‘I Don’t Have Enough Money for Meals’ Mom Tells Her Kid, He Pulls up in Food Truck Next Day — Story of the Day

Eve was deeply disheartened when she couldn't afford a simple meal for her son's eighth birthday. She didn't expect his son to show up with breakfast the next morning, much less in a food truck!

How many ways can you make a meal out of mashed potatoes, butter, and bread?

Not that many, as Eve found out the hard way. She had been let go from the third temporary job this month, and there was nothing much left in the kitchen or in the bank.

"It's been potatoes all week, mom! Can't we go to the diner for a burger and an ice cream? That's all I want for my birthday!"

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Eve's 8-year-old threw his little arms around her shoulders and looked at her with puppy eyes. In her heart, she wanted to throw Dylan the biggest birthday party ever, with lots of balloons, lights, a bouncy castle, and a big delicious cake with 8 beautiful candles on it.

But in reality, Eve could afford none of that. After being let go from the third temporary job in the last two months and paying the overdue bills, there wasn't enough money left. Not even for a burger and an ice cream at the diner.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I don't have enough money for meals..." Eve said with a heavy heart.

When Dylan saw tears rising in his mother's eyes, he quickly changed his tone. The boy had seen her toiling hard to make ends meet and could not bear to hurt her. "Actually, mom, that potato salad looks delicious! …Can I have some more?" he asked her cheerfully.

The mother and son ate the humble meal and took a nap that afternoon. But Dylan's eyelids fluttered as he had something else in mind…

While his mother was asleep, he carefully took out a blue envelope that was hidden between books on his tiny bookshelf.

His mother didn't know this, but he had saved a few dollars from the lunch money she had given him over the past few years.

He counted the money in the envelope. "$28!" Dylan's eyes lit up. "I'm sure we can get a good meal for $28!"

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He carried the envelope and carefully snuck out of the house with a clear plan in his head.

He took a short walk to the next block, where he almost shrieked with excitement as he saw exactly what he had expected. "The food truck! I knew it was here!"

Dylan had seen it a few times while walking home from school and always wondered why the place was so crowded.

"Sir? SIR!" Dylan's voice was lost in the crowd waiting to place an order at the counter. He tried to catch the owner's attention, but there were just too many people. He waited for a few minutes until the crowd cleared and went back to the counter.

"Sir! Please give me everything I can get for $28!" he chirped.

But Martin, the owner of the food truck, frowned and replied, "I'm so sorry, kid. We're out of everything! There's just some bread and cheese left…and a somewhat molten ice cream bar." Martin saw disappointment take over the sweet boy's face, and he wished there was something he could do for him.

"That's just great!" Dylan mumbled, stomping his foot and sitting on the sidewalk. "It's my birthday, and I can't even treat my mother to a nice meal. She does so much for me…I thought, for once, I would do something nice for her…" The boy kept talking out loud to himself, giving in to his urge to cry.

"Woah, happy birthday, big boy!" Martin said, sitting down next to Dylan.

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For the next 20 minutes, Martin listened as Dylan opened up to him about his mother's struggles and how they had been going through a rough patch since the past week.

"Hey, sir, maybe I can come work for you? Just until my mother finds a good job? I'm not very good at kitchen stuff, but I can learn!" Dylan pleaded.

The pureness of the boy's heart moved Martin.

"Look, your mother sounds like an amazing woman, and you are a lovely kid. I'm really sorry I don't have anything for you today. But I've got an idea. Listen up…"

By the time Eve woke up from the nap, Dylan was back next to her in bed, pretending to be fast asleep. He was having a hard time hiding his smile over the secret plan he had made with the food truck owner.

The following day, Eve was woken up by a muffled voice calling out to her.

"Mom? Mom! Out here, mom!"

Startled, Eve got up, looked around the house for her boy, and realized that the voice was coming from outside the house.

"What is going on?" she thought as she rushed to open the door. She took a moment to take in that her son was waving to her from inside a food truck.

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"What…how…what's happening, Dylan?" Eve was trying to make sense of what she was looking at.

"Well, I brought us breakfast!" Dylan said dramatically, giggling at his mother's cluelessness.

Martin was right beside him, and he offered Eve a plate of perfect-looking pancakes.

"Here you go, ma'am! Your son tells me you love pancakes!"

Even though breakfast had gotten off to a strange start, Eve soon understood the heartwarming intention of her son and the kindness of the stranger who came up with a way to fulfill it.

"Thank you for this lovely breakfast, sir!" Eve said with her hand on her heart.

"It's my pleasure. But I do have something to ask in return…" Martin paused, leaving Eve curious.

"Yes! Yes, I would!" Eve jumped at the question.

She and Martin now run one of the most popular food trucks in the city. Martin makes the most scrumptious pancakes, Eve makes the best noodles in town, and Dylan is beginning to notice that they might be falling for each other…perhaps this is a new beginning in more ways than one!

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What can we learn from this story?

• Children have a way of lifting our hearts when we least expect it. Dylan was only eight years old, but he managed to appeal to the kind side of a stranger, making life better for himself and his mother in the end.
• Give away your kindness freely - it will always come back to bless you. When Martin chose to help the little boy feel better, he had no idea he would find an amazing partner for his business - and perhaps his life.

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 two lost kids who received food and help from a kind-hearted elderly lady, who soon learns that they share a past!

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.