To pay for her school, Natalie worked two jobs. She worked as a janitor at night in addition to her morning classes, waitressing shifts, and janitorial shifts.
She had spent the previous night cleaning the hostel where she worked, so she was fatigued. A customer left behind trash, so she had to clean the floor and remove it. She intended to reward herself with a great lunch after that.
She went to the cafeteria to eat after a long morning of school. She seldom orders pasta since she prefers to spend as little money as possible, but she took advantage of her employee discount and ordered a wonderful bowl.
“All right, Natalie. Enjoy! As she brought her the bowl of spaghetti, her coworker gave her a wink and said, “I made the dish a bit bigger for you.
Thank you, Mia! Although it wasn’t necessary, I do appreciate it. In an attempt to converse, she stated, “It was a hard night.”
She was ready to start eating when a filthy, elderly guy wearing ragged clothing opened the restaurant doors. The other patrons pinched their noses and turned to gaze at the man in disdain.
This smell is intolerable!” a lady said.
The elderly guy said as he approached the counter, “Can I have anything to eat and drink?”
The supervisor approached and shook his head.
He mockingly questioned the old guy, “Do you have money to pay for the food?”
Before the director continued, the elderly guy briefly exhibited confusion.
He responded, “You clearly don’t have the money. Just leave. Because of your stench, our consumers are being distracted.”
For the elderly guy, Natalie felt horrible. He appeared lethargic, as if he hadn’t eaten well in some time. She approached him before he could leave the cafeteria and motioned for him to sit at her table.
She said “please sit down.”
She moved her dish of spaghetti toward the man as he sat down in front of her.
You’re welcome to have my lunch, Natalie said. She stood up to get a bottle of water from the counter and said, “Let me grab you a drink of water.”
As she walked over to the counter, she could sense the expression on her manager’s face.
He questioned her, “Why are you aiding that filthy old man?”
My late grandma instilled in me the value of lending a helping hand to those in need. I won’t perish if I don’t consume this spaghetti, but this man appears to be ravenous. We won’t be able to predict when he will pass out and become ill if he doesn’t eat, Natalie said.
Natalie observed the man quickly devouring the meal. When the restaurant owner showed about halfway through the lunch, he inquired about the scent with the manager.
The management immediately laid responsibility on Natalie.
“This filthy homeless person entered. Although Natalie had offered to buy him lunch, the man refused to go and is still there. I apologize, sir; I should have chased him away more effectively.
Everyone in the restaurant was shocked by what transpired after the proprietor turned to the elderly man. He rushed over to the man and gave him a bear embrace.
Crying, he exclaimed, “Daddy!” For weeks, I’ve been seeking for you. He questioned, “Where have you been?”
The boss’s expression darkened. ” Dad?” He started to imagine many possibilities in his thoughts as he realized he had made a dreadful mistake.
“I was lost… I then noticed the eatery, and I immediately recognized it from before. I was correct! Your restaurant it was, the older guy said. That girl over there helped me.” He indicated Natalie.” Even the manager attempted to eject me, but the girl begged me to sit down and offered me her lunch.”
In order to give his father a chance to rest and recharge, the restaurant owner drove him home. After a time, when Natalie was working her shift, he went back to the restaurant. The owner invited her into his office and expressed gratitude for what she had done.
“I have begged for God to send me workers that are caring and enthusiastic about their work, like you. I appreciate you assisting my father despite not knowing who he was. You will now be the agency manager, I’ve decided,” he declared.
“I upped your pay since I know you’re a working student and I don’t want you to have to work two jobs anymore. Spend your evenings sleeping. Is that alright?
Now, Natalie was sobbing. She was struggling to balance work, school, and her two jobs, so the chance to leave one without losing money seemed too good to be true.
“Sir, would you truly do it for me?” She enquired.
Her employer gave her a nod. “Yes. I wish to give you ample time to devote to studying. You cannot do it by working two jobs. Give up the other job and take over as manager here during your regular shifts. You merit it.
Natalie was appreciative of her boss’s promotion. She was able to flourish in school and enjoy her profession since she had more time for herself.
The previous manager’s termination from his position, however, taught him a very bitter lesson. He was informed by his manager that he wasn’t upholding the requirements of the firm for a “good employee.” He stated:
“Values are prioritized above anything else in this eatery. Everyone is welcome here. You don’t deserve to be here if you don’t respect that.”