“Final boarding call for flight 287 to Seattle,” the airport speakers declared. She took off running. Her shoes clicked on the shiny floors of the airport, and her coat flew behind her like wings. Emma’s eyes scanned the gate numbers in a blur.
She didn’t mind that her backpack hit her with every stride. She was very close. A few more feet and… Please, someone assist.
She stopped in her tracks when she heard a weak, trembling voice. She turned around. There was an old man in a wrinkled gray coat sitting next to a row of seats. There was a cane on the floor next to him.
He had his palm on his chest and his eyes were wide open with fear and horror. Emma paused. The gate was just in front of them.
The trip she had been saving for for months. She had a job interview in Seattle that could finally improve her life. The present was the time that all she had worked for and gone through had brought her to.
But then the old guy wheezed again, and Emma’s heart won out over her mind. She ran back. Emma Brooks was 29 years old and hardly a hero.
She never thought of herself as special in any way. She lived a humble life in Cleveland and worked as a waitress and a caretaker on the side. The oldest of four kids, she was reared by a single mother who taught her that being kind isn’t about what you have, but about what you give.
Emma gave everything she had. And it seems like she gave up her future today. She went down next to the old man, felt his pulse, and asked him if he could breathe. She did everything she had taught over the years about caring for sick people.
Quickly, airport staff came to aid. The paramedics came next. In the thick of all the noise, the plane took off.
People called her many times. She didn’t speak. By the time the old man was stabilized and taken away, the flight had already left.
That was her chance to have the most important moment of her life. Emma sat alone at gate 16 with her crumpled boarding pass in her hand. She didn’t cry because she was sorry; she cried because she was tired.
She had to work two shifts a day for a year to save up enough money for the flight. She had always wanted to work for an organization in Seattle that supports kids with disabilities. But the interview was scheduled for tomorrow morning.
There wouldn’t be any more flights that would arrive on time. She texted the person in charge of hiring, saying she was sorry, and then turned off her phone. A janitor who was cleaning close by glimpsed her face.
Miss, are you okay? She cleaned her eyes. Yes. I just missed my flight.
He nodded slowly, as if he knew more than she said. It took a few hours. Emma went around the airport, unsure of what to do next.
She spent all of her money. It wasn’t obvious what her future held. As she walked by a coffee shop, the woman at the desk yelled.
Hey? Emma Brooks? Emma looked around in disbelief. You were ordered to travel to gate 4. Someone is waiting for you. She walked over with her old, worn-out luggage behind her, feeling terrified and bewildered.
When she went to gate 4, two men in suits smiled at her. “Miss Brooks, Mr. Harrington would like to meet with you,” someone remarked. “Mr. Harrington,” she repeated again.
They didn’t say anything, but they pointed to a private lounge next door. The furniture was plush and expensive, and the lights were low inside. The old man from earlier was now sitting in a big leather chair, wearing a sharp blue suit, and drinking tea like he was in charge of the world.
He really did have power over this portion of the planet. The man smiled and remarked, “I thought I would never see you again.” Please take a seat.
Please. Emma blinked. Are you okay? I am because of you.
She gently sat down, feeling like she couldn’t handle it. I didn’t get on my flight. I had a job interview.
He raised his hand. I know everything. I asked individuals…
Emma was unsure. Who are you? He leaned in and put out a wrinkled hand. Arthur Harrington.
He is the chairman of Sky Legend Airlines, which he created. The words hit her hard. She gasped.
You own the airline, don’t you? Still, he laughed. My kids do most of the work now. But I still go to the airport by myself.
I like to watch people. You may see both the good and bad things about them here. He gazed at her.
And today I saw something that doesn’t happen very often. Emma couldn’t say anything. You gave up all to help a stranger.
Most people would have just kept going. You didn’t. She looked down.
I did what everyone else should have done. He smiled. That’s the problem; not everyone does.
But you made me remember why I started this business in the first place. I didn’t start this business to make money. I began this business to help others, not to make money.
He picked up his phone and dialed. Tell the Seattle office to push back Miss Brooks’ interview. And to fly the board of directors in.
I want them to meet her. He hung up and then turned to look at her. If the interview goes well, you will get the job.
We’ll take care of where you stay. It talks about money. You won’t have to worry about money for a while, that’s for sure.
Emma stared at him with wide eyes. Why would you do that? He said simply, “Because the world needs more people like you.” And because you helped an old man when no one else did…
Emma was walking through a quiet Seattle park two weeks later, wearing a business badge and feeling quite grateful. She didn’t only get the job.
She was in charge of making Sky Legends’ new charitable wing, which would benefit seniors, low-income families, and caregivers in the neighborhood.
But she hadn’t told anyone the complete story. Not her coworkers. Not the news.
Not even the people she lived with. She didn’t see being generous as a way to obtain attention. It was about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
And now, dear viewer, you know who she is. The woman in the viral video who is smiling next to Arthur Harrington, who is being promoted as the face of the airline’s biggest charity effort? That is Emma. The woman who didn’t make her flight.
To aid a stranger. And she was floating higher than she had ever believed possible. Being kind doesn’t cost anything, yet it can do things that money can’t.
Don’t be scared to lend a hand to someone who needs it. The path you choose from compassion might change your life permanently at times.
