Mislead

It was around seven o’clock, and I had been at work at Lee’s Famous Recipe for over two hours. I was having a horrible day, and being at work wasn’t making it any better. I wanted to get out as early as I could, so I was working as quickly as possible. I was sweeping the lobby, when the door opened, and all I could think was, “Ughh, another customer.” I walked to the front and greeted the man and asked how he was. The man looked tired, almost as if he hadn’t slept in days. His clothes were baggy and dirty, like they hadn’t been washed in a while. He began to explain to me and my manager that he had a son named Thomas and a girlfriend back at home, and that he had ran out of diapers for his son and had no money since he had just paid his rent. He said he went to the church next door and they could only help out with rent, food, and electric, and that he had asked a few people but none had any money to help. He pulled out what money he did have, which was four dollars and eleven cents, and he only needed a few more dollars to buy the right diapers for his son.

My manager, Crystal didn’t have any money on her to help him out. I didn’t have much since I was already having money issues. My paychecks aren’t that big when I have a car payment to make, gas to pay for, and a family at home to help out. All I had left was a little over ten dollars. Now, I’m a very kind and caring person and I know what it is like having money problems and not being able to support yourself or your family. I knew how he felt and I really wanted to help him out. I told him to hold on for a second and not to go anywhere. I went out to my car, and got seven dollars. I walked in and I handed him the money and I told him to keep the extra money just in case he needed anything else for his son. He told me that I was a very good person, and that he would come back in Thursday to pay me back. I wasn’t worried about it though. He looked like he was about to cry and thanked me a hundred times before walking out the door.

My day completely turned around. I was in the greatest mood and I felt so good about myself. Everyone I was working with that night told me how good of a person I was, and how proud they were. I went home that night and told my parents what had happened. It was amazing how good something so simple could make me feel. At one point though, I had wondered if the man really needed the money. I had heard before of people making up stories like that to get money for things like cigarettes, alcohol, or just anything else they wanted, but I had convinced myself that this man really needed the money and not to worry about it.

Thursday came, and the guy never showed up to pay me back. Not that it bothered me, but I began to have second thoughts about giving him money. Again I had convinced myself not to worry about it, and that he needed it more than I did. What really bothered me the most was he had said he would come and pay me back, not that I wasn’t getting paid back, because I’m not selfish like that. Weeks passed and I soon forgot about the whole incident.

A little after a month later, my boyfriend and I went up to Circle K to go get something to drink before going to the park. I saw this guy who looked really familiar, and I couldn’t figure out where I had seen him before. We went in and walked around and it hit me. It was the guy who had asked me for diaper money that night at work. I wondered how he was doing and how his son was, I wondered if he had enough money now to support his kid. We came outside from the store and on the way to my car, I saw that he was walking around the parking lot of the gas station. I saw that he was stopping a few cars and he would talk for a minute or two, and then they would drive away. I wondered what he was up to so I rolled down my window to listen, and he was asking people for diaper money for his son. The people he asked gave him money and he walked inside and came back out with a pack of cigarettes. I was so upset.

I always try to see the good in people, which may be a bad thing sometimes. I felt really betrayed. The money I had given out of kindness was probably spent on cigarettes, or something he didn’t need. For all I knew he didn’t even have a kid, or a girlfriend. My hard earned money was given to a man who lied and didn’t even need it. I was really disappointed that someone would do that, it really bothered me. Are people really that greedy that they lie and take money from someone who works hard for it? I tried to just forget about it, because I did what I thought was right, whether he needed it or not.

Two weeks later, I went up to Wendy’s to get something for lunch. My boyfriend, Kyle, was with me again. As I turned the around the building, I saw a man that looked really familiar. I then realized it was him again, the man who asks for diaper money. At first, I thought I was just seeing things. He walked into Wendy’s, and within the next five minute he was walking out already. He had no food or anything in his hand, so I assumed he was asking for money again. I got out of my car and started to walk in when he stopped me. I don’t think he recognized me because I had dyed my hair. He began to tell me the same exact story. His son ran out of diapers, he had just paid rent, he went to churches and they wouldn’t help. He pulled out his money and said he needed four dollars and eleven cents. Same exact story he used last time, and the same amount of money that he needed.

I told him that I didn’t have any extra money, which I really didn’t; all I had was four dollars which was for food. He said okay, and he said “thank you”, and went on his way to Kroger. He walked slowly, as if he was trying to find another person to ask. I was so angry, it wasn’t right for him to be doing that. I got home and I called the police. I told them what the guy was doing and the story he was using, and a description of him, and they sent a sheriff up there.

I couldn’t believe how many times I saw him, and how much of a coincidence it was for him to ask the same person twice and not even know it. I believe that I did the right thing, and that sometimes you can’t always trust everyone. I learned that seeing the good in people can sometimes be misleading. I think that one day I’ll be rewarded for what I did because it was from the goodness of my heart, and I hope that one day he will learn what he did was wrong.