Elderly Couple Pays for Entire Group Home’s Night Out in a Heartwarming Act of Kindness

00:00:20
Speaker 1: And we continue with our American Stories. Up next, a heartwarming story from Lorie Cyber, a memoir writing student of one of our frequent contributors, Leslie Leyland Fields. Take it away.

00:00:34
Speaker 2: Lurie.

00:00:35
Speaker 3: The restaurant owner assures me that the elevator was recently inspected. I’m sure he can read my face, filled with lingering concern. He quickly adds, “We use it almost every day.” He is rightfully proud of his new business in this beautifully restored building. He immediately supported our group dining at his restaurant, but could not offer us a discount. This will be a full-price evening. Like a protective mom, I anxiously wait for my twenty-five adult kids to attend their party as I continue checking items off my to-do list. Donald is the first to arrive. He is quiet and cautious, ever eager to please. I nearly burst with pride when I noticed his slicked-back hair, suit, and tie. I know from his chagrin that he’s proud of his appearance, too. Donald and I have been meeting monthly for almost ten years. “Wow, looking sharp, Donald!” He gently tugs on this thin maroon necktie and self-consciously smiles, emphasizing the gray whiskers along his deep laugh lines. “Are you hungry?” I ask. “Yep, me too.” I look at him intently, requiring him to make direct eye contact. Behind Donald, I see her agency’s van pull into the parking space directly in front of the restaurant. The two care workers exit the van and begin helping the residents of our group home for adult women enter the restaurant. Mary and her wheelchair are the last to be loaded into the van and the first to be unloaded. Her smile is so broad that it threatens to split her precious face. A string of spittle falls from one side of her mouth. A spastic quadriplegic who can make the RR shake beneath her as she jolts from side to side in her wheelchair. When she is safely delivered through the restaurant door, she bends her head toward me so I can see the rhinestone-encrusted headband one of the caretakers has lovingly put into place. Mary jerks her head upright again and squeals, waiting for my compliment. “Well, look at you, beautiful Queen Mary!”

00:02:49
Speaker 2: I oblige.

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Speaker 3: Her dark brown eyes sparkle, and her face lights up in a magical smile as I fuss over her bejeweled necklace and beaded clip-on earrings. After a few minutes of excited greetings and mutual admiration, I send Joanne, a “house mom,” upstairs with Louise, Doreen, Kathy, and Donald. Herding them up the stairs will be an adventure, but she is up to the task. Wide-eyed and silent, Mary manages to survive the elevator ride despite an initial protest. Her relief is visible as the doors screech open; her regal smile returns. She greets those who have arrived upstairs, tipping her tiara-topped head and, with great effort, patting her necklace with a twisted wrist. Missy has arrived, too. She is entirely mobile, living with cerebral palsy. Her uneven gait makes me want to slide beside her to offer a shoulder to lean on. She confidently charges up the stairs, resilient. Out of necessity, I tasked her with ensuring everyone had someone to sit with. Within minutes, she has seated Marilyn and Linda at the end of our long banquet table, with grinning, head-nodding Robert. Brothers Glenn and Less have been dropped off by their nephew. Less has a crinkled, grease-stained paper bag gripped tight in each hand. Before he told me, I knew that one was for my son, Alex, six, and the other for my son, Luke, four. Less and Glenn often come bearing gifts for my boys. The treasures inside the bags vary each time, but there is usually a can of orange soda pop in each. Seeing these filled, overhandled, thoughtful gifts melts my heart. Glenn, Less, and the other Discovery Plus group members are incredible humans. Their developmental disabilities and challenges are eclipsed by their exceptional thoughtfulness and pure generosity. Our evening passes in a merry, busy blur. I want to eavesdrop on every interaction, and I forget to worry about us being too loud. The food is enjoyed, plates are emptied, and unlimited soft drinks are refilled. Laughter rings, and the dessert selections provide the icing on the cake of the extraordinary evening. I slowly look around, taking note of each person’s specialness. I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude. The evening has surpassed my highest hopes. As our delightful evening draws to a close, the van driver appears to pick up the first group. Other parents and drivers arrived, too. Even Mary is so sated and happy she barely notices when Bonnie wheels her to the elevator for her ride downstairs. I catch the server’s eye and tell her I’m ready to pay the bill. She stares at me blankly for a brief moment, nods her head, and disappears. “Goodbye, Laura.” Norma is at my side. Long ago, I had quit correcting her and telling her my name is Laurie. I accept it now as a term of endearment. “Good night, Norma.” “Did you have a good time?” “Oh, yes,” she replies. She is one of the original five Discovery Plus participants and has been a faithful attendee since our first meeting ten years ago. Somewhere along the way, she started calling me at home. I fully expect a phone call from her tomorrow. Norma embraces me in an awkward bear hug before shuffling down the stairs. Our waitress returns with a sly grin and hands me our bill for the evening. I glanced down at the long cash-registered receipt and saw the word “Paid” stamped in red ink. “Wait, what is this?” I ask. Stunned and confused, she smiles again. A conspirator’s smile. “Someone paid your group’s entire bill.” “Who? Who would have done that?” I ask, sincerely astonished. “They want to remain anonymous, and they were happy to do it,” she replies, clearly enjoying her role as a messenger. “Oh, please,” I implore. As I process this generous gesture, I want to thank whoever has given our group this incredible gift. She smiles again and turns to go back downstairs, then stops at the table of an older couple gathering their belongings. After a brief conversation, the three of them involuntarily glanced upstairs. Before they have time to react, I dash down the steps. I catch them as they are turning to head out the door. Overcome with emotion, my voice cracks. “Thank you, thank you so much!” The woman gives me a wink and a warm smile as she wraps her scarf around her neck. “It was supposed to be our secret.” Her piercing gray-blue eyes assess me as she decides whether or not to say anything more. “We love seeing your group and witnessing how much everyone enjoyed the evening.” “We really had a wonderful time,” I assure them. My only hesitation was worrying about turning in the receipts for our total bill, but I knew that the evening would be well worth it. After a contagious chuckle, the handsome, winsome man agrees it was worth every penny. He offers me his hand for a firm shake and zips his coat as they approach the door. I want to chase them down. I need their contact information so the agency and I can adequately thank them. Instead, I stand and watch them go, realizing that even though they have paid our tab, the couple has been given the gift of joy. I do not wish to diminish it.

00:08:20
Speaker 2: It was worth every penny, and a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Monty Montgomery and Reagan Habib.

00:08:35
Speaker 1: And a special thanks to Lorie Cybert for telling the story, for sharing the story, and for doing what she did with those adults and those folks in that group home, and, of course, for what that older couple did to pay for it all and to do it joyfully and to do it secretly. It’s another of those many stories we tell here on our show about generosity and random acts of kindness. This is a true and one of our best random acts of kindness stories here on our American Stories.