Single Mom of 3 Shelters Homeless Man Who Lost His Memory, Finds Out He Is a Millionaire – Story of the Day

When Samantha saw a storm coming, she decided to help the homeless man who had saved her life. Little did she know that it was the beginning of a whole new chapter in her life.

Samantha was a daydreamer — like those of us who like to dream at the window seat in a creaky old bus or spin tales of our imaginary lives for our alternate selves set to the song playing on our earphones on the crowded subway.

For a few minutes every day, Samantha's harsh reality of being a struggling single mom of three who could barely hold a job could wait. Her worries about how she would pay the bills or become a fashion designer could wait. As long as she was walking home from work via the long route, she would let the dreams, ideas, and thoughts simmer until her feet were right in front of her house.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

But then there were days when reality was just too frustrating to brush past.

'Today is just one of those days. Another fine for being 10 minutes late to work. That manager wouldn't even hear me out before writing me up. What does he know about raising three snotty children below the age of 12 all by himself? He and the missus are still in their honeymoon phase. Ah, I wish I was in my honeymoon phase…'

There she was, about to cross the road, daydreaming about finding the man of her dreams once again. He could be tall or short, introverted or extroverted.

'But he has to be someone who can provide for the kids. I think for once I would like to live an easy—' Samantha's thoughts were interrupted by the blinding headlights of a screeching car and a firm push from someone behind her.

It all happened so quickly. Samantha had been pushed onto the road, and the person who pushed her fell right next to her.

One moment, she decided she wouldn't spare the man. But the very next moment, clarity came back to her. The man had actually saved her from an accident with an oncoming car.

Samantha struggled to get up and ultimately had to take the hand that the stranger offered her.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

That's when she saw him for the first time. A man in tattered clothes and different shades of dirt and grime across his body. But anybody who cared to look longer than a few seconds would see that his manners weren't half bad, and an almost childlike smile was hidden under the thick layer of ruggedness.

"Thank you. For saving my life," Samantha said.

"Well, I don't usually like people. But when push comes to shove…" the man could barely wait to smile at his own remark.

"So you're one of the funny ones, huh…" Samantha said, genuinely surprised by the man's pleasant demeanor.

"You have to be funny if you're homeless. And especially if you woke up and lost all memory of who you are one fine day."

Samantha thought the man was joking. But along the rest of the walk home, the man explained that he indeed had mysteriously lost all memory of who he was or where he came from.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

Samantha and the man reached a crossing, just five minutes away from her home.

"Well, this is me," the man said, pointing to a bench on the sidewalk corner. Samantha noticed a cardboard sign with the words 'Help me, I'm homeless' written on them and an old rolled-up blanket placed on it to keep the board from flying.

Just then, the skies turned overcast, and there was a sudden gush of wind that smelled like the onset of a storm. As she saw the cardboard sign fly away aimlessly into the air, Samantha looked at the man sighing in disappointment.

"Well, there goes my sign again. Ma'am, you should really get home. It looks like a storm is coming."

Samantha opened her umbrella but couldn't just leave the kind homeless man to suffer in the oncoming heavy rains. She turned to leave but immediately turned back and spoke her heart.

"Hey, this doesn't look like a safe place for you to be in a storm situation. I live about five minutes from here, and I'm sure I can clear up a part of the old garage for you to spend the night. This road is going to get flooded up soon."

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

The man was caught off guard by this unusually thoughtful stranger. He waited to see if the woman really meant it.

Just as Samantha promised, she made room for an inflatable bed and blanket in the garage. She offered him a seat at the dining table with her children.

The children couldn't stop shooting questions at the strange guest.

"What's your name?"

"Why are your clothes so dirty?"

Samantha shushed the kids and encouraged the man to feel at home.

The following morning, Samantha announced her plan for the day over breakfast.

"My school friend Barry works at the precinct, and I've asked him to drop in and meet you. Hopefully, you will be able to discover more about your identity and whoever stole your documents. He's a dedicated officer. I'm sure he will be of great help.

"And then, in the evening, we have an appointment at the general hospital for a check-up. I've heard there are really good doctors there, so they'll help you figure out the root cause of your memory issues."

Samantha was excited about her own plan but noticed that her guest had stopped listening or eating.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

"What is it?" she asked.

"The cops. I'm scared of cops. What if they think I'm some potential criminal or find another reason to arrest me?"

Samantha saw the man's hands shiver slightly and tried to calm him with her words. "Don't worry. Just tell Barry everything you know. It will be fine, trust me. Do you trust me?"

"I do," the man said, knowing that Samantha was the only person who had cared enough to help him.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late again!" In all that excitement and the chaos of sending the children to the neighboring daycare, Samantha had completely forgotten about the time. "I hope the boss is in a forgiving mood today."

She crossed her fingers as she dashed out of the house.

It turns out that the boss was in his worst mood yet. Watching Samantha walk into the hotel 10 minutes late for the third time in two weeks, he summoned her straight to his office and fired her.

The walk back home, the one Samantha typically enjoyed the most, was the most stressful walk she could ever remember. Clueless about how she would find another job or pay the bills for the month, she wished she would never arrive home. But Samantha could already see the tiny image of her house at the end of the street.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

Samantha entered her house to find a group of men and women in suits talking to the homeless man. When she walked closer, she recognized one of the most unexpected faces in the group. Her boss from the hotel!

"Samantha! I'm so sorry for jumping the gun and firing you this morning. I had no idea that you had done something so amazing! I mean, everyone was starting to doubt if Mr. Stark would ever be found again…"

"Mr. Stark? As in, the owner of Stark Hotels?" Samantha couldn't believe what she was suggesting would be true.

But it was. "Yes, this is Mr. Stark, the owner of the entire chain of hotels. He was reported missing from his home on the other side of the city five days ago."

"Needless to say, you still have your job. And I would like to take a look at your appraisals again. I think I may have overlooked a raise," the manager continued in a gentle tone that felt alien to Samantha's ears.

"Samantha!" Mr. Stark called out to her.

As she turned, Mr. Stark paused for a second, attempting to find the words to thank her. Giving up, he opened his arms to embrace her, and she let him have his first cry in weeks.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

That emotional embrace became the point of many new beginnings. Samantha got a well-deserved promotion, and Mr. Stark kept coming back to visit her and the kids until they became indistinguishable from a family of five.

A year and a half later, Mr. Stark was waiting in the same garage where Samantha had sheltered him, down on one knee, ready to open his heart to the woman who changed his life.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don't be quick to judge people by their appearances. Sometimes, the most ordinary-looking people turn out to be the ones who help us in our trying times.
• Your kindness will always come back to bless you in some form. Mr. Stark's gesture of trying to save a young woman and Samantha's generous offer to shelter the homeless man on a tough night ended up blessing them tenfold and changing their lives altogether.

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

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about how the life of a young waiter changes when he pays for a woman's order one night, only to be invited into a luxury yacht and learn the woman's true identity the next day.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.