Two inebriated adolescents begin ʜᴀʀᴀssɪɴɢ an elderly lady on a bus until a homeless man intervenes and stops them — and it changes his life.
Molly White struggled up the steps into the bus and was relieved when she felt a strong hand under her elbow, assisting her up. She turned her head to express her gratitude and cringed.
The hand cupping her elbow belonged to a tall skinny scarecrow of a man, plainly homeless and not particularly clean. Molly yanked her arm away from the man, saying stiffly, “Thank you.”
The man smiled sadly. He was used to seeing revulsion on other people’s faces and being rejected. But Tom Carter remained himself, no matter what. He observed Molly White sat down, her bulk filling two seats.
There was something about her that made him think of his mother. His mother would have been ᴅɪsɢᴜsᴛᴇᴅ to see him in this condition. Tom headed to the back of the bus, where he could sit alone.
He leaned back and closed his eyes. He couldn’t stop thinking about his little Daisy and how she clung to him. His wife Valery was diagnosed with stage 4 ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ two years ago, and her ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ devastated their life.
Tom had spent his finances into Valery’s trєαtmєnts for 18 months, even borrowing against their home, but it had all been in vain. Valery díєd, and Tom had to sell their home to pay off their obligations.
His boss became impatient with his frequent absences as Valery’s caregiver and dismissed him. Tom had lost his home and his career in a single day, and with Valery gone, he was left with only his daughter Daisy.
After the house was sold, Tom and Daisy were forced to relocate to a one-bedroom apartment in a decaying inner-city apartment building with graffiti on the walls and the stink of human waste in the hallways.
When Child Services arrived, the unavoidable occurred: Daisy was taken away from Tom, and he could only see her by appointment at the group home. Tom soon found himself on the streets, his only luxury being a bus ticket, so he could see Daisy.
Tom was deep in thought when the sound of a booming voice caused him to open his eyes and sit up. “Looky here, driver!” exclaimed a youth Tom recognized right immediately as intoxicated. “This here lady has to pay for TWO tickets!”
The teenager stood in front of Molly, swaying and smiling. His pal, who was also young and inebriated, swaggered over.
“That’s right,” he sneered. “You gotta pay EXTRA for the extra seat!” Molly cringed and clung to her purse, and the other passengers around her studiously looked away.
She could tell that none of them would lift a finger to defend a fat old woman from these drunk teenagers, even if they intended to rob her. The first teen leaned over and jabbed her in the ᴄʜᴇsᴛ.
“You need to MOVE, lady!” he said. “My friend and I want those seats.”
Molly lifted her chin. “Young man, there are plenty of other seats empty!”
The second teen stepped forward. “Sure there are, but we want THOSE seats, and you’re gonna give them to us!” The teen reached for her and MOlly could smell the alcohol in his breath.
He was about to grab onto her when a powerful voice intervened. “Get your hands off that lady, my friend, or you and I are going to tango!”
When the teen heard that voice, he leaped back and glanced around. Molly was taken aback when she saw the homeless man who had helped her get on the bus going towards the teenagers.
The man looked a lot bigger, and he held his head high. “You two boys can go quietly, or I can help you off, but you’re getting off the bus,” he said calmly.
When the teenagers stared at him, Molly noticed a shadow of terror on their faces. It was one thing to pick on a defenseless old woman; it was quite another to get into a fight with the tall wiry man standing before them.
Tom’s clothing were torn and worn, but he moved with the confidence of a guy who knew how to look after himself. At that point, the bus came to a halt, and the two teenagers dashed down the steps, terrifiedly gazing back over their shoulders at Tommy.
Tom stepped towards Molly and asked gently, “Ma’am, did those boys hurt you? Do you need help?”
Molly looked at Tom with tears in her eyes. “I’m alright,” she said. “Thanks to you. Please, will you accompany me? Help me home?”
Tom nodded. “Of course, Ma’am. Anything I can do.”
When they got to Molly’s stop, Tom assisted her down and guided her to her apartment building. Molly requested Tom come up for a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee.
Molly scowled as she heard Tom’s story over pie and coffee. “I wonder…” she murmured, pulling out her cell phone. She began chatting to someone, inquiring if a specific job was still available, before turning to Tom with a triumphant smile.
“My son has a farm upstate, and his right-hand man just quit. He’s looking for a hardworking man and I think you might be it!”
Tom was stunned! “But…I don’t know anything about farming!”
“I told my son that, but I also told him you were strong and determined and that you could learn anything,” Molly said. “And you have a mighty big incentive to make it. Am I wrong?”
Tom shook his head with tears in his eyes. “The job comes with a pretty little cottage and a good salary, insurance, and everything,” Molly added. “I have a feeling that in a few months you’ll have your Daisy back!”
And everything worked out exactly as Molly had expected. Tom and Molly’s son worked well together, and six months later, Child Services returned Daisy to her father, and they began a new life.
