FLORIDA WOMAN GETS TRICKED BY AN OLD MAN AFTER HELPING HIM AT THE LOCAL WALMART STORE

Have any of your trip to Walmart ever led you into something so extraordinary that could be remembered for a lifetime? It doesn’t even sound like a legit question right. Like what can turn up at a Walmart store while one’s simply picking up groceries? A woman from North Port, Florida would have told you the same thing until one day when her weekly trip to Walmart led her to the most unexpected when she offered her help to a stranger. Was it a wise move? Read the story and decide for yourself.

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Unforgettable Day

It was just like any ordinary day for this woman when she decided to check in to the nearest Walmart store to pick up some groceries. She never expected that her day would soon take a 180 and end up being one of those days that she would remember for her life to follow. But what can possibly go wrong at Walmart while one’s simply shopping? To your surprise anything is possible, so read the story further as we put forward the details of how an act of kindness led this woman into the unexpected. 

It’s Cold Outside

It was cold enough to give someone a frostbite, something you would expect from a December morning in the state of Florida. No one likes to get out of their beds on a winter morning but what needs to be done has to be done no matter what. So, Melissa Whittington accompanied by her stepson headed towards the grocery store, something they often did together without complaining as someone has to do the boring task of picking up groceries.

Not So Normal Day

They were at the not so happening task of picking up groceries but they did it with a smile on their face. Attitude counts, right? While they have often visited the nearest Walmart and like all the other times they didn’t expect their visit to be anything but ordinary. However, life often surprises us when we least expect it and the mother-son duo was going to experience something similar.

Something Strange

So the local Walmart was a couple of miles away and Melissa Whittington decided to drive that far in her car along with her stepson. But not long after their road trip to Walmart would take an unexpected turn. So, they arrived at the Walmart store and made their way towards the parking lot as they didn’t want to get a ticket or have their car toed which is way worse. She made her way towards the store after successfully parking her car and it was when she noticed something strange.

The Old Man

It was an old man with a pale face and gray eyebrows which clearly indicated that he was too old to be out there on his own. He looked like he was in his late 80’s, a victim of aging as he could hardly carry his groceries. Not to mention the cold weather that was making it hard for the old man as his hands shivered with every failed attempt to carry his groceries.

Not That Innocent

While the old man was almost invisible to everyone else or say he was only invisible as people ignored him. His name was Bill and it was Melissa who could see him struggle and didn’t like the sight she was holding. She knew exactly what she had to do to make it better but what she didn’t know at the time was that the old man had some tricks to play.

Helpless

Bill’s carry bag somehow broke knocking over his grocery upon the sidewalk right at the time when Melissa and her stepson Phillip were just about to get inside the store. Was it a co-incidence or something else, that only time will tell. The old man was initially shocked with a much helpless look on his face. He knelt down to pick up all the groceries that fell, but it was obvious from the sight that the old man could use some help.

 To Help or Not

Seeing the helpless old man struggling in picking up the groceries touched Melissa. Although the old man never verbally asked for help he looked vulnerable and helpless to the point that it was impossible for Melissa to stop herself from offering help. However, she was hesitant in the first place to rescue a stranger and save his day as he didn’t ask for it and you never know how the other person can respond these days. So what did she do next?

To The Rescue

She didn’t think much of how the old man would react as she was about to offer her help and it was all in the good for the old man. She checked in and headed towards the old man to see how he was doing and it was obvious that he wasn’t doing good. She knelt down to pick up the items that belonged to the old man and she placed it into another bag which wasn’t broken. Bill was overwhelmed by Melissa’s act of generosity and how immediate she was to reach out. Melissa had never expected that her kind act would change her day.

Start Of The Conversation

When a complete stranger comes to your help what you do? The least you can do is thank them and that’s what Bill did. He appreciated the woman for being the only person to help him among all those stood there. Moreover, the two strangers started to exchange words and Melissa was quite comfortable so it wasn’t an awkward conversation. Not only that, but Melissa also told Bill that it was her stepson’s 9th birthday, the reason why they were at the store.

Financial Crisis

It was Phillip’s ninth birthday as Melissa mentioned but what were they doing at the Walmart on his special day. Yes, they were to pick up groceries but I know better ways of celebrating a birthday. But unfortunately, it turned out that Melissa didn’t have the money to buy her son anything special on his precious day. It was really sad to know this as no one should ever miss out on celebrating birthdays, anniversaries or Christmas eve because of their empty pockets.

Surprise!

It wasn’t just Melissa who kept talking eating the old man’s ears off. Bill also discussed an important detail about his past i.e. he was a World War II veteran. By this point, the ice had broken between the two and Melissa told Bill that she was here to get Phillip’s broken glasses fixed as it was the most she could do on her stepson’s special day. She was feeling down at the same for not being able to make Phillip’s birthday memorable. “Believe it or not, I don’t have one present for his birthday,” she told Bill. And out of nowhere Bill would surprise everyone.

Unexpected Offerings

Melissa helped Bill when he was vulnerable and when no one else came to his rescue. Bill patiently listened to what Melissa had to say. He was compassionate towards the woman when he learned from her about how the year had been a hard one for her family. They were financially unstable and as soon as Bill heard it from Melissa, he made an offer that took Melissa by surprise. So, what exactly did Bill say? 

Repaying Her

Bill wanted to repay Melissa for what she had done for him and he had just come up with an idea. He conveyed to Melissa about how he could make Phillip’s day special in a way of his own. The old man wanted to get Phillip a special present but Melissa didn’t want to accept his offer in exchange for the small help she had given the old man with. But the old man didn’t budge and insisted Melissa to just say yes. What could the old man have possibly said that din’t go well with Melissa’s ethics?

Surreal

Melissa grew skeptical at this point as she realized that things were looking too good to be real. She thought to herself that why was the old man acting so kind of gesture as small. Sure, she had helped Bill but it was nothing of such measure that the old man had to come up with huge a proposal. She started to doubt the old man’s intentions and suspected if he had ulterior motives. Was it true or was she just being paranoid?

Spreading Cheer

It was natural for Melissa to have her doubts as she had met Bill for the first time in her life and they hardly knew each other for 10 minutes more or less. But Melissa would soon be surprised to know the real intentions of this old man whom she had just met at the Walmart store. It turned out that Bill had been helping out a lot of people that day and it was apparently a part of some plan. So what was the old man up to?

A Prank?

But how did a man who was struggling to pick up his own groceries helped so many people on that day? In case you haven’t guessed it by now, the scenario of Bill dropping his grocery bag was not at all accidental but a deliberate move. The whole thing was well planned and scripted beforehand. But why did Bill do it? Was it a prank? Was the old man a Vlogger or just part of a television show? Don’t go anywhere as we are only seconds away from finding out.

Decoy

As it transpired, Bill wasn’t simply playing a prank or just fooling around with people for fun. He had a purpose that would justify his doings. He was playing a part in the “Operation Santa Surprise” initiated by the North Port Police Department. Bill was an undercover decoy and they planned that anyone who would help the old man would get a gift from a policeman who stood nearby. But what surprised everyone was the gift Phillip was about to receive.

Helping Communities

The officers could see the everything that took place in the real time on a monitor screen they had set up inside their cruisers via the cameras they had installed in the very parking lot of the local Walmart. ”It could have been a $5 gift or a couple-hundred-dollar gift and to just be able to help somebody out, it’s just the deed of recognizing good behavior or a good deed,” said Officer Joseph Fussell.

Unexpected Recognition Of A Kind Act

The North Port police department was determined to raise the holiday spirit by encouraging the kind act. Melissa wasn’t the first person who had approached the old man to help him out. The department had helped almost as much as 15 families in the neighborhood. Another reason to take up such an initiative was that the police department wanted to lay a foundation to establish a relationship between the police and the community.

Better Now

Melissa was initially scared to see a bunch of police officers heading towards her. She thought she had parked her car at the wrong spot or something like that. But she was relieved to know this wasn’t the case. She expressed her feelings right after the incident. “To have cops come out and not give you a ticket or pull you over is a good thing. They are always there to help you and I think it shows the kids as they grow up these officers are here to help you.”

Good Ending To A Tough Year

Melissa was a generous and kind lady and when she realized that she was just being repaid for being herself, she was deeply moved by the fact. She had been facing tough times and her life had hit a tough patch for almost a year now. She was in distress as she struggled to pay her bills and failed to get a birthday present for her 9-year-old stepson Phillips. But the Universe is very compassionate and it always gives what you deserve.

Wrap It Up

Melissa had a heart that could feel heavily. You can tell it by her acts. Among all the people who stood there and did nothing to help Bill, it was Melissa who felt compassionate and offered her help as soon as she could. But later it was known that she wasn’t doing great in her life as well. She admitted the fact that her family was in a financial crisis for the last one year and it was too much for her to even hold her tears in when she conveyed it to Bill. While Bill stood right beside Melissa to console her, another team was busy wrapping presents for the woman and her stepson Phillip.

Best Birthday Ever

The face that wore sadness would soon put on a look of surprise as only seconds after a team made their way out of the Walmart and then with their hands full with gifts. Melissa was left surprised by what she was seeing and it was hard for her to believe her eyes. Her day was made and it all happened out of nowhere. Everyone present could agree to the fact that there was no better way to inspire people to be helpful with each other. But what was it that left Melissa dumbstruck?

A Happy Kid

It wasn’t only Melissa who had been left surprised after seeing the shining gift-wrapped presents that the policemen were holding. Phillip was at the peak of his excitement as he was about to get a birthday present. It doesn’t take much to bring a smile on a 9-year-old’s face and he deserved all the happiness in this world on his special day. By the looks of it, they had a special present for Phillips, which was a…

What’s The Present

Bill along with the other members of the North Port police department were handing out presents and special gifts to people to repay them for their kindness in the festive season. They had handed out toys, wrist watches, kitchen appliances and various sorts of gift hampers to almost as much as 15 families on that particular day. But one thing that made the occasion extra special for Phillip was that it was his birthday. He was the favorite to receive a much bigger present than the rest and as it turned out, the boy was gifted with a brand new scooter on his 9th birthday.

Inspiring Good Deeds

Officer Fussell from the North Port police department stressed about why this operation was deemed important by the bureau. “Pay it forward and create a ripple effect. You just did a good deed. Do it nice to someone else and see how many people we can affect.” said the officer. In a world where people tend to not look beyond their phone screens while they are out, there were still a few who were not only observant of what happened around them but were also thoughtful enough to reach out to the one in need and what may seem like a small act can make an everlasting impact.

Kindness Can Do Wonders

There have been times of immense tension in the past between different state police departments and the communities they serve in the U.S. So, it was a different yet nice situation to witness. And who knows you might want to help someone if you find them in trouble or simply hold the door for someone, without expecting a gift or a reward.

Spreading The Word

Melissa wanted more and more people to know about the initiative undertaken by the police bureau at the North Port and what else could possibly be better and more pervasive than social media. Melissa took to her Facebook and shared the picture of the brand new scooter her stepson had received as a birthday present with the details of how it all happened. Everyone was initially surprised much like Melissa but later went on to appreciate the initiative undertaken by the police and also congratulated Melissa for having a compassionate heart.

Gone Viral

It didn’t take long for Melissa’s post to go places. It was shared by as much as 5,000 people and she had already stopped keeping a count of the number of likes her post had received as it kept increasing with every day. Who doesn’t like happy endings? Many people took the opportunity to congratulate and wish Phillips on his birthday. Phillips was more than happy by how things were changed in a moment.

News Worthy

Switch into a news channel or pick up a newspaper for that matter, you are likely to come across as many bad or negative news and there are very few stories with a speck of positivity that makes it to the media’s attention. Fortunately enough, the story of Melissa went viral on the internet and soon after this story with a happy ending met with many news channels and e-media portals.

U-Turn

Melissa and Phillips hadn’t expected much from the day as they were down on their luck as well as their finances for about a year. But whatever happened next is the ultimate example of why one should never lose faith even in the hardest of their times. The aftermath of the incident that took place at Walmart was perhaps the only good thing that had happened to them in a long time and that was because they were at their best behavior towards other irrespective of the fact that life was hitting them hard. Being nice to other pays off in ways in which we can’t even imagine or expect.

Christmas Came Early

The world celebrates the grandest festival of them all on 25th December but for Melissa and her family, the day had arrived a bit early. Bill and other officers who were involved in this initiative were nothing short of a group of real-life Santa Clause for Melissa and her stepson Phillips. We would also like to congratulate the North Port police department to think out of the box and undertaking a cause as significant and doing it with all their heart.

Thanks To Walmart

The policemen at the local Walmart store were certainly Santas in disguise but a lot of credit goes to the Walmart store for helping out in as many ways as they could. The second the initiative and provided the policemen with a place in their store where they could peacefully wrap the presents without causing anyone trouble. Not only that, but they had also disseminated discount and gift vouchers to the selected ones who displayed a character of kindness.