Twenty years ago, on a wet night, I made a quick decision that changed both of our lives. I helped a man named James who was having a hard time. I gave him a warm lunch, dry clothes, and a safe place to sleep. I didn’t believe I’d ever see him again. But he came to my door yesterday.
When these things happen, they can seem small, like raindrops that disappear as they fall. But every once in a while, one moment can change everything in your life.
I also had that happen to me.
I had just completed working at the cafe near my house twenty years ago, on a cold, rainy night in October. I had just gotten my degree, worked late, and was driving home in the pouring rain. It was so bad outside that I could hardly see the road. I was worried that I might not be able to drive the car.
Then I saw him.
There was a man next to the old bus stop who was soaked and shaking. His coat was thin and didn’t fit well. He looked frail and like he was going to fall.
I gave it some thinking. I usually wouldn’t pick up a stranger at night. But there was something about him that made me stop.
I opened the window. “Hey, are you okay?” I screamed.
He stared at me. Even though it was raining, I could see his face. It was pale, tired, and wet. He didn’t say anything; he just nodded.
I opened the door. “Come in.”
He got in and started to shake because it was so cold. I turned the heat all the way up. He didn’t say much; he just mumbled to himself quietly while I drove him a few miles to my small house. He thanked me when we got there, even though his teeth were still chattering.
I gave him some dry clothes that I had collected from my dead father. My mom wanted to throw them away, but I couldn’t. That night, they had a reason to be there.
I made chicken noodle soup and let him sleep on the couch.
While he was washing up, he said, “I’m James.”
“I am Celia,” I said as I put noodles in the pot.
He looked tired and worn down, as if life had been too hard on him.
I asked, “Where do you live?”
He didn’t say anything; all he did was drink the tea I gave him. I stayed with him while he ate, and then I went to bed.
I wasn’t sure if I should lock my door. “Don’t be silly, Celia,” my mom’s voice said me in my brain. I don’t know him. “Shut the door.”
I did. But I wasn’t really scared of him deep down. He made me think of a bird that was hurt and stranded in a storm. We need to be nice to him.
In the morning, I made breakfast. Toast and eggs.
“James, I don’t have much,” I said. “But here is some cash and a bus ticket.” My mom gave it to me when I got here. You can use it to get to a safer place, which is a few towns away.
He looked at the money and then at me.
He said Celia, “One day I’ll pay you back.” You don’t know how much you’ve helped me.
I smiled. I really thought I would never see him again.
Life continued on.
At the diner, I got a raise. Jason, who worked with me, and I got married. We had two kids and did our best to make sure we had enough money for food and light. That damp night is now only a recollection, a little story I tell every now and again.
Then yesterday happened.
It was a quiet Sunday night. I was on the couch watching old episodes of Jeopardy! My kids were in their rooms. Jason was still out on the water.
Someone came to the door.
Because I didn’t expect anyone, I peeked out the window. There was a man in a blue suit that looked good standing on my porch. He was holding a leather folder under one arm. He looked like a banker, which is someone who usually works in a bank.
I carefully opened the door because I didn’t want to bother him.
“Do you need help?” I asked.
The man grinned in a nice way. “I think you already did, Celia.” A long time ago.
I had to think about it for a second, but then I got it. My hand went right to my mouth.
“James?” I said softly.
He agreed. “It’s been a long time. I’m looking for you. I come to uphold my promise.
I let him in, still in shock. Was this well-dressed, confident man really the same person I had picked up on that wet night?
James put the leather folder on the kitchen table in front of me.
“Open it,” he said.
I shook my hands as I opened the file. There was a deed to a small house not far from mine inside.
“James, what is this? I can’t agree with this.
His voice was steady and forceful. “Yes, you can.” You don’t know how much what you did for me means to me. I had nothing that night. No home. No hope. But you stopped. You looked at me. You gave me something I hadn’t felt in a long time: hope.
I cried. The kids wanted a dog, but our house was too small for one. This new residence could be the start of something fresh.
James went on going. “I used that bus ticket. While we were biking, a man told me about a place that helps people get back on their feet. I went there. They took me in, fed me, and then helped me get a job.
He grinned. “I started to save. Even though it took a long time, I continued going. I went to community college and then started a little business after a while. Now I own a firm that helps pay for scholarships and housing for others like myself.
As he chatted, I got up to make tea.
He said, “It wasn’t quick or easy. I worked at a lot of different jobs. But I thought about that night every time I wanted to quit. You made me recall that there are still good individuals in the world. I wanted to help other individuals in the same way.
He had been helping people for ten years by providing money to shelters, funding schooling, and giving guidance to people who were trying to start over.
He said, “I’ve been looking for you.” “I forgot the name of the town, but I was determined.” I drove across the whole state to locate you.
It really touched me. He had been looking for me for years, not because he had to, but because he wanted to repay me for something nice I had done for him.
Before he left, James handed me a small package.
“One more thing,” he said with a smile.
Inside was an old letter. The paper was mushy and wrinkled, like it had been opened a lot.
James said, “Not long after that night, I wrote the letter.” “I didn’t know how to get to you back then. But I’ve held on to it since then.
It was a letter to say thank you. The letter was honest, clear, and really emotional. He told me that I had given him hope and that he would share that kindness.
I held the letter close to my heart.
I said to her, “You didn’t have to do all of this.” “I didn’t think I’d get anything back.”
James answered, “Yes.” “That’s why I wanted to.”
That night, James drove away, and I stood on my porch with the letter and the deed to the house.
It’s strange how one moment, like a rainy night, may change your life and the lives of people you’ll never meet.
I thought I was just helping someone stay dry back then.
But it turned out to be so much more.
Sometimes storms don’t only finish things; they start them.
And sometimes, the people you help come back to give you a new home.