Robert simply wanted help in the car dealership showroom. However, when the salesman saw the appearance and the amount of money he had, he was brutally honest with him. The people laughed at him and said he wasn’t welcome there. Their only problem was that they didn’t know who he really was. There would be no doubt about it; they would never forget Robert’s face.
In the 1960s, Robert Jack made his way through his childhood at the pinnacle of the Cold War. His father encouraged him to enlist in the military as soon as he became eligible. Right out of high school, he joined the military with a heart of gold. But he had no idea of how severe the lifelong effects of witnessing the horrors of war firsthand would be. Robert was amiable and captivating, but his 10 long years of service in Vietnam stripped him of the admirable character he once was. The combat experience had long-term effects on his mental health and physical well-being.
One day, a friend of Jack’s invited Katie to a barbecue. As a nurse, she immediately recognized the immense pain he was trying to conceal. She was immediately attracted to his aura, and the chemistry soon emerged. They were in the midst of a happy relationship. In the blink of an eye, months of dating evolved into years, and Robert felt that Katie had totally transformed him as a person.
Anytime Robert was approached by a stranger, he completely panicked. He would experience crushing social anxiety, much like that fateful day at the dealership. After being together for 5 years, they finally tied the knot. By the time Robert reached 60 years old, he felt like life had passed him by in an instant. Their marriage was sturdier than ever, but without children of their own, they sometimes felt as if they lacked a sense of purpose in their lives.
Robert wandered into the dealership. Despite assumptions others had made, he had gone there with something on his agenda. The salesman on the dealership floor stared at him with beaming eyes. He was treated as though he had escaped from a mental institute and was completely oblivious to his surroundings.
Robert didn’t realize at the time that this dealership had a particular issue with people aimlessly drifting into the store without any intention of making a purchase. They could, with just a quick glance, identify whether someone was a serious buyer or just another window shopper. The majority of the salesman immediately returned to their tasks at hand, assuming he was not, in fact, interested in procuring a car. They judged him rashly and without reason.
He looked around and noticed that no one was going to help him. He saw the front desk and shuffled over to the receptionist. He asked her if she could watch the bag he had brought in. It was too heavy for his back to carry around for long periods of time. He then looked towards the cars on the floor.
Robert hadn’t tried to look particularly stunning that day. After all, it was just a dealership. Why should he have to dress to impress? From across the showroom floor, a salesman was watching him intently. He had a predatory grin on his face and thought that Robert was his prey. The salesman approached Robert and flashed a smile before telling him that the car he was busy looking at was the best one they had available. It was also coincidental that it was the most expensive. Robert smiled at the salesman, thinking falsely that he might have actually been trying to help him. The salesman poorly hid his visible disgust when Robert asked for a test drive. He quickly thought of an excuse, “Sorry, sir, this car isn’t actually for sale.”
Robert scratched his head in confusion and looked at the price on the windshield. Didn’t that mean it was for sale? The salesman insisted he goes to a car rental company instead. The rest of the salesmen that overheard the comment erupted into laughter. Robert felt ridiculed and embarrassed. How could people be so cruel? But there was one salesman that wasn’t laughing. Richard had only just started working at the dealership and felt bad for the old man. He didn’t agree with the rest of the predators that called themselves salesmen.
The sleazy salesman lost his patience. “Look, this car is $200,000. I don’t see how you’d be able to afford it. I don’t want you to waste my time when a real customer could walk through the door.” Robert was shocked to be treated this way. “How do you know I can’t afford it?” Then he calmly asked to test drive the car again. The salesman was growing visibly frustrated. “Now, I have been in this business for a long time. I can spot a time waster from a mile away.” Robert couldn’t believe that he was being treated like some street rat.
Richard wasn’t even smiling. He was immensely disappointed with everyone at the dealership. He had lost hope in humanity with how they had treated an elderly man like him without even giving him a chance. Robert said, “Assuming that I’m uneducated and poor just because of my appearance is pure ignorance. But even if I was poor, unemployed, or homeless, you don’t get the right to judge me.”
Robert angrily swooped to grab his bag off the floor. He opened it and briefly flashed its contents to the room. Everyone, including the rude salesman, was completely dumbfounded. With that, Robert turned to walk out. The salesman, seeing the commission he could have earned off the car in his mind, scrambled to try and convince him to make the sale. They were all trying to fawn over him and apologize. Robert smirked. He had had enough, so he took his bag and walked straight out the door. The young salesman Richard went after him. Luckily, the elderly man hadn’t gotten far.
Embarrassed, he apologized profusely for his colleague’s appalling behavior. The old man was mistaken for a homeless person, but there were bundles of $100 bills inside his bag. Richard was intrigued and looked questioningly at Robert. He introduced himself to the nice young salesman and proceeded to tell the tale of his lifetime. Richard was left speechless.
Robert told Richard that he had worked hard all his life. Even though he was getting on in years, he still worked with his own hands. He had just come from a construction site; that was why he looked dirty and poor. Although he had earned good money, he hadn’t been able to retire because he had to look after his wife Katie.
Robert explained that his wife had been fighting cancer for several years and seemed to be losing the fight. Realizing that the treatment wasn’t helping Katie anymore, Richard decided to fulfill his wife’s wish and buy her the car she had always dreamed of driving. But he had to do it while she still had her mobility. Unfortunately, by the time he had managed to save up enough money, the price of the car had increased substantially. He did not have enough money to buy the car he wanted.
Robert, determined to do this one last thing for his wife, sold all his possessions, including his gold wedding band. The last time Katie had seen the oncologist, he predicted that she only had around 12 more months to live. Robert cried about it nearly every night. The poor man really was shattered. Although he barely had any money or possessions left now, what good would they do if his wife wouldn’t be with him anyway?
When Richard found out how much money Robert needed, he got to thinking of a way to help. Richard knew that the car dealership could hardly afford such a discount. He couldn’t shake his thoughts of the old man and Katie’s dream; his heart went out to the old man, and he really did want to help.
Later that evening, the young salesman found himself at the old man’s door, holding a bundle of cash in his hand. The young salesman told Robert that he had brought the cash he needed. He told him to buy his wife the car. He quickly turned away and left before seeing the old man tear up. The old man was now wearing his business suit, and he was carrying the same canvas bag. He opened the bag and showed everyone the piles of money. The previously rude salesman was furious when Richard stepped out of his office.
Robert didn’t hesitate and bought the car on the spot. He signed the paperwork with Richard, who would get the money he had given him back from the commission he deserved. Although it wasn’t the full amount, he was happy that he had helped Katie fulfill one of her dreams. Robert was getting a lot of strange looks across the dealership floor. He smiled and knew that he had finally won this time.
Robert went home, took his wife by the hand, and led her out into the street, gesturing at her dream car. Katie was overwhelmed with joy. Finally, her lifetime dream had been fulfilled. The car was a newer model of the same brand she remembered her father driving every day.
When many salesmen heard about his true story, they were more embarrassed than they had ever been before. They wanted to make sure they got even with the old man. They started a GoFundMe account for Katie’s chemotherapy bills, and each of them had already contributed $500. So Robert would never have to worry about her medical bills again.
