Rain, an 88-year-old woman loved to eat at this restaurant. She loved to seat at the table by the window. She ordered the specials of the day and ate alone, daily. For Rain it was the highlight of her day. Then one day the restaurant manager kicks her out and soon regrets this action when he finds out who she is.
Rain was a regular at the restaurant and all the staff loved her. She was a ray of sunshine and always had a kind word for her server. Then one day she came in nervous and ate her meal in silence. When she was done, she stood up and left without paying. The staff attending to her wondered what must have happened. But what was it? He didn’t follow her to ask for the money because he knew she was a regular and would return again. Then he made a shocking discovery.
Rain didn’t always visit the restaurant alone. She and her husband had eaten at the restaurant when it opened and became regulars. It was the venue of their 30th wedding anniversary too and they danced till late into the night. Unfortunately, her husband took ill about a year later and died. It was a terrible time for Rain. Gradually she became a shadow of her once bubbly self. She didn’t want any visitors, go out and ate very little.
Until one-day Rain received a letter. It was from the restaurant and it noted that Rain had been conspicuously absent at the restaurant and offered her a free meal. It was the encouragement she needed to get past her grief. It wasn’t easy, but Rain took the bold step and had a meal at the restaurant alone.
It’s been 3 months and a lot had changed for Rain but the restaurant stayed the same. It had a friendly atmosphere and the aroma from the kitchen was inviting. As rain sat at the table by the window, the restaurant owner sat with her and assure her that he was going to be there for her after knowing her for 30 years. It was a great evening and the beginning of a new chapter in her life. She gradually returned to her old bubbly self and visited the restaurant daily.
Then Rain received a call from the hospital. It was the test result she had a week earlier. She didn’t know what to expect and was extremely nervous. The doctor informed Rain that she had blood cancer. It was a knife pierced Rain’s heart. She asked how serious it was and how long she had. The doctor told rain it was in the final stages and she had between 6 months to 1 year left.
Rather than get despaired, Rain returned to the restaurant that had once helped her in her time of great sorrow. But there was a new change in the restaurant. It had a new manager who was strict with the staff and didn’t know Rain’s history with the establishment. He always had a harsh word for the staff and didn’t like to see them happy and relaxed. The atmosphere at the restaurant became sober and guests stopped coming in as much as they did. The once happy staff now came to work with a frown.
After Rain’s visit to the hospital, she went straight to the restaurant. She sat down at her table by the window and the staff immediately brought in the specials of the day as quickly as possible. Rain tried to make small talk but the manager’s eyes were fixed on them and he went away quickly. The manager had heard about Rain from the staff. They all spoke fondly of her and he wanted to meet her. It wasn’t because he thought she was a wonderful person but because her bill was on the bulletin board, surround by hearts and kind words. The bill was not paid.
He walked up to her and said “This restaurant only accepts paying customers. It doesn’t matter how nice everyone thinks you are; we are not a charity” Rain took out a pen and a piece of paper, wrote on it, put it on the table and left without saying a word. While her Server, Robin cleared the table he saw the note Rain left behind in the black folder. Curious, he opened the note. Robin screamed! What did he just read?
The note read
“To the restaurant staff,
I’ve loved coming to this restaurant for over 30 years. I’ve seen the restaurant change everything: staff leave and new ones come in. The menu changes a dozen times. But I’ve always been here.
I had such a great time here. Even in bad times, you always supported me. Now that I am old and ill, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you by leaving a sufficient sum of money for you.”
Written at the bottom with a pen was
‘The manager won’t get a penny of my money. And I’m going to report him to the owner’
Turning to the back, Robin saw the ridiculous amount of 462.1 million bequeathed to the restaurant from the old woman. He couldn’t believe his eyes and handed the note over to the owner. He burst into tears as Rain and her husband had been like family to him for over 30 years and he feared he wasn’t going to see her again.
After a brief phone call with Rain, the manager was immediately fired.
