A son discovers his mother’s will and what he reads in it makes him tell her to pack her bags immediately and get ready to leave his house.
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Gerald Nizbit stared at the text on his screen in astonishment, then he picked up the phone. “Helen,” he said crisply to his assistant. “Get me my lawyer on the phone, then Margaret Pratt, then my mother — in that order!”
Helen had been Gerald’s personal assistant for ten years, and she knew he wasn’t a particularly patient man, so she immediately started calling his attorney. In his office, Gerald was staring at the screen and shaking his head in disbelief. Oh, he was going to pay her back for this!
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
Finally, Helen managed to get hold of the lawyer and put him through. “Sam,” said Gerald crisply. “Old boy, I just wanted to advise you that you committed a faux pas! You sent me my mother’s will for approval instead of sending it to her.”
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On the other side of the line, the lawyer blustered his apologies and embarrassment, but Gerald had said what he wanted to say so he quickly dismissed him and hung up. He sat staring out of his huge floor-to-ceiling window at the snowy New York skyline until the phone rang again.
This time it was Margaret Pratt. Gerald outlined his requirements succinctly, and told her, “I want it for today, Miss Pratt.” He listened to her objecting on the other side of the line then interjected.
“If you can’t get it sorted, I’ll go to someone who can.” The response on the other side of the line made him smile grimly. “This afternoon then, at 17:00,” he said and hung up.
He picked up the internal phone. “Helen, you can get me my mother now,” he said.
Within seconds, the ever-efficient Helen was patching through Mrs. Edith Nezbit. “Mother!” Gerald said. “Have two things to tell you. First of all Sam Kelson sent me your new will by mistake…and I want you to pack your bags immediately.”
Sitting in the lounge of Gerald’s gorgeous house where she lived with him Edith was speechless. “Gerald…Are you upset about the will? Please let me explain…”
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For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
True value is what is attributed by the heart.
“I don’t need your explanations, Mother, I need you to have your bags packed and be ready to leave by 16:00,” Gerald said, and hung up. Edith sat there with her heart pounding. She’d thought Gerald would understand!
He was the youngest of her three children, and the one who’d always stood by her, helped her through the difficulties of life, and when Edith’s arthritis threatened to cripple her this last year, even though she was only 62, had taken her home to live with him.
Edith went upstairs to her room and packed her bags. Yes, she’d left all her money to her two older children, but she honestly thought Gerald would understand. Edith stared at her suitcase with tears blurring her vision.
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She had hurt her most beloved and kindest child! She had to explain! Edith called Gerald’s housekeeper to help her with her suitcase and went downstairs to wait anxiously for Gerald.
At 16:00 there he was, punctual as ever. He walked in, gave her a brief peck on the cheek and Edith cried, “Please Gerald. let me explain!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
“I don’t have time for explanations, Mother. Come,” he said. “Everything is arranged.” He picked up Edith’s bag and carried it out to his car and put it in his trunk. Edith got into the car without a word.
Gerald drove without saying a word. “Where are we going, Gerald?” Edith asked, but Gerald chose that exact moment to turn on the radio and didn’t answer her. Edith looked around. She’d never been to this part of the city before…
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“Listen, Gerald, about the will…” Edith said bravely.
“Oh, the will!” said Gerald, glancing over at his mother and frowning. “The will in which you leave your house and $120,000 in savings to be divided between Amy and Oliver, and I get the old cabin by the lake and grandfather’s photos from the war, and dad’s watch?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
“Yes…” whispered Edith. “You see…” But right then Gerald stopped the car. They had arrived at what appeared to be a small private airport, and a sleek private jet was waiting.
Gerald turned to Edith, and there were tears in his eyes. “Oh, mom, I understand about the house and the money. Amy and Oliver are struggling and I have more money than I could ever spend.
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“But what you are leaving me, mom, shows me how well you understand me. You know exactly what is important to me and close to my heart. I have all the money I need but the memories you are giving me are precious!”
“But Gerald…” gasped Edith. “I thought you were kicking me out!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
Gerald grinned. “No such luck! I’m taking you to Tahiti for two weeks. I think it would do your arthritis the world of good, and I could use some quality time with my mom!”
Edith embraced her youngest — and secretly her favorite son, with tears in her eyes. He’d understood! Edith knew that her father and her husband’s keepsakes would be cherished and passed on lovingly by Gerald.
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The two spent a lovely time in Tahiti, and Gerald got himself a tan and even met a lovely girl who was also on vacation and came from New York and it looked to Edith like maybe she wouldn’t have to wait too long for those grandchildren after all!
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
- Don’t judge people’s intentions by your own fears. Edith was afraid her son would be angry over her will so she thought he was throwing her out.
- True value is what is attributed by the heart not what something costs. For Gerald, the photos, the watch, and the old cabin were more precious than millions of dollars.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
Customer Mocked Me Because I Work as a Cashier at the Grocery Store — Moments Later Karma Took Revenge for Me
Erin’s life changes completely when her husband’s affair is revealed. In a turn of events, she loses her job and takes the role of a cashier at the local grocery store. Everything is fine until an entitled customer comes into the store, forcing Erin to keep calm and professional.
My life took a complete turn at 38 years old. I’m a mother to three kids: Emma (15), Jack (9), and Sophie (7), and I’ve gone from being a project manager at a mid-sized tech company while raising my children to working in a grocery store.
Freezers in a grocery store | Source: Pexels
This is what happened.
The first cracks came in gradually, all stemming from James, my husband.
“James, are you coming to bed?” I asked one night as he sat on the couch, staring blankly at the TV.
A man sitting on a chair | Source: Pexels
“In a bit,” he muttered, not looking up. “Just need to finish this.”
“Finish what? The TV’s off.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, before lying flat.
“Work stuff, Erin. Can we not do this right now?”
A man lying flat on a couch | Source: Pexels
I could sense something was wrong, but amidst the chaos of work and family, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then, one devastating evening, I discovered the truth. James had been having an affair.
“How could you do this to us?” I cried, tears streaming down my face. “To the kids?”
A silhouette of a couple | Source: Pexels
James looked down, unable to meet my gaze.
“I’m sorry, Erin. I never meant for it to get this far.”
The stress from the divorce piled onto the already immense pressure at work. My job’s demands became unbearable as I tried to navigate the emotional wreckage of my home.
A crying woman | Source: Pexels
The focus and sharpness I once prided myself on were slipping away, and I struggled to keep up with the relentless pace of my job.
“Erin, I need those reports by the end of the day,” my manager, Lisa, reminded me gently. “I know things are tough right now, but we need to stay on track.”
A woman sitting at a table | Source: Unsplash
“I’m trying, Lisa,” I replied, my voice shaky. “It’s just… everything is falling apart.”
And it all became too much. Lisa, though sympathetic to my situation, was left with no choice when my productivity plummeted.
A woman looking at her laptop and holding her head | Source: Pexels
“Erin, we have to let you go,” Lisa said, her eyes full of regret. “I tried to keep you, but my hands were tied on this one. I’m so sorry.”
Losing my job felt like the final blow in a series of relentless hardships. The financial strain only added to the emotional burden of my divorce.
A woman holding her head | Source: Pexels
I knew that I had to find another job quickly to support my children, but the job market was tough, and positions that matched my qualifications and previous salary were few and far between.
“Will we be okay?” Emma asked me one morning as I buttered toast for her and her siblings.
Buttered toast on a plate | Source: Midjourney
“We will,” I said. “We will be just fine. I have an interview today, and it’s going to be the right match for us. I promise, darling. Don’t you worry about us.”
“But I am worried, Mom,” Emma said, taking a bite of toast. “I don’t want to live with Dad.”
A teenage girl | Source: Pexels
My heart ached. I couldn’t let them down.
Desperation led me to apply for a cashier position at a local grocery store.
“Look, I know it’s not what you’re used to, Erin,” the manager, Mr. Adams, told me. “But this job is stable. We can offer you stability and a steady income.”
A person holding a contract | Source: Pexels
“I know,” I agreed. “It’s just that I have three children to care for, too.”
“I understand,” he said. “We can look at a raise in three months.”
A cashier at a grocery store | Source: Midjourney
The change was difficult, but it allowed me to be there for my children in a way that I hadn’t been able to before. The predictable hours meant I could attend school events, help with homework, and tuck my kids into bed every night.
“I like this, Mom,” Sophie said as I tucked her into bed. “You’re not always with your laptop.”
A little girl tucked in bed | Source: Pexels
“I agree,” Jack said from his corner of the room. “Mom’s always here now.”
But as always, despite things seeming positive in one way, life was always going to throw curveballs my way.
A little boy sitting on the bed | Source: Pexels
Yesterday was different. A mother with two teenage children came into our supermarket. She was dressed in expensive designer clothes, as were her two children.
When she came to the register, I started ringing up her groceries in an autopilot mode. I was tired and just wanted the day to be over. I wanted to get home for pizza night with my kids.
A woman wearing expensive clothes | Source: Pexels
“What’s with the face, dear? Why aren’t you smiling at your customers?” she asked me, tapping her long nails on the counter.
I had been working all day and I had forgotten to plaster a smile across my face.
“I’m sorry,” I said to her, taking things out of the cart.
A full shopping cart | Source: Midjourney
Then I smiled at her and continued to do my job.
But, of course, it didn’t end there.
“I’d have that face too, if I worked here. Your face looks mean because you don’t earn enough. That’s why you’re miserable.”
A close-up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
The other customers in the line looked shocked, while I became red from the embarrassment.
I wasn’t embarrassed by my job; I was grateful for it. But it was her ugly comment that made me want to curl into a ball.
A shocked woman | Source: Pexels
Just as I handed her the last bag, she screamed loudly when one of her kids bumped into the cart, still holding onto his iPhone. The cart tipped over, spilling all the groceries onto the floor with a loud bang, followed by glass shattering.
Expensive bottles of wine were spilling onto our floor, soaking through the artisan bread and gourmet cheese.
Bottles of wine on display | Source: Unsplash
The woman’s face turned bright red as she snapped at her child, humiliated.
“Michael! Watch what you’re doing! You clumsy idiot!” she shrieked.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he muttered, pocketing his phone and looking around.
A teenage boy | Source: Pexels
I quickly bent down to help pick up the undamaged items, maintaining my composure.
“It’s alright, accidents happen,” I said softly, while the other customers watched the scene unfold.
Mr. Adams approached as the woman and her children scrambled to gather their things.
A man wearing a uniform | Source: Unsplash
“Ma’am,” he said politely. “It seems you might need some help. We can replace the broken items, but you’ll need to pay for them.”
The woman, now visibly flustered, handed me her credit card with a huff.
“There,” she said.
I swiped it, but the transaction was declined. I tried again, but the result was the same.
A person holding a card | Source: Pexels
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but your card has been declined,” I said, trying to remain as professional as possible, but my insides were doing cartwheels as karma dished it out for the woman.
“That’s impossible,” she said. “This must be a mistake. I’ll call someone to sort this out.”
She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear, but there was no answer. She tried again, and again, but the person on the other end did not respond.
An angry woman | Source: Unsplash
The growing line of customers behind her began to murmur and exchange looks, some shaking their heads in disbelief, while others grew impatient.
Mrs. Jenkins, a regular customer, stepped forward with her bread and milk, ready to join another line.
“Looks like karma has its own way of working things out,” she said with a smirk. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice before being so rude to others.”
Milk and bread in a shopping basket | Source: Midjourney
With no way to pay and no one answering her calls, the woman was forced to wait in the store.
“I can get you a chair, ma’am,” Mr. Adams offered.
“No. I’m fine,” she said stiffly at the end of my counter, clearly mortified.
She waited for at least over an hour, her children sitting sullenly nearby, the humiliation palpable.
A woman holding her head | Source: Unsplash
“Can’t we call a cab and go home?” the daughter whined. “My phone battery is about to die and I have things to do.”
The woman rolled her eyes.
“Enough, Gemma,” she said. “I don’t care what you need to do. We will wait for your father.”
A teenage girl | Source: Unsplash
Soon enough, the father showed up, looking important in his suit. Immediately, he turned his anger on his kids.
“How could you be so careless? Do you know how much this is going to cost?” his voice echoed. “No allowances for you both.”
“And you,” he said, turning to his wife. “Can’t you manage a simple shopping trip without causing a scene? This is why I told you to leave it up to the cook.”
The entire store watched as he berated them. He gave me his card and nodded to me.
A person holding a card | Source: Pexels
“Make it quick, please,” he said. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
When I was done, he grabbed the bags and stormed out of the store, not waiting for his family to follow.
“You handled that with grace, Erin,” Mr. Adams said. “Go on, get your things and get home to your kids.”
I intended to, a pizza party awaited me.
Trays of homemade pizza | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
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