plan.