Poor young mother buys old washing machine she could barely afford, then finds a note inside – Story of the day

When Jessica and her husband Eduardo welcomed their first child, Kathy, they quickly realized that raising her would not be easy. The young parents were struggling financially and constantly short of money.

Eduardo owned a textile business that was struggling. Jessica worked as a babysitter on weekends while her husband looked after Kathy. With a baby at home, expenses increased, while income remained the same or even decreased in some months.

“It must be a challenge for them, too. Maybe even more difficult,” Jessica mused one weekend, as she looked at her neighbor Sandra and her children.

Sandra was raising a third child and her husband was just a truck driver who didn’t bring in much income. She had been working on a farm for several years to help support the household financially, and they were able to make ends meet.

Jessica and Eduardo, like their neighbors, were getting by as best they could. He had stopped going out to bars with friends to save money after Kathy arrived, and she had given up some things too.

Fortunately, things started to improve financially. Eduardo’s business was growing slowly but steadily, and Jessica was managing to save some money.

Just when it seemed like they were going to have a less stressful month, another problem knocked on their door: the washing machine broke down. After considering her options, Jessica realized there was no point in repairing it.

The cost of labor and motor replacement would be slightly less than the cost of a new one, and there was no guarantee that the repaired equipment would last. This was the fourth time the appliance had to be repaired in the same year.

Knowing there was no other option but to find a new washing machine, Jessica sat down at the computer looking for an affordable one. An hour of searching led her to a suitable find, but it cost $250.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford that. She decided to see the seller in person and ask for a discount right then and there. Jessica took note of the owner’s address.

When she arrived, a man about Jessica’s age opened the door. There was calm in his eyes, though the dark circles beneath them revealed inner stress and exhaustion.

“How can I help you?” the salesman asked, his voice deep but sad.

“Hi, are you James Castro? I’m Jessica Torres. I sent you a message about the washing machine. Can I take a look at it?”

“Oh, Jessica. Yeah, sure. Go ahead,” James said, and she followed him.

The house was in ruins, and Jessica assumed the man was planning to move, which was why he had put the machine up for sale. Walking into the room next to the hallway, she saw the white washing machine. It looked brand new, just like she had seen online.

“I wanted to talk about the price,” Jessica said. “I can’t afford $250, in fact I can’t afford more than $150. We just had a baby and things aren’t that great financially. Could you give me a discount?”

“Sure. No problem, $150 is still a good deal,” he said absently, then turned around to pick up the machine.

“Really? Thank you! Thank you so much!” Jessica felt like the happiest person in the world.

James smiled slightly and the woman could sense that his thoughts had wandered beyond the room, but she didn’t worry much about it. She was rejoicing in her luck.

After 5 minutes, the two of them wheeled the huge machine into Jessica’s car without gloves or load belts, huffing and puffing and sweating. She had already paid James and was eager to get the machine home.

As she prepared to leave, she shook his hand goodbye and asked him to meet her somewhere in the future, but James’ answer was a resounding no.

“I’m leaving here for good, and I won’t be coming back, so I don’t think we’ll meet again. Anyway, I hope the machine is useful to you,” he said with a brief, honest smile. Jessica smiled at the strange response and thanked him once more before leaving.

When he got home, the first thing he did was check the functionality of the machine. However, when he opened it to check the lint filter, he was shocked to find the $150 in there.

There was also a folded piece of paper in one corner with a message. “It’s a gift for your newborn baby,” it said. “I didn’t think it was fair to ask for money from someone who was already struggling financially.”

“That’s why I decided to give it back. Someone very close to my heart once told me that if I have the resources, I should help those less fortunate.” Jessica was surprised: “When did you put this inside the machine?”

Suddenly, it hit her. She had asked him to help her move the machine to the yard while she pulled ropes from the trunk of the car to pack the machine properly, and it was then that he might have put the money inside.

Jessica wanted to express her gratitude for his help. However, because he didn’t provide a phone number on the website and getting back to the house would be a two-hour drive from her home, she decided to go the next day.

Unfortunately, it was too late by then; the man had already left on his trip and there was a “for sale” sign in the yard. Jessica left the place dejectedly, thanking him once again in her heart.

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A year later, Jessica and Eduardo were finally able to move into a bigger house. Kathy had been accepted into a good school and Eduardo’s business was doing well.

She stood on the balcony of her old house, surveying the area where she had spent most of her days. That place held many memories.

She looked over at Sandra’s residence and heard her arguing with her husband about buying a new washing machine. Jessica glanced at the line of clothes loaded with wet clothes on the neighbor’s terrace.

“That poor woman must have washed all the clothes herself. I should do something to help her.”

rang Sandra’s doorbell and left the washing machine on her doorstep with a note that read, “Love from your neighbor, Jessica.”

Jessica saw how happy Sandra was when she opened the door and found the machine on her porch. “That must have been how James felt when he helped me. Honestly, it feels amazing.”

“However, I am curious to know who encouraged him and asked him to help people in need,” he mused as his car sped away towards its new destination.

What can we learn from this story?

• Never hesitate to help someone in need, if you have the means to do so. The way Jessica helped Sandra and James helped Jessica are beautiful examples of this.
• Learn to emulate the kindness of those around you. Jessica was inspired by James’ example and that led her to help Sandra.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

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This story is inspired by a reader’s story and has been written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or locations is purely coincidental. All images shown are for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us, it could change someone’s life. If you wish to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com .