The Unbelievable Kindness Of A Stranger

in #life7 years ago (edited)

Stories like this are so rare it's no wonder when you hear of them they are hard to believe. Nevertheless, this one is true.

An auto mechanic living with his young family in Norfolk was struggling to make ends meet. He worked hard at his shop, and his wife was a teacher trying to finish more schooling for a higher degree. He was the sort who enjoyed tinkering; his honesty and affability attracted all kinds of interest from customers in the area who enjoyed collecting and discussing rare automobiles.

There was an elderly gentleman nearby who became a regular client. To the auto mechanic, it was a joy to be able to work on such fine car specimens - he took his skills very seriously in the repair arena and understood his customer's needs for attention to detail while working on his treasures.

This particular gentleman and the mechanic were not friends, necessarily; they merely shared their appreciation for beautiful antique automobiles. Over the years, as happens with long time customers, he became accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of his eccentric client and his attachments to his prized possessions.

Earlier this year, the gentleman passed away. The mechanic may not have ever known why he stopped coming by for an odd repair here or there. He may have wondered, but again, due to the limited nature of their interactions, he did not think to call and inquire about his comings and goings.

He found out what happened in the most incredible way.

A few months ago, he received a letter from the gentleman's trustee for his estate.

This odd Englishman had apparently left billions of pounds, (yes, billions) to his favorite mechanic after he died.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be minding your own business, living a normal life like most of us, saving up here and there when possible, thinking retirement was a luxury? Suddenly, out of the blue, you get a letter like this in the mail. Would you think it was a joke?

It was not a joke. There was never any indication that this customer was a multibillionaire; it never had any reason to come up. Sure, it takes some wealth to acquire a nice collection of antique cars, but so what? Some people with expensive hobbies live in shacks. Besides, it is quite un-English to discuss money at all if you have massive amounts of it. As far as the mechanic was concerned, the two of them shared the same hobby - fixing up and working on classic automobiles.

To the generous client, however, his relationship with his mechanic could have been the most important thing in his life. Maybe he had no one else to talk to. Maybe he had no other family. Or maybe he did, and they were somehow estranged. I don't know all the details. Maybe the mechanic was the one person who never treated him any differently other than someone he shared a common interest with. To the older gentleman with his fortune, perhaps that was a refreshing change. He must have known his gesture would have an astonishing impact on the young man and his family, yet felt no need to let them know about his intentions until after he had passed away.

That is selfless generosity.

What an incredible account. The mechanic was able to get out of debt, his wife was able to finish her schooling, and my friend was asked to oversee and manage the windfall. I imagine everyone involved will be able to retire someday.

This story gives a whole new twist on the kindness of strangers.

Jag.jpg

image courtesy of carandclassic.co.uk

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I needed a story like this. Thank you for sharing. We see so much crap nowadays that it's nice to read the occasional feel-good.

Yes, I agree. It's nice to hear about stories like this. They renew our faith in goodness.

So many people give and are loud about it. Giving, without telling anyone, is the greatest gift ever. Thanks for sharing, this was good to hear!

Giving is its own gift, it feels better than literally anything else.

This story illustrates a point, be nice to everyone that you meet. Because you never know which one may end up being or becoming a billionaire.

Being in the right place at the right time helps too! ;)

The same thing goes with being struck by lightning

a slightly less advantageous position to be in...

It really depends on what you are trying to achieve

not sure that many people seek for the right place and right time to get struck by lightning :)

Amazing story! Imagine what simple kindness can do to anyone & then what comes from it later....incredible! Thanks for sharing!

This is awesome! I try to give in life as well as I find it to be one of the most rewarding things you can do.
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What a marvelous story!

Thank you for sharing!

Thanks very much, allfabeta.

Wow! Life is amazing sometimes :) What a surprise the mechanic might've had!

Yo alien! I can't even begin to imagine. Completely unexpected. Even better than winning the lottery - not because of the money, but because this guy didn't go out looking for any fortunes. If you go out and buy a lottery ticket, presumably you have been fantasizing about the minuscule chance of winning.

Exactly, it was unexpected and from some who probably cared for. I think I would be crying if I were him, hehe :P

You and me both! Tears of joy, but mainly tears of being moved beyond belief.

I find that story extremely difficult to swallow but a good read so worth an upvote.

It may be hard to believe, but I can tell you it happened. Incredible!