01/03/2025
I PAID FOR A HOMELESS MANāS GROCERIES ā THE NEXT DAY, HE GREETED ME AS A CEO AT MY JOB INTERVIEW
I was broke, exhausted, and down to my last $50. As a struggling recent graduate with student loans piling up and an empty fridge, Iād been hopelessly job-hunting for months. That night, rain poured as I trudged into the grocery store, my coat soaked and sneakers squishing. I had just enough for basicsābread, eggs, maybe some pasta.
At the checkout, I saw him. A man in a drenched hoodie, counting coins with shaking hands. His voice cracked as he whispered apologies to the cashier. Without thinking, I stepped forward. āIāll cover it,ā I said, handing over my card.
He froze, looking at me like Iād handed him the moon. āYou donāt have to,ā he said.
āI know,ā I replied. āBut I want to.ā
It wasnāt muchābread, canned soup, and milkābut it was half of what I had left. He muttered a quiet āthank youā and shuffled out into the rain. I never got his name.
The next morning, I had an interview at a top companyāa chance to escape the spiral I was stuck in. I pulled on my best (only) blazer and hoped Iād make a good impression.
When I entered the boardroom, I froze. There he was, clean-shaven, in a tailored suit, sitting at the head of the table. The man I helped yesterday at the store.
"How is this possible?" I asked, barely holding it together. ā¬ļø