A boy goes to the flea market to buy old music tapes, but he takes pity on an elderly man selling an old suitcase, and that act of kindness changes his life.
Martin Farmer’s life wasn’t easy and it contained few pleasures. He was seventeen years old, but he was already carrying a heavy load of responsibility. His mother was ill, and his father had passed away two years before, leaving him as the man of the house.
Shortly after that, a motorbike accident had left Martin with severe injuries to his left leg, which ended his brilliant football career, and he had been counting on football to pay his way through college…
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
Money was short so Martin worked after school every day and all day Saturdays to make ends meet and help pay for his mom’s medication. Once in a while he took $5 out of his savings and went to the local flea market to look for old music tapes from the 80s and the 90s.
Those monthly trips to the flea market were his only pleasure — his only hobby. That Sunday, Martin was recovering from a particularly hard week. He had worked hard, but his mother’s medical bills had come in the mail.
His week’s paycheck wasn’t enough to keep the wolves at bay forever, Martin knew that. He and his mother had a heated argument on Saturday night. He wanted to quit school and work full time, but his mother disagreed.
This morning he got up early, made her breakfast, and then headed out for the flea market. At least for a couple of hours, he’d stop thinking about his problems.
It was a beautiful morning so the fair was full of people browsing through the trash and treasures of other people’s lives, and Martin headed for one particular vendor he knew well.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
He was standing by the man’s table, going through a treasure trove of old tapes when an old man arrived and set up a pile of old bags and suitcases next door. The man immediately started advertising his wares:
“Suitcases, bags, and briefcases!” he cried in his old cracked voice, “Five dollars apiece, best bargain of your life!”
A woman passing by stopped, looked, and sniffed. “Old junk is what you’ve got! There’s so much mildew on that suitcase it will probably fall apart!”
“Go on, lady!” the old man wheeled. “Help an old man out! I’m clearing out my old treasures and I can sure use the money! Things are tight…”
Another man walked past and nudged a briefcase with his foot. “Old man, I wouldn’t even give a dollar for this piece of trash! You’re not going to sell anything!”
Miracles are found where and when we least expect them.
The old man shook his head. “You’re wrong. The right person will come along because this here is a suitcase full of hope,” he said. “Cause it looks like a suitcase to you, but I promise you, it’s a dream come true!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Martin smiled. He turned to the man and said, “I could use a lot of hope right about now! How much for the dream come true?”
“Young man,” the old man said smiling happily. “This here marvel is 100% genuine leather, made in the 1930s, and it can be yours for only $5!”
Smiling, Martin fished in his pocket for his single $5 note and handed it to the man. “Here you go,” he said.
The man was smiling hugely, and he grabbed Martin’s hand. “You’re a kind boy,” he said. “And you deserve what you’re getting!”
Martin laughed, picked up the old suitcase which was a lot heavier than he’d imagined, and waved a regretful goodbye to the music man. “Next time!” he promised and headed home for lunch.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
When he arrived home, his mother complained about the suitcase right away. “Martin! Did you have to buy junk? We have enough of that! Put it in the garage or it will fill the house with dust!”
Martin obediently carried the suitcase into the garage. He was about to place it on top of an old table when he once again noticed how heavy it was. He opened the suitcase and was surprised to see that it was filled with packages wrapped in newspaper.
Curious, he ripped the newspaper and found a wad of $20 bills! Quickly Martin unwrapped the other packages. It was all money! Thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Martin screamed for his mother and she came running. She was speechless at the sight of the piles of money. She didn’t complain about the dust…
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
That night, Martin and his mom counted and recounted the money. There was $300,000! “There’s enough for the medical bills, and the medication…” said Martin.
“Oh, and for college,” said Martin’s mom. “And maybe then we pay off the mortgage…”
“But mom,” Martin said softly. “It’s not our money. The man sold me this suitcase for five dollars and he looked very poor. I’m sure he didn’t know about the money.”
Mrs. Farmer carefully put all the money back in the old suitcase. “In that case, you have to find him, Martin,” she said. “And give it all back to him.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
Over the next three weeks, Martin haunted the street markets and flea markets looking for the old man, but he was nowhere to be found. Then one day he saw him at a bus stop, carrying another old suitcase.
“Wait!” Martin cried. “Listen, do you remember me? You sold me an old suitcase? I have to give it back to you!”
“Give it back?” asked the old man. “I don’t want it back!”
“Please, you don’t understand,” Martin said. “The suitcase was full of money, your money!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
The old man started laughing. “I know THAT!” he said. “Do you remember what I told you? The suitcase was full of hope and dreams come true. That’s what it’s for. Use it well.”
The old man turned and started to walk away, but Martin ran after him. “But I thought you were poor!”
The man smiled. “No, son. I’m a man who spent his entire life making money and now I find I have more than anyone should have. So I give it to those who are kind enough to help those in need. And that’s you!”
Martin went home and told his mother the old man’s story. They decided to use the money to help her get well and to pay for his college, and from that day on, they included the Suitcase Man in their prayers.
What can we learn from this story?
- Miracles are found where and when we least expect them. Martin and his mother were at the end of their rope when they found the money in the suitcase.
- Acts of kindness are always rewarded. Martin spent his precious $5 to help a man he thought was poorer than he was and received a gift that made his dreams come true.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a young waitress who gave an old homeless man free meals after she recognizes his old broken-down western boots.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
Boy Didn’t Stop Kicking My Seat during a Long Flight – My Dad Taught His Parents a Nice Lesson
Long-haul flights can be uncomfortable without the added factor of confrontation. Unfortunately, one father-daughter duo had to deal with a cramped plane and a child whose parents neglected to control him on top of the discomfort of travel.
An airplane flying against a sunset background | Source: Shutterstock
A few years ago, during a long night flight back from India, a family found themselves embroiled in a conflict with the family sitting behind them. The father and his then-14-year-old daughter were seated in front of a trio: a couple and their son, who was approximately 9 or 10 years old.
The plane ascended into the night sky, but the tranquility of the journey was soon disrupted by the the little boy behind them repetitively kicking the daughter’s chair. Initially, the father addressed the issue with a polite request for the boy to cease his kicking. The boy stopped, but only for a short time before he started again.
An upset child on an airplane | Source: Shutterstock
In a strategic move, the father reclined his seat fully, disturbing the boy’s mother seated behind him. When the mom and her husband protested, seeking the intervention of a flight attendant, she asked if the man wanted to keep his seat reclined. The father responded in the affirmative and the flight attendant confirmed he could do as he pleased.
The couple then exchanged a few whispers, which led to their little boy no longer kicking the young girl’s seat. However, her father kept his seat reclined for an hour so that he could be sure the couple had learned their lesson.
An airplane passenger sleeping in a reclined seat | Source: Shutterstock
Many people were entertained by the story. One person suggested that the father should have waited until the couple had received drinks and then reclined his seat fully, causing the drinks to spill on them.
Another person shared that many people wouldn’t understand how something was impacting others until they were directly impacted by something themselves. The commenter shared that since the couple couldn’t feel their son’s kicks in the chair, they couldn’t care less about how it was affecting someone else. However, when their comfort was compromised, they knew they had to do something.
A frustrated male airplane passenger | Source: Shutterstock
Some people even shared similar stories to the one this poster shared. One woman shared that she had been on a flight on her way back from Egypt when a man was seated behind her. He was indignant that a woman should be sitting in front of him, which led to him aggressively kicking her seat each time she moved.
At one point, the woman leaned back slightly, prompting the man to call a flight attendant over. The man screamed that a woman shouldn’t be allowed into his space. He pushed her seat as hard as possible in an effort to straighten the seat and no longer have it near him.
A sleeping female passenger on a plane | Source: Shutterstock
The flight attendant told the man that the woman was allowed to lean her seat back if she wanted to. The woman’s husband offered to switch seats with her, but she remained steadfast in her resolve to stay in her seat for the seven-hour flight.
Another Reddit user shared that they were 18 when they traveled from the US to the UK. They sat in front of a child who was kicking their chair and causing general discomfort. The traveler politely turned to the child’s mom and asked if she could tell her child to stop kicking the seat.
A mischevious child on a plane | Source: Shutterstock
The child’s mother shrugged and said her child could do what he wanted to do. The commenter replied that they could also do what they wanted and that unless the mother wanted things to get ugly, she should reign her child in. The person said they would embarrass the woman if she did not control her child.
The mother seemed nonplussed, so the traveler stood up and shouted to the plane that they were having an issue with the child. They then asked if anyone else was experiencing the same issue or if the child’s mother just didn’t know how to parent. The woman became enraged, but the person did not care.
A sheepish woman avoiding eye contact | Source: Shutterstock
When the flight was over, the traveler walked into the airport and was greeted by their friends. The mother and her son walked past the group with their heads down, not saying anything.
While these parents didn’t know how to control their children on the plane, one mother was not even allowed to get on the plane with her child. Read the full story here.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
Leave a Reply