Linda Meyers was on her way to dinner when heavy rain started falling.
She didn’t have an umbrella with her, so her well-kept hair became damp and dripped all over her face.
The nearest institution to her at the time was a well-known cafe frequented by the rich and famous. As she approached the entryway, she was abruptly stopped by the porter.
“Ma’am, this is an exclusive cafe. You need a reservation to enter,” he started, before looking at her from head to toe. “It seems you can hardly afford to dine in here, too,” he muttered.
Offended by the nasty remark, she requested that the porter contact the restaurant manager. Instead of letting her in, the manager repeated the porter’s comments and told her to leave.
“Ma’am, I’m currently hosting over a hundred people inside. Let’s not waste our time here. I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the manager, whose nameplate said “Simon,” told Linda.
“I can’t let you go in looking like that. You’re going to scare away all of our guests,” Simon shook his head. The woman went, hoping to find another spot to wait.
Simon arrived at work the next day to find the cafe owner already there.
He immediately summoned Simon over. “Today is a very special day. We have an important guest coming, my friend and his wife. They’re potential buyers of this cafe. That said, everything must be in top shape.”
The owner summoned Simon to their table later that evening.
At that, the woman smiled and turned to face him.
The manager couldn’t hide his horror when he realized the woman was the one he’d rudely turned away the night before. Linda returned her gaze to the cafe owner after observing his expression.
Linda and her husband went to work immediately the next day. They wanted to see how the cafe functioned daily and get to know their new employees.
Linda had some bad news for Simon when she saw him. “Simon, my husband and I have decided to demote you as a waiter. We don’t think the way you treated me the other night is any way to treat a customer,” she explained.
He felt humiliated, but he did not want to lose his work completely.
A few days later, a destitute woman entered the cafe. She sat down at a table and ordered a sandwich and hot tea. Simon handed her the bill once she finished her lunch.
“Oh dear,” the old woman said as she looked through her purse. “I must have forgotten my wallet at home. I am so sorry. I can wash the dishes, or clean the restaurant, anything so that I could repay you,” she said.
Simon shook his head. “Don’t worry, ma’am. I will pay for your tab this time around,” he said with a smile.
The woman thanked Simon.
“It’s no problem. People should help each other out. A couple of days ago, the new owner of this restaurant gave me a second chance because she is a kind person. I want to be like her. After all, I believe in karma.”
“This woman here is my friend. I wanted to test you and see whether or not you’ve learned your lesson. I’m happy to know that you’ve passed the test. You can return to your managerial duties effective immediately,” Linda said, giving him a tap on the back.
Simon was thrilled. He had never seen such generosity in anyone, and he was happy that Linda offered him another chance to succeed in his career.
