28-YEAR-OLD BROKE CASHIER DAD RECEIVES $1200 FROM STRANGER,IS TAKEN ABACK WHEN HE FINDS OUT THE REASON WHY

 

Generosity and honesty are some of the values that don’t come by too often. But when they do, the universe finds a way to reward the people who possess them. Such is the story of Gerrell McAllister, a 28-year-old cashier, who received a handsome amount of money one fine morning from a stranger. Who could it be? And why were they sending Gerrell money? What could they possibly want from an ordinary man like him?

One Of Those Mornings

It was a sunny morning in Takoma, Washington. Gerrell was lying awake in his bed, minutes away from his alarm going off. He didn’t sleep much last night, but then again, it has been that way for months now. After the event that turned his life upside down, it was difficult to sleep. Losing a mother would do that to anyone. His thoughts kept him awake most nights. But waking up was not a pleasure either. How do you stay awake when the reality is worse than your dreams?

Losing A Mother

Gerrell lost his mother to a pulmonary embolism back in December. Everything happened so quickly; one minute they detected a blood clot in her lungs, the next minute they were giving them the bad news. Life had just not been the same after that. As the younger child, Gerrell was every close to his mother. He took the loss especially hard.

Support System

It wasn’t all bad for Gerrell, he had a family. An elder brother, a lovely wife and a beautiful 5-year-old daughter. They kept him strong, kept him going. On days when he wanted to crumble and fall apart, they held onto him tight. When he wanted to give up on everything, he mostly focused on taking care of his daughter. She was the light of his life.

Financial Struggle

The McAllister family was in a tight position financially for quite some time now. Gerrell has been working at the store for almost 12 hours every day just to pick up extra cash. He had to put his daughter through school and did not want, even for one second, for her to be not provided for. He wanted her to have everything she ever wanted, which has been a bit of a challenge for a little while but they all do their best.

Time For Work

The alarm went off on his nightstand. Sunlight was peeping in through the blinds of his windows. Gerrell rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. It was time to get out and face the world. He got up in his bed, his legs dangling at the side. He looked at the clock, 7:01 AM. Time to get to work. 

The Store

Gerrell was a cashier at a natural pet food store. The keys jingled in his hands as he made his way across the parking lot to the entrance of the store. He was usually the first one to come in and the last one to leave so the owner had given him his own set of keys.

An Ordinary Day

Gerrell was nibbling on the morning snack his wife had packed for him. Today it was apple and his favorite P&J sandwiches. His usual days at work consisted of billing, counting the cash, handling receipts and answering the phone. He has always been good with numbers so this job was not a task when it came to the nature of his work. 

Long Work Hours

Gerrell had to spend the maximum part of his day at the store. By the time he reached home, everyone would already be asleep. A few months ago he might have complained about the long working hours but not now. He liked that his work kept him busy. Because at least this way, his mind isn’t left to think about the loss he was coping from.

The Unknown Transaction

Gerrell heard his phone go off in his pocket. On checking it, he saw its a money transfer from Paypal. A frown developed on his face. Who would send him money? On opening his account, Gerrell was taken aback by what he saw. Somebody had credited $1200 in his account! 

Who Could It Be?

Gerrell immediately turned off his phone and shoved it in his pocket. He didn’t want any eyes lurking on his screen. $1200 was a lot of money, he didn’t even earn that much at the store. Who could have sent him this much money? 

Recalling Faces

Gerrell tried to picture a face in his mind when he thought about who could it be. He knew he owed money to a lot of people. He had borrowed money from some friends and even had a loan he needed to pay but he couldn’t remember lending money to anyone. Was it somebody his wife knows? He decided to find out.

Calling Home

Gerrell took out his phone from his pocket and dialed home. His wife picked up on the third ring. He told her about the bizarre event that took place this morning. His wife’s reaction mirrored his own. Gerrell asked her if she knows who it could be? If they owed money to anyone or if she asked for money from someone? His wife was as clueless as he felt. She told him she is going to ask around and get back to him.

Still No Word

Gerrell waited for his wife’s call in hopes that she will have answers. Meanwhile, he kept picking at his brain to get some idea who it could be. Was it someone his mother used to know? But that can’t be the case, his mother didn’t have many friends and if she was owed any kind of money she would have told him or his brother.

The Phone Call

Gerrell’s phone started ringing in his pocket. It was his wife. He hurriedly answered the phone. To his disappointment, she didn’t find out anything. They had not lent any money to anyone. Gerrell was even more confused and overwhelmed than ever. He didn’t know who to ask or what to do.

The Idea

Gerrell realized he was so surprised to see the message that said “You’ve got money” that seeing the amount alone had made him close the screen and shove his phone away. Maybe the message itself could reveal where the money came from. Maybe it is some long lost relative who happened to give him some fortune.

The Mail

Gerrell took out his phone and went to check the mail he received from PayPal. He always struggled with using his mail app. The words were too tiny to read by his weakened eyesight and it looked too cluttered. He managed to find the mail, his eyes squinted to read a name that didn’t belong to him, A. Trusler.

Finding The Man

Gerrell put his phone aside. A. Trusler was not a name he had heard before. And what did A stand for? Alex? Adam? Was it someone from his old workplace? Gerrell closed his eyes and tried to remember if he knew anyone by that name. He called his wife again thinking maybe she will know someone with that name. But alas, no clue. Gerrell could feel his head beginning to hurt by this point.

Social Media Search

Gerrell thought of the one idea every millennial thinks of when they have to look for something; internet. he decided he is going to search for this name on different social media platforms and find this person. Things could only go two ways from there, either he will recognize the person or he won’t. If he didn’t recognize him, he could reach out to them and ask why they have sent him money.

Tough Luck

Finding someone on social media was not as easy as it looked, at least not for Gerrell. He went on different platforms and searched for A. Trusler but to his disappointment, he could not find any leads. He did not plan on quitting though, because he had not checked Facebook yet.

Finding Alan

To his relief, there were not many A. Trusler’s on Facebook. Gerrell was able to find a man named Alan Trusler who lived in Colville, Washington. He was an old man, maybe in his late 50s. One thing was for sure, Gerrell did not know this man at all. And he could not be associated with the McAllister family in any way. Gerell was about to reach out to him when he saw a facebook post he added less than 10 hours ago.

The Facebook Post

The post was about his daughter, Melissa Trusler, who just turned 30. He was wishing her lots of love and happiness. As Gerrell’s eyes roamed across those words, his brain began to click. He remembered there was some attachment to the mail. Things started to make sense all of a sudden, he quickly went to see his PayPal mail again, this time knowing what to look for. 

Birthday Present

Gerrell read the message that appeared on his screen. It was a birthday message from a father to his daughter. “Happy Birthday Melissa! I know how much you wanted that couch for your home, so here is a little something for you. Enjoy your day, my love! Love, Dad” Things came into perspective for Gerrell immediately. Melissa’s dad had accidentally sent him the money he was supposed to gift his daughter.

Mr. Trusler’s Mistake

About 300 miles northeast of Takoma, Alan Trusler was cursing himself for doing something so unbelievably stupid. Melissa, his daughter, was going to turn 30. He wanted to buy her something she would love but 29 birthdays later, he was all out of ideas. He remembered her talking about this couch she really wanted for her place in Seattle and then it clicked him. He could send her the money she needed for the couch and that way she could get what she wanted.

Meet Melissa

Melissa Trusler was turning 30 in a few weeks. A new resident of Seattle, Melissa was busy for the past couple of weeks decorating her new apartment. After losing her brother 5 months ago, Melissa couldn’t stay in the same house anymore. So she decided to move out and start a new life.

Apartment Decoration

Melissa had her eyes on this beautiful couch that she saw at Pottery Barn. She knew it will complete the look of her living room. Even though it was kind of expensive, she knew she wanted this couch for her place and nothing else would suffice. However, buying that couch felt like burning a hole in her pocket. Little did she know her dad was planning something for her too.

The Accidental Transaction

Alan used his PayPal account to send $1200 to his daughter, or so he thought. To send her money, he needed to input her number. What he didn’t realize was that he put it in her old number, which now belonged to Gerrell. This resulted in the transfer of money from Alan’s account to Gerrell’s, not Melissa’s. Alan called his daughter and explained what had happened. 

Not Hopeful

Alan and Mellisa were not hopeful they will be hearing from this guy. Alan had already mentally prepared himself that the money is gone. $1200 was not a small amount and who in their right minds would return that kind of money if they come across it. Mellisa still insisted her dad call this person and talk to him once.

Honest Man

Gerrell was still staring at his phone, astonished by the fact that something like this could happen to him. He knew he will return the money, there were no doubts about it. His mother taught him to always do the right thing even if no one is watching, she taught him integrity. If she was alive now, he knew what she would tell him to do. So he did the same thing.

An Unexpected Occurrence

Because of Melissa’s request, Alan decided to contact this person who was now the owner of her old number as well as her money. To his surprise, when he picked up his phone, he found a message showing that the money has been returned right back to his account. And along with it, there was a message from Gerrell. 

The Message

Alan’s screen read, “Returning the money hurts but its the right thing to do. Tell her I said Happy Birthday! I’ll try to fix the problem on my end so this doesn’t happen again. Take Care.” Alan couldn’t believe people like Gerrell exist in this world. It was such a happy surprise. He called Melissa and told her everything. Melissa was deeply touched by Gerrell’s honesty and decided to thank him personally. 

Thank You Note

Gerrell was busy for the rest of the day. He tried not to think about what just happened. He didn’t regret it, of course, it was the right thing to do after all. It didn’t matter what difference having that money would make in his life, it was not his to keep. Gerrell heard his phone go off in his pocket again, he took it out and read the message on the screen. It was a thank you note from Melissa, Alan’s daughter. A tiny smile made its way to his lips.

A Memory

Melissa thanked him for his honesty and explained how her dad still struggles with technology. At this statement, Gerrell recalled how a few months ago he received $55 from some account. He returned that too but until now he didn’t realize it was from the same person. It was from Alan Trusler. Gerrell was slightly amused by this coincidence.

The Response

Gerrell started typing, “You’re very welcome! But if you could tell your family and friends that a low-income Black man from Tacoma with a 5-year-old daughter returned your money, I would find that helpful in improving race relations while reaffirming the amazing culture we as western Washingtonians have worked so hard to cultivate. And that, in turn, would help me to stop kicking myself in the ass for remaining morally sound through the tough times my family and I are experiencing at the moment. In short, share the story, spread the love. Thank you.”

No Explanation

Gerrell didn’t know where those words came from or why he started typing them or why he confided in a stranger. He didn’t have answers to any of these questions. But all he knew is that it felt good, returning the money as well as receiving the kind message from Melissa. For a second, he thought about backspacing everything but he felt like those words needed to be heard so he pressed send.

Getting Home

The sun had set four hours ago, Gerrell was on his last bits of duties. He locked the store and set off to the parking lot. He drove home in silence, his mind still chaotic with the events of that day. When he reached his house, everyone was asleep already. He made his way to his bedroom and lied awake in his bed for the next many hours.

The Next Morning

It was a Sunday morning, which meant no work. Gerrell was in his bed, asleep, for a change. He woke up to the sound of his phone, not his alarm. His phone had been going off for several minutes again and again. He squinted his eyes, wondering who was texting him so early in the morning. Gerrell’s eyes widened as he registered what was on his screen. His phone screen was cluttered with notifications from PayPal.

Sharing The Story

When Melissa received Gerrell’s message, she felt that his words needed to be heard. So she decided to post on her facebook as well as Reddit. Soon after Melissa shared this story, people started flooding it with comments, praising Gerrell for his sincerity. It was important to Gerrell that his story would break some of those racial stereotypes and it seemed like it was working.

Rewarding Honesty

When people came to know the Gerrell was going through a tight situation financially, they were even more touched by the fact that he returned the money. As a result, people started asking Melissa for his PayPal information. They wanted to help him out. Melissa was more than happy to share the information. She was glad people were taking this initiative.

Unlimited Love

It took him a moment to realize what is happening. Gerrell had received endless donations with loving messages from people he didn’t know on PayPal. His mind was crowded with so many questions. He guessed Melissa shared his story because every message was either applauding him or thanking him for returning her money. Gerrell was overwhelmed by the love he was receiving from all these people.

Humble Man

Gerrell never felt the need to check the amount being donated to him, he cared about the messages attached to it. He enjoyed reading them and planned on replying to each of them individually. He doesn’t want the money to overshadow the sentiments behind it. He never imagined that making one decision could change the face of things so rapidly. He felt thankful for the kindness that people still share in this world.

Nonstop Messages

Receiving warm and heartfelt messages from strangers became a part of Gerrell’s day now. He couldn’t believe how therapeutic it felt. It is amazing how far a little kindness can go. Gerrell replied to every message individually. He even got engaged in a conversation with a few of them. Talking to a stranger felt oddly comforting. 

Missing Loved Ones

Gerrell and Melissa were unaware of one thing they both had in common; losing a loved one. Gerrell lost his mother and Melissa lost her brother about five months ago. Gerrell’s older brother decided to contact Mellissa when he saw her post a picture of herself and her brother on facebook saying, “It has been over 5 months since you left. I celebrate my 30th birthday one week from tomorrow. I wish you could be here to see it, bro…”

Contacting Melissa

Gerrell’s older brother messaged her on facebook, thanking her for shedding light on Gerrell’s actions and how their mother would be proud of him and how he is even more proud of himself. He said that Gerrell is an amazing father to his niece and an amazing guy in general. He thanked her for everything she had done for him and wished her well.

Shared Experiences

When Gerrell came to know about Mellisa’s brother, he was confounded. He was silent for a moment, at a total loss of words. He was amazed by how these shared experiences prove just how connected our communities can be. He was mourning for his mother, she was mourning for her brother and fate created this connection between them out of the blue. They had never met but they were both thankful for what they had done for each other.

Respect Everyone

Alan and Gerrell have never met in person or even spoken on the phone but they both felt that this experience was important to share in a day and age where headlines tend to lean towards negativity. They were both strangers yet they treated each other with the utmost respect for no reason other than their mutual belief of treating everyone nicely.

Spread Love

Now that his story is everywhere on social media, Gerrell hoped it will inspire people to engage with someone they come in contact with. We never know what people are dealing with in their personal lives. He believes a kind word goes a long way and wishes people are inspired to spread love. 

Role Model

Gerrell had always ensured to teach his daughter the right thing. So he decided to tell this story to her as well. He wanted to see her reaction. As he predicted her eyes lit up when she heard the whole story. She was happy that her dad is as caring as her because she is extremely caring about everyone and everything. Her parents taught her well. 

Teaching To Care

Gerrell was so proud of his daughter when she quickly summed up the reason behind him telling this story to her. She said, “You’re teaching me to care about other people”. He nearly teared up. His little girl was more smart and sensible than he had assumed.

McAllister Family

Gerrell’s integrity was an eye-opener for everyone. He was a man struggling with money yet he knew what the right thing is and he followed through. His values are so rare to find. This only shows he was taught well and he is doing the same for his daughter, who couldn’t be more proud of her dad.

Money Vs No Money

Money is an unusual thing. People talk about all kinds of opinions regarding it. They talk about ways to get rich, what people should do with their money, what responsibility do rich people have because they have money, silver spoon vs worked my way up from the bottom, etc. What nobody talks about is how money should not be given the power to define a person. A person should solely be defined by his morals and actions.

State Of Mind

Whether an individual feels rich or poor, depends on his mind. You can have $10 in your bank and still feel the richest person in the world. It is all about how your mind constructs the idea of being rich. If a person is grateful for the little things in life, then he is already rich. Whereas even if you have all the money in the world but no meaning of life, then you will still be poor.

Contrast In Life

Despite everything, money can transform someone’s life. It, unfortunately, has that kind of power over us. Melissa was able to afford a couch worth $1200 whereas for Gerrell it would last him and his family a month’s worth of expenses. But what matters, in the long run, are the values you carry, not the numbers of your bank account. And both, Truslers and McAllisters share the values they live by.

Honesty Is Worthwhile

By staying honest, Gerrell proved that no matter the circumstances, honesty is worthwhile. By returning those $1200 he ended up making way more with Melissa’s help. If he didn’t return the money, Melissa wouldn’t have shared the story, people would not have been touched by his integrity and no donations would have been made.

Faith In Humanity Restored

Having faith in humanity means trusting people to do the right thing, to believe that somehow the chaos in this universe will be eventually resolved. People like Gerrell set such examples for everyone. To make us believe in good again. It is not that difficult to care for others, to not do them wrong yet somehow we find countless cases where that is not the case. But if there is dark then there is also light, which is what we can take from this.