He was stunned by the figure scribbled inside the leather folder. This had to be a mistake or some kind of joke. Then his eyes landed on the napkin. There was something written on it in the same red ink.
He couldn’t believe what he was reading as his eyes scanned over another line: “My mother did not need your help.” Then it all started coming back to him.
A Staff Shortage
Texas resident, Kasey Simmons, wasn’t having a particularly good day. In fact, that day had all the makings of becoming the worst one in his career yet. Working the night shift at the local Applebee’s on an average day was hard enough - it was nearly impossible when there was a staff shortage.
He tried his best to pick up the slack, but it was hopeless against the steady flow of customers. Kasey was at the end of his rope when another woman sauntered it.
Facing Her
The woman and her family took a seat and waited patiently for Kasey to order their drinks. After a long wait, he finally made his way over to their table and decided to tell them the truth about his situation.
He tried his best to smile as he explained, “Hello, my name is Kasey. I just wanted to let you know that I am far behind on my orders. I have a sticky situation on my hands tonight.” He watched as the woman’s face fell as he explained that he would only be able to their table’s food order in 45 minutes.
Trying His Best
In an effort to appease the woman, Kasey offered to pay for their drinks. This was really not his day. He grew increasingly overwhelmed as more customers entered the restaurant, and the orders piled higher.
Just when he was sure the night couldn’t get any worse, the complaints started coming in. The diners weren’t satisfied with the speed at which they were being served.
What If He Quit?
Kasey was the only one working in his section, and almost a dozen tables were demanding his attention. He realized there was no way he could serve all these tables by himself as he caught a glimpse of another woman ordering her drinks. Then the thought crossed his mind: what if he just walked out at this moment?
No matter how tempting it seemed to give up, Kasey was not a coward. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to make ends meet without the money.
Exhausted
Kasey had always been a hard worker, but even he had his limits. He knew he needed help, so he asked management to send a second waiter to his section. Kasey wasn’t shocked when they denied his request; it wasn’t news to him that Applebee’s was severely understaffed that night.
He battled through his exhaustion and tried to make the best out of the situation. But he could have never foreseen what was about to happen.
Big And Small Tips
Kasey realized the job came with its good and bad nights, and it largely depended on the tips he received. He appreciated the generous customers who left decent tips. But some weren’t as charitable. Some diners would leave him a small tip or no tip at all, even if he had tried his best to give them a good service. But that was just the reality of working in the service industry.
He rushed back to the woman, finally able to take their table’s orders, but he was completely blindsided.
Not Ordering
The woman informed Kasey that they would no longer be ordering food but wanted to order a bottle of flavored water. He hurriedly fetched the woman’s flavored water and then rang up the bill, but he had no idea that she wasn’t through with him yet. Kasey felt terrible - she and her family were leaving after patiently waiting an hour to order food.
He rushed to get the woman her flavored water and ring up the bill, but he didn’t know that she wasn’t entirely done with him yet.
A Strange Request
The bill for the bottle of flavored water totaled to 74 cents after Kasey subtracted the table’s drink he had paid for. The woman shoveled through her handbag for the money before saying she didn’t have it.
As if Kasey didn’t have enough to deal with, she asked him if he divided the bill between two credit cards- 37 cents on each. The request left Kasey dumbfounded, but he politely obliged before rushing to serve another table.
Assuming The Worst
Kasey made his way back to the woman and her family to get the bill after attending to a few other customers. But as he got closer, he noticed that the table was empty. He assumed the worst: they had left angry because they didn’t receive the service they wanted.
If that’s what happened, then there was no way he could fix it now. But as he opened the leather folder and caught sight of the note on the receipt, his eyes grew wide.
Why Did She Do This?
The woman had written $500.37 in the gratuity line of the receipt. He thought that she must have made a mistake. But he soon realized it was not after he had counted the wad of cash and coins.
He could barely hold back his tears as the incredibly generous gesture hit home. He was still very confused, though. What could he have possibly done to deserve this? Then, the note on the napkin caught his eye.
The Note
The note was written in red ink on the napkin and it began with, “We, the Sulivan family, want to thank you for being the person you are.”
“You made my mother’s day wonderful on one of the most depressing days of the year - the passing of my father’s 3-year anniversary. She has not stopped smiling since that day.” He stared at the note in bewilderment, then it all came back to him.
Doing Something Good
Earlier that day, Kasey went into the Kroger grocery store to buy necessities when he noticed the elderly woman. She looked very sad as he approached her. He explains, “I noticed the lady standing before me.”
“She looked like she had been crying when she glanced at me.” But little did he know his actions would bring him good karma.
Trying To Cheer Her Up
Kasey remembered that he went up to her and said, “It’s not raining outside, so there’s no reason to look so gloomy. You’re a beautiful lady, and I bet you have a beautiful smile.” Kasey could tell she had a bad day.
During an interview with ABC news, Kasey added, “I wanted to maker her smile but she kind of shut me down a little.”
Paying Her Groceries
Kasey offered to pay for the elderly lady’s groceries after talking to her for a while. He was desperately trying to cheer her up. The groceries only cost $17. She agreed after he refused to let her pay for it.
Then finally, she smiled at him, and Kasey knew he had just brightened her day a little more. But he soon forgot about the incident. He had no idea that his good deed would come back to him in such a way.