A kind woman gives a blanket to a homeless man so he can shield himself from the cold and he returns her gratitude by giving her a bundle of papers that’s very close to his heart. Little does the man know this event will change his life forever.
Sandra exited the bookstore, clutching the latest release by her favorite author. She had studied creative writing at Harvard and was working as an editor for a small agency in New York. While she hadn’t delved into the writing and publication industry for more than 3 years, Sandra had big dreams and wanted to have her own agency one day.
When Sandra walked out of the book store that day, she was excited to start reading her new purchase. The weather in New York was ideal for a lazy reading day, with the snow falling around and a cool breeze sweeping across the city. Sandra couldn’t wait to go home, get some coffee, and dive right into the book.
As she crossed the first street after the book store, Sandra was all happy and cheerful – until she saw something that made her feel awful. She saw a homeless man shivering in the cold at the corner of the street.
The weather around was chilly, and looking at the man’s condition, Sandra knew he could fall sick easily in the weather. She knew she had to do something to help him and approached him.
“Excuse me, sir,” she said. “Are you gonna stay here for a while? My home is nearby. I can get you a blanket and some tea to keep you warm.”
As Sandra said that, the man looked up and tears welled up in his eyes. “Thank you, miss. Please, that would be very kind of you. So many people went by, but no one volunteered to assist me…”
“That’s alright, sir. I’ll be right back. Please stay here, okay?” she asked, and the man nodded.
Sandra’s home was close enough, so she walked as fast as possible and returned to the man with a blanket and some tea in a thermos flask. When she offered them to him, he wouldn’t stop thanking her.
“You are an angel!” he cried. “How will I ever pay you back?”
“You don’t need to, sir,” she replied with a smile. “Just take care of yourself. I’m Sandra, by the way.”
“It’s irrelevant now, Sandra. I lost people I loved…What is the point of it all now?”
“I’m Roger,” the man said, taking a sip of the tea she had brought him. “You have a generous heart, Sandra. Do you enjoy reading? I spotted you carrying a book when you came to me earlier.”
“Oh! You have a good eye, Roger,” she laughed. “Yes, I love reading. In fact, I’m always looking for new authors and themes to read, and I’m currently obsessed with Shari Lapena! She’s amazing!”
“I see,” Roger gave a slight nod. “In that case, can I tell you something?”
“Go ahead! I’m all ears!”
“I know you might not believe me, but I used to be a writer too,” he said. “It’s just that things don’t always work out… A tragic accident took away my writing ability. I lost my family in a horrible accident, was unable to cope, and eventually gave up on life … You see, I’m only counting my days now….”
“Oh, God!” Sandra gasped. “I am so sorry. I had no clue!”
“It’s okay. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. God had it planned this way for me … But there’s something I’d like to give you….”
With that, Roger retrieved a stack of papers from his sack and gave it to Sandra. “This is something very close to my heart,” he said while offering it to her. “I wrote it with all my heart…I can’t pay you back for the blanket and tea, but consider this a token of gratitude. I’d appreciate it if you read it.”
“Sure, Roger. Why not? As I said, I love exploring new writers!” she replied, accepting it, hoping it would cheer him up.
“Thank you very much,” he replied quietly.
That day, after returning home, Sandra wanted to read her favorite author, but she suddenly changed her mind. She decided to give the papers she had received from Roger a chance, so she prepared coffee and got in her warm, comfy blanket, reading it sheet after sheet.
Halfway into her reading, Sandra was in tears. The story Roger had written in those sheets was his! It was his autobiography and she couldn’t believe how tragic and sad life had been for him!
Roger didn’t come from money and aspired to be a successful writer. His parents didn’t support his passion, so he sought odd jobs to fund it. However, when he finally received an offer from a major publisher, his parents were killed in a horrific car accident.
Roger had always been close to them and hoped that proving himself would ultimately make them proud. But he never got the chance. Unable to cope with their death, he gave up on everything, even what he loved the most — writing.
Sandra’s tears didn’t stop falling as she finished reading Roger’s story. Something in her heart told her that the rest of the world needed to hear this story. She couldn’t let Roger’s efforts go to waste. He was gifted and deserved to live a happy life. So she sat at her computer the next morning at work and began editing his draft.
In a few weeks’ time, she made a proper manuscript out of it and presented it to her head. “I’m sure this will work wonders!” she told her. “We NEED to publish his book … I went through it several times myself, and I believe giving it a shot will be worth it. It has the potential to bring excellent results to our agency.”
After a team meeting, the agency decided to publish it, and Sandra’s happiness knew no bounds. After work, she hurried to the location where she’d met Roger and luckily found him there.
But when she told him he would be published, he didn’t appear happy. “It’s irrelevant now, Sandra. I lost people I loved…What’s the point of it all now?”
Sandra held his eyes and said, “You will do it for yourself, Roger! You are talented, and you deserve every bit of appreciation! If nothing, do it for me once…Please, come with me!”
Roger was still apprehensive, but when Sandra persisted, he relented. And so it happened that when the book was published, it became a quick success. Many young people were inspired to pursue their dreams after reading Roger’s story, thanks to Sandra.
Roger was now no longer homeless and became famous. After his book signing event, Sandra came to pick him up.
“Thank you so much, Sandra,” Roger told him as he settled in the car. “If it weren’t for you, I would’ve never realized the worth of my talent.”
“It’s only the beginning, Roger!” she replied. “You have a great future ahead of you…”
Roger and Sandra became good friends, and while Sandra still has to fulfill her dream, she’s delighted she helped someone like Roger achieve his – there’s nothing like the joy of helping someone achieve their dreams.