Classmates Mock Boy Because of His Father’s Job until Boy Saves Man at a Bus Station – Story of the Day
Jacob was a hardworking odd jobber in a hospital. His son Lenny was ashamed of his trade and felt it was demeaning. But an incident at a bus station helped Lenny realize that any job that saved someone's life is respectful and not derogatory.
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Lenny had just turned 14 and had already started behaving like an adult. He didn't have any siblings, so he spent most of his time with his friends. Lenny grew up under their company and often looked down upon his dad's profession like his friends did.
"Hey, Lenny! Has your dad gone to clean up after some old woman in the hospital?!" were some of the taunts he heard from his friends.
Lenny's dad, Jacob, worked in a local hospital as a handyman and, sometimes, an orderly doing petty gigs like cleaning up and laundry. Although Jacob loved his breadwinning job, Lenny felt it degraded his personality among his friends.
But one day, the boys who mocked Lenny over his dad's trade held their chins up with pride and begged his apologies after he saved a dying man's life…
Lenny was often ridiculed by his friends over his dad's job. | Source: Pexels
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Lenny's parents divorced when he was just six. His dad raised him, and ever since Lenny began to understand things, Jacob always wanted his boy to know how rewarding hard work can be.
But Jacob's earnings were barely enough to provide for food and Lenny's education, so he worked overtime and was mostly away on night shifts. One day, he realized it was time to foster hard work in Lenny too.
"Hey, Len! Be ready after school… I'd be coming to pick you up," he informed Lenny, who was getting ready for school.
"Lenny, what the hell are you doing? Put the leg down…the doctors are on their way," one of Lenny's classmates shouted.
"Pick me up??? For what?" Lenny exclaimed. "I have to go to the park with my friends."
Jacob told his son about his desire to help him understand the concept of hard work. "I also want to train you with some basic things you need to know to work in a hospital."
But Lenny was against his father's idea. He didn't want to cut short his fun time with his buddies, so he refused. However, Jacob had already fixed his mind and wasn't ready to buy Lenny's fuzzy excuses.
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Jacob worked in a hospital & was proud of his hard work. | Source: Pexels
"What is said is said…no more excuses!" Jacob sternly told Lenny.
Lenny started accompanying his dad to the hospital after that. One day, he met his friends on their way to the cinema hall. They asked him out, but Lenny shyly refused and told them he had to go to the hospital with his dad.
"Are you kidding us?!" the boys chorused mockingly. "You're gonna be a loser like your dad!"
The boys teased Lenny, joking how they would be enjoying a movie while he cleaned up at the hospital. Lenny hung his head in shame and walked away. Deep inside, he felt his friends were right about his dad.
"I don't want to do what he's doing…I don't want to live his life and become a dirty servant in some dirty ward," he mumbled and stormed to meet Jacob…
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Lenny was ashamed of his dad's work. | Source: Pexels
"Dad, I don't think I'll come again tomorrow," Lenny crisply told his dad.
Jacob was stunned. He didn't like the look in the boy's eyes and understood what he was up to. After a brief pause, he asked Lenny to change into his uniform and help him with the chores.
"There's nothing wrong in getting your hands dirty for someone in need, son," Jacob exclaimed. "No work is big or small… it's how well you do it to help someone in need…."
Lenny was out of words and excuses. He reluctantly changed into his uniform and helped his dad when suddenly, he saw a nurse hurry through the door screaming. She was in a panic.
"This way, this way, please…." the doctor shrieked after examining a patient hurried into the ward on a gurney.
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A patient in an emergency was rushed to the hospital. | Source: Unsplash
Lenny stopped his work and stared at the patient. He understood something terrible had happened to his leg. The pool of blood around the man's broken leg froze Lenny.
"He met with a car accident… It's an open leg fracture," the nurse said.
The patient was settled into the ward that sounded of chaos. Lenny saw the doctor and nurse hurry up with first aid and medicines.
"Get a tourniquet, hurry up," the doctor shouted from the patient's bed.
Lenny watched the doctor fasten the man's leg to avoid further blood loss. He was shocked at how quickly things were done to save someone's life. Jacob had a lot of cleaning to do in the ward after the patient and called out to Lenny...
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Lenny was stunned & watched at how the injured man was being treated. | Source: Pexels
"Wow! That's freaking…." Lenny mumbled, walking away. The boy looked back at the doctor and the patient. He wondered if there was so much to saving someone's life, even if it meant doing simple things like using a bandage.
A few months later, Lenny took a break from helping his dad at the hospital. He was going on a school field trip to a neighboring town. At the bus station, while waiting for the bus that would take his class, he isolated himself since nobody liked his company because of his hospital duties, and he found no time for his friends.
The boys were discussing their outing spots at their destination, while Lenny felt he was an outcast and remained silent. Just then, he heard someone scream, followed by a commotion at a distance.
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Everyone rushed to the spot and surrounded a guy lying on the floor. He was slowly blacking out. Lenny steered through the crowd and was shocked after seeing the wounded man.
The boys rushed to the spot & found an injured man lying unconscious. | Source: Pexels
"He ran through the hall and slipped on the wet floor," a witness explained.
"Awwwwww my…." those gathered around shrieked in disbelief after seeing the guy's severely wounded leg. Some couldn't bear the terrible sight and left without turning back.
That's when Lenny recalled a similar situation he witnessed at the hospital. He walked to the injured man without wasting time and lifted his leg.
"Lenny, what the hell are you doing? Put the leg down…the doctors are on their way," one of Lenny's classmates shouted.
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But Lenny knew that time was running out. He took the belt off his pants and fastened it around the man's leg over the wound. He made sure he did it exactly like how he'd seen the doctor do it in the hospital.
Around ten minutes later, the doctors arrived and were stunned after seeing the man already had a tourniquet wrapped around his wounded leg.
"Who did this?" one of the doctors exclaimed. "Whoever did this has saved this man's life."
Lenny took off his belt & fastened it around the man's wounded leg to stop the blood flow. | Source: Unsplash
The boys were shocked at the doctor's revelation. And after finding out Lenny had done it, the doctors appreciated him for his timely act. His friends watched in awe and couldn't believe their eyes.
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Moments later, they walked up to Lenny and hugged him. "We're sorry, Lenny…please forgive us," the guys chorused an apology.
From that day on, Lenny's friends and classmates never looked down upon him and his work at the hospital. Lenny, too, realized that no job is big or small, but what mattered most was how well it was done to help the needy. The incident encouraged him to work diligently at the hospital and live up to his dad's expectations.
Lenny's friends deemed him their hero & he was also proud of his dad's job. | Source: Unsplash
What can we learn from this story?
- The knowledge you acquire can be helpful in the most unpredictable situations. Lenny was captivated by the doctor's quick treatment of the patient with an open leg fracture. When he witnessed another person injured similarly at the bus station, he spontaneously provided first aid and was praised for saving the guy's life.
- There's nothing to be ashamed of in any job that can help or save someone's life. Like his friends, Lenny, too, felt his dad's trade in the hospital was demeaning. But after he saved the wounded guy, he realized that no job is big or small, especially if it's done to help the needy or save someone's life.
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If you liked reading this story, here's one about how a dad suddenly showed up at his son's classroom after seeing him return home from school in tears every day.
This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Please share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you want to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.
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