I made a quick decision on a wet night twenty years ago that changed both of our lives. James was having a hard time, so I helped him. I gave him a safe place to sleep, dry clothes, and a hot meal. I didn’t believe I would 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 hit the ground. But every so often, one moment can transform everything in your life.
That also happened to me.
I had just completed working at the diner near my house twenty years ago on a cold, rainy night in October. I had just finished school, worked late, and was traveling home in the rain. It was so bad outside that I could barely see the road. I was worried I might not be able to drive the automobile.
Then I saw him.
A man was standing next to the old bus stop, damp and shivering. His coat was very thin and didn’t fit well. He looked frail and like he was going to fall over.
I gave it some thinking. I wouldn’t usually pick up a stranger at night. But there was something about him that stopped me.
I opened the window. “Hey, are you okay?” I yelled.
He gave me a glance. Even though it was raining, I could see his pale, tired, and wet face. He only nodded; he didn’t say anything.
I opened the door. “Come on in.”
It was frigid as he went in and started to shake. I made the heat as high as it would go. He didn’t say much; he just mumbled to himself softly while I drove him a few miles to my little house. He thanked me when we got there, even though his teeth were still chattering.
I gave him dry clothes that I had collected from my dead father. I couldn’t get rid of them, but my mom wanted me to. They had a motive to be there that night.
I made him chicken noodle soup and let him sleep on the couch.
He said, “I’m James,” while he was cleaning up.
“I am Celia,” I said as I put the 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; he just drank the tea I gave him. I stayed with him while he ate, and then I went to sleep.
I wasn’t sure if I should lock my door. My mom’s voice in my head said, “Don’t be silly, Celia.” I don’t know him. “Shut the door.”
I did. But I wasn’t really afraid of him. He made me think of a bird that had been hurt and was caught in a storm. We have to be nice to him.
I made breakfast in the morning. Toast with eggs.
“James, I don’t have much,” I said. “But here’s 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 that is a few towns distant.
He looked at the money and then at me.
“Celia, I’ll pay you back one day,” he said. You don’t know how much you mean to me.
I grinned. I really thought I would never see him again.
Life continued on.
I got a pay boost at the diner. I married Jason, who was my coworker. We had two kids and did our best to make sure we could pay for food and lights. That damp night is just a memory now, a little story I tell from time to time.
Then yesterday came.
It was a quiet night on Sunday. I was on the couch watching reruns of Jeopardy! The kids were in their rooms. Jason was still out fishing.
Someone knocked on the door.
I peered out the window since I didn’t think anyone would be there. A man in a blue suit that looked good stood on my porch. He had a leather folder tucked under one arm. He looked like a banker, which is someone who usually works in a bank.
I opened the door slowly since I didn’t want to bother him.
“Do you need help?” I asked.
The man smiled nicely. “I think you already did, Celia.” A long time ago.
I had to think for a second, but then I got it. I put my hand right to my mouth.
I muttered, “James?”
He nodded. “It’s been a while. I’ve been looking for you. I come to uphold my promise.
I let him in, still in shock. Was this man, who was well-dressed and sure of himself, 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.
“Please open it,” he said.
I shook my hands as I opened the folder. There was a deed to a small house not far from mine inside.
“James… what is this?” I don’t agree with this.
His voice was steady, but it was forceful. “Yes, you can.” You don’t get how much what you did for me meant. That night, I had nothing. No house. No chance. But you stopped. You stared at me. You gave me hope, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Tears came to my eyes. The kids wanted a dog, but our house was too small for them. This new residence could be a fresh start.
James continued going. “I used that bus ticket.” As 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, gave me food, and later helped me get a job.
He smiled. “I started to save. It took a long time, but I kept going. I went to community college and then started a small business. I own a business that helps pay for scholarships and somewhere to stay for folks like myself.
I got up to make tea as he talked.
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 give up. You reminded me that there are still nice individuals in the world. I wanted to do the same thing for other individuals.
For ten years, he had been helping individuals by providing money to shelters, paying for their education, and giving guidance to people who were trying to start over.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said. “I forgot the name of the town, but I was set on going.” I drove all the way across the state to locate you.
It really got to me. He had been looking for me for years, not because he had to, but because he wanted to thank me for something nice I had done for him.
Before he left, James gave me a small packet.
He said with a smile, “One more thing.”
There was an old letter in there. The paper was mushy and crumpled, like it had been opened a lot.
James said, “I wrote the letter not long after that night.” “I didn’t know how to reach you back then. But I’ve kept it since then.
It was a note of thanks. The letter was honest, clear, and came from the heart. He told me that I had given him hope and that he would pass that on.
I held the letter close to my heart.
“You didn’t have to do all of this,” I informed her. “I didn’t think I’d get anything back.”
James answered, “Yes.” “That’s why I wanted to.”
James left that night, and I stood on my porch with the letter and the deed to the house.
It’s strange how something as simple as a wet night can change your life and the lives of people you’ll never meet.
Back then, I thought I was just helping someone stay dry.
It turned out to be so much more, though.
There are times when storms don’t just finish things; they start them.
And sometimes, the folks you help come back and give you a new home to live.
