One day the plane was about to take off and the passengers were entering into it. Everything was usual except an old woman. She was poor and wore torn clothes and having old bags with her.
This tired old woman was getting onboard an airplane. Everyone noticed it and was irritated by her clumsiness. When she was on the stairs, people surrounding her rebuked her. The lady in front of her insulted her old bag and clothes. She said sorry for that. But they didn't stop this.
She got on the plane and was searching for her seat. As soon as she entered, people noticed her and they got furious. One lady whispered back her where did this old beggar get money for a plane ticket. And they started laughing. The another man asked who had let people like her on the plane.
She was upset but finally she had got her seat beside a beautiful young lady. She was old and could not put her bag on the upper case. She politely begged help from the lady beside her. But she got angry and irritated. And refused to help saying that It was the old lady's business and why she asked her.
There was no one on the plane who came forward to help her. So, she herself had to pull her bag up. It was very hard for her in this age. She had bone problems too. But she did it as she had to.
She sat on her seat and after a while the plane took off. The old lady was feeling sorry and ashamed. The girl near her didn't talk with her. But suddenly she looked at her and said that she just couldn't believe that she was going to spend the whole flight next to the old woman.
It was the first time for the old lady on a plane. She couldn't understand why everyone was so mean to her. She started crying. A young man was coming from the back and she noticed the upset old poor woman. He went near to her and started talking politely. The old woman was very surprised and couldn't believe someone was talking with her in this way.
She asked the man if he was talking with her for being sure. The man confidently said yes. He said that he was in business class. He offered her to trade a seat in there. Of course that offer was free of cost. He helped the old lady to get there and made her sit. The old lady thanked him from her heart. He replied that any woman at her age should be surrounded by care and comfort.
When the plane landed the man helped her with her baggage. He also helped her to get down. They both sat on the waiting room and the old lady gave him a box of apple pie and requested him to take that because that was the only way she could thank him. She also told him that this was her husband's favorite apple pie. The man sincerely took the box.
She further told him that she was going to visit her husband in a hospital that time. The man silently heard her. She again told him that that day was her first time on a plane. Her husband worked in another city and suddenly he felt very sick. That's why she had no choice. She was terrified by the flight. But she became grateful to him because he gave her hope with his kindness. The man wished her husband a fast recovery. The lady again thanked him for being so kind.
That man's simple gesture changed something in the woman and her husband's lives. The old lady now knew that there is kindness in the world. And the man realized that a simple apple pie might be a valuable gift.
You never know what's going on in a stranger's soul. One mean word of yours might cause harm and a kind one might become a salvation.
But we can't share out feeling