Restaurant Manager Kicks Out Old Woman Not Knowing Who She Really Is
The 88-year-old Mary Johnson adored eating at this local restaurant. She always chose a place with a view because she preferred to eat at the table by the window.
Like any other day, she ordered the specials and sat alone to eat. It was the high point of the day for the elderly woman. But one night, the restaurant manager asked her to leave and came to regret it when he learned who she was and why she behaved so strangely.
Passing Her Time
For her age, Mary had a lot of energy. She enjoyed keeping in touch with her entire family while also going out and seeing her friends.
Her favorite pastime was going to the local restaurant she and her husband had been going to for almost three decades. However, after hearing this news, the woman realized she couldn’t proceed with her regular routine.
Her Husband
Mary didn’t always go to the restaurant by herself. When the restaurant first opened, she and her husband ate at it and afterward became regulars. They also celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary there, dancing until well after midnight.
Sadly, her husband fell ill about a year later and died, leaving her alone. For Mary, it was a terrible time. She gradually diminished from the joyful person she once was. The elderly woman ate very little and didn’t want visitors or to go out. Everyone feared the worst for her.
An Odd Occurrence
The staff at the restaurant cherished Mary, a regular customer. Every time she visited, they eagerly awaited to see her kind smile. She was a beam of sunshine who never forgot to compliment her server.
Then, one day, she arrived at the restaurant, clearly shaken. The elderly woman chewed her food quietly. She finished her meal, got up, and walked out without paying. The staff catering for her questioned what must have happened. However, her waiter followed her too late to ask for the money. But he wasn’t concerned. He anticipated her return because she was a regular. Then he discovered something startling.
Sending Her A Letter
Mary was in a bad situation until she received a letter one day. It was from the restaurant, and they stated that their favorite customer had been noticeably absent from their place. They then extended an offer to her for a free meal. She needed this motivation to help her move on from her grief.
Although it wasn’t simple, Mary ate alone at the same restaurant. Three months had passed, and although Mary had undergone a great deal of change, the restaurant had not. It was warm and pleasant, and the smell of the food was always present. However, something seemed strange, and the staff quickly figured out what was wrong with the 88-year-old woman.
The Owner
The restaurant owner joined Mary at her usual window-side table and assured her he would be there for her. He had known her for 30 years, was also elderly, and had experienced loss.
A new chapter in Mary’s life began that evening, which was fantastic. She slowly started acting like herself again and returning to the restaurant daily.
Tragic News
Mary had some routine medical exams a week earlier. The hospital finally called the elderly woman at that point. It was the results of her tests. She was anxious and unsure of what to anticipate.
The doctor told Mary that she had blood cancer. Mary felt as though a dagger had pierced her heart. She asked as to the severity and how long she had left. She had between six months and a year remaining, the doctor informed her, as the cancer was in its terminal stages. The news was devastating.
A Sudden Change
In the three months that followed, Mary underwent a lot of change and stopped going to the restaurant. The restaurant that had once helped her in her time of profound sadness appeared unaffected.
However, the restaurant had changed. Mary had a history with the business, but the new manager was strict with the personnel and was unaware of it. This would result in a sudden shift of events.
New Management
The new manager was always critical of the staff and used harsh words. He didn’t seem to appreciate seeing them happy and at ease.
The atmosphere in the restaurant soured, and many customers even reduced their frequency of visits. The once-happy employees now arrived at work frowning.
From The Hospital To The Restaurant
To understand more about her options, Mary visited her doctor. The 88-year-old woman rushed straight from the hospital to the restaurant to get rid of the negative thoughts. The staff brought in the day’s specials as soon as she sat at her window-side table.
The waiter quickly left Mary’s table when she attempted to initiate a conversation because the manager focused on the workers. The team had told the new manager about Mary. He was eager to meet her because they all spoke highly about her finally. The reason, though, was not that he believed she was a wonderful person.
The Real Reason
The manager wanted to see Mary because her unpaid bill was still on the bulletin board, surrounded by hearts and kind words. The staff never asked the old woman to pay it in the end.
The manager approached the old woman and said the restaurant only accepted paying customers. He told her, “it doesn’t matter how nice everyone thinks you are. We are not a charity.” And he asked her to leave, not knowing what he did.
A Note
At that moment, Mary took out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote on them, then placed the note on the table and left without saying a word.
While the server cleared the table, he saw the note the 88-year-old woman had left behind in the black folder. Curious, the waiter opened the note. He screamed when he saw what Mary had written. What did he just read? Mary’s words would change everything for the restaurant.
A Final Message
The note Mary left behind was addressed to the restaurant staff, saying, “I’ve loved coming to this restaurant for over 30 years. I’ve seen your establishment change everything. Staff left, and new ones came in.”
“Even the menu changed a dozen times, but I’ve always been here. I had such a great time here. Even in bad times, you always supported me.” It was a final message from the old lady to the staff of her favorite restaurant.
A Legacy
Mary continued, “now that I am old and I’ll pass away soon, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you by leaving sufficient money for you.”
Written at the bottom with a pen was the request that the manager won’t get a penny from her money and that she would report him to the owner. Turning the note, the waiter saw the ridiculous amount of 462.1 million bequeathed to the restaurant from the old woman.
An Old Client’s Request
The waiter couldn’t believe his eyes and handed the note to the owner. He burst into tears as Mary and her dear husband had been like family to him for over 30 years, and he knew he wouldn’t see her again.
Then after a brief phone call with Mary, the manager was immediately fired. But that wasn’t the only instance where a restaurant worker collided with a long-time customer. A similar case took place a few miles from the restaurant.
Roger Meyers
The incident involved an older man who had frequented a diner for over forty years. A war vet in his town, the man, was a childless widower who had always seemed to have bad luck.
The man, Mr. Roger Meyers, had spent the better part of his eighty-seven years trying to make other people happy. But now, in his old age, he was starting to realize a terrible truth.
Her Truth
Roger found it hard to make everyone around him like him. Giselle, his late wife, had always told him that you couldn’t make everyone happy.
Yet Roger spent decades of his life trying. But he’d get the worst experiences each time, eventually turning him into the worst version of himself.
The Changes In Him
Roger had once been an ever-smiling individual. He was known to have a good heart and to love helping people whenever possible.
But once the people of his time learned about his goodness, they started using him. By his sixties, Roger was tired of it. Without his knowledge, he was slowly changing.
Cold-Hearted
Roger turned cold from all the experiences of his life. He couldn’t count the time he’d been hurt by those he held close or betrayed by those he loved.
Such experiences are enough to turn anyone’s beating heart into stone. Roger was no exception. But although he was slowly changing, he still fought to be good for one reason.
A Good Heart
Giselle, Roger’s wife, loved him because of his good heart. Seeing that being a stand-up guy made her smile, he worked hard to keep the encroaching darkness at bay.
But although the two’s life as a married couple was perfect, disaster began showing its ugly face, slowly chipping away at Roger’s goodness.
Starting A Family
The first iteration of bad luck came when Roger and his wife decided to have kids. But a few years into trying and failing, they visited the doctor only to discover they couldn’t conceive.
Heartbroken, the two worked hard to find other ways to have a child. They landed on adoption, which would see them have two wonderful boys. But trouble was far from done with them.
Heartbreaking News
Roger was off fighting for his country when his wife sent him a heartbreaking letter. Both of their sons had been involved in an accident. They didn’t make it.
As any serviceman would, Roger did his best to complete his tour before rushing home. His kind heart was slowly withering. It would turn into dust at the final hand that fate would deal him.
A Sad Reality
Roger spent a few months with his wife before she fell ill. But he wouldn’t lose her the way he lost his kids.
They fought for many years, but eventually, Giselle succumbed to her condition. Seeing himself with nothing, Roger became a former shell of himself. The darkness that had long wanted to swarm his heart finally got it.
Visiting The Diner
Among the many things Roger had loved to do with his family before they passed away was visit the local diner for lunch.
His sons had loved the waffles at the diner, and Giselle adored their stake and eggs. As they had made countless memories here, Roger spent decades there. He had no clue what awaited him.
His World
After losing Giselle, Roger was lost in his world. He was always quiet whenever he visited the restaurant, sitting in a dark corner to enjoy his food and leave.
If anyone approached him, the servers included, he’d yell at them rudely, asking them to leave him alone. After a while, the diner knew him as the grumpy old guy who was always rude. Most people avoided him. Well, most people but Alexa.
Meeting Alexa
Alexa was a university student new to the town. She worked most afternoons after attending her classes at the local college and always made an effort to talk to Roger.
At first, Roger tried to employ his usual tactics to scare her away but realized that she was as stubborn as he was. It wasn’t long before they became good friends.
She’s Curious
Although Roger maintained his nasty attitude, he realized that Alexa always talked to him. She would smile and ask about his past. She was interested in his stories, asking about his wife, kids, and days in the military.
What’s even more interesting, Roger found himself loving her company. She was like the granddaughter he never had, and he was beginning to realize this.
Better Days Are Here
Roger’s visits to the diner became more frequent as he finally found someone he could talk to. For more than two decades, no one had sat with him at the restaurant.
But although life was finally starting to look up for Roger, and he was beginning to forget his long-time pain, disaster struck.
The End Is Here
Roger was eighty-seven years old when he had his first stroke. He woke up at the hospital a few hours later, exhausted and in pain. Knowing he didn’t have much time left, he asked the doctors if he could make one final phone call.
Alexa, who had been working double shifts throughout the week, was worried sick. Today was the fourth day her friend hadn’t walked through the diner’s door. Was something wrong?
The Suited Man
A few weeks passed, and a suited man walked through the front door with a briefcase. He called for Alexa and informed her that he was Roger’s lawyer.
He shared that Roger had passed on peacefully after writing a small note that he wanted her to have. In it, he thanked her for helping him forget his pain. He was leaving her his house and vintage car, hoping she could make memories there as he had.