A homeless and poor Brandon offers his last $2 to an elderly man in need at the gas station store and inherits his company the next day. Brandon thinks this is the start of a new life for his family.
Brandon clutched his paper cup with change as he shuffled into the gas station store. He was near an aisle when a loud voice distracted him. He saw a queue of angry shoppers waiting behind an elderly man who had difficulty hearing.
“I’m sorry, what did you say about the water being funny?” the elderly man asked the cashier.
“Money!” she groaned. “I said you don’t have enough money, sir!”
“Yes, it was a sunny day!” replied the man with a frown.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“You need more cash! For the water!” A younger guy standing behind the man grabbed him by the shoulder and yelled into his ears.
Brandon noticed everything. He was tempted to step in, but he didn’t want to attract the shoppers’ ire. Meanwhile, the elderly man explained he didn’t have enough cash, asking if he could get a smaller bottle of water as he needed to take his pills.
“If you can’t afford to pay, you’ll have to go!” shouted the cashier.
“I can go?” He smiled and turned to leave, but the cashier snatched the water bottle from his hand. “Just get out, old man!” she hissed. “You’re way too much trouble!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
The elderly man requested that he needed to take his pills, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Brandon had had enough. He marched to the cashier and offered to pay for the old guy.
“Have a heart, lady,” he said and emptied his cup on the counter. The woman looked at him in distaste before she counted the money.
“That’ll cover it,” she said, taking all the money, including his last $2. “Now step aside. You’re holding the line.”
Brandon abandoned his can of beans on the counter as he offered the water to the older man.
“Here you go, sir. I got you water,” he spoke slowly and clearly, ensuring the man could see his face if he needed to lip-read. And the man thanked him. They left the store together, and Brandon headed to his tent on the bare patch of ground adjacent to the station, but the man stopped him.
“Wait!”
Brandon turned around.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Why did you help me when you obviously needed the money?” asked the older man.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being homeless, sir,” said Brandon, “it’s that the world works when people are kind to each other.”
“But what are your kids going to eat? You left the beans on the counter.”
“We have the last of yesterday’s bread,” Brandon replied. “We’ll get by.”
The man walked away but with a frown. Brandon noticed he got in a gleaming SUV and wondered why a man like him couldn’t afford a bottle of water.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
The next day, while Brandon was dividing cold fries among his kids, a silver sedan pulled up near his tent. A man in a fancy suit approached.
“Morning, sir. Mr. Grives’s last wish was for me to deliver this to you,” he said, extending an envelope.
Brandon wiped his hands and took it. There was a letter inside.
“Dear sir,
Yesterday, you proved yourself to be a man of good character when you spent your last few dollars for me. Your kindness and belief in doing good for others have inspired me to repay your goodness with the greatest gift I can give you: my business.
My time in this world is coming to an end. I have recently become apprehensive about leaving my company to my son, as I’ve come to see that he is a selfish man with a heart of stone. It would greatly ease my conscience if you inherited the company instead. All I ask is that you ensure my son is taken care of and can continue to live a safe, comfortable life.”
“Is this a joke?” Brandon looked up at the man.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
The man produced a stack of printed papers and a pen. “Mr. Grives was quite serious. And the moment you sign these papers, it’ll be official.”
“But I just met the guy yesterday. And now he’s dead and leaving me everything?” Brandon asked as he studied the documents.
“I understand your concerns, sir, but these papers were drawn by the finest lawyers. All we need to do is fill in your name, and the lawyers will proceed with the rest.”
This was his chance to provide his kids, so Brandon signed it. Then, the man drove him and the children to their new home.
As they arrived, Brandon stared up at the massive mansion.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Brandon could barely believe it himself. But the moment he pushed the double doors open, he sensed something was wrong. The house was a mess—a table lay on its side in the hallway, and a closet had been toppled over.
Brandon dumped the luggage, ran after the car, and told the driver to call 911. A few hours later, he stood among slashed sofas and broken furniture, speaking to the cops.
“We’ve examined the entire house and found no sign of forced entry, sir,” the officer said. “This, combined with the fact that the security system appears to have been overridden using the correct code, suggests that whoever vandalized this place had a legitimate means of gaining entry.”
“Like a key? So, the person who did this just walked in here?”
“I’d suggest you change the locks, sir,” the officer nodded.
As the cops left, Brandon suspected the elderly man’s son.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
The next day, Mr. Grives’s secretary arrived early. She took Brandon shopping and got him cleaned up at a barber before taking him to the company. In the office that once belonged to Mr. Grives, Brandon was about to go through the files on the computer when the doors burst open.
“You must be Brandon!” A middle-aged man in a dark suit entered the office. “I’m Christopher, one of Mr. Grives’s former business partners, and I’m here to save you from a whole heap of trouble.”
“I’m sorry?” Brandon asked.
Christopher explained he handled the sales for one of Mr. Grives’s ‘specific’ businesses. Brandon quickly understood it was something illegal. He refused to continue it, but Christopher was having none of it.
“Listen up, you moron! Grives owed me $2 million for handling the illicit side of his business! You’re now responsible for that,” he snarled. “And if you don’t pay up, I’ll go to the police and tell them everything. Furthermore, as the company’s owner, you will be liable for all damages. So, I’ll be expecting my $2 million by Saturday.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“What? This is extortion! You can’t be serious!” Brandon retorted.
“Yes, it is. And just in case you think I’m not deadly serious…” Christopher pushed back his suit jacket and placed his hand on the butt of a gun holstered at his side. “…rest assured that if you cross me, Brandon, I’ll make you disappear.”
Brandon said nothing and agreed to Christopher’s demands. But he wondered if Christopher was scamming him. So Brandon searched for any hints of this illicit side of the business.
By that evening, after reviewing the data from all the other departments, Brandon was convinced Christopher was lying. But then, he noticed the filing cabinet tucked into a corner of the room. Brandon unlocked it with the keys he’d found earlier on his desk. And the first thing he noticed was an old-fashioned file box tucked into the drawer.
Inside it was a ledger with entries written in some kind of shorthand, and Brandon realized Christopher wasn’t lying. In despair, he opened a drawer to find some bottles of scotch handy, and found nothing but a photo.
It showed Mr. Grives standing with…a younger guy. Brandon’s eyes bulged in horror when he realized how similar they looked. The young man was Christopher, Mr. Grives’s son!
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Things started making sense to Brandon. He couldn’t believe a kind man like Mr. Grives would be involved in illegal business practices. So, most likely, Christopher was using his own shady dealing to blackmail him, Brandon reasoned.
A stroke of luck and a terrible twist that threatened to take it all away – everything was happening way too fast. Luckily, Brandon was not unfamiliar with the whirlwinds of the business world.
That Saturday, Brandon met Christopher in the underground parking lot but with a counteroffer.
“I’ve got to keep my word to your old man,” Brandon said, “so I’ll give you 49 percent of the company while I keep the remaining 51 percent. That’ll be enough for you to live lavishly, right? And I’ll reserve the right to manage the company like your father wanted.”
But Christopher refused. “I’m not a fool! I deserved all of it, not some token! Let’s talk when you come to your senses!” he hissed and left.
Brandon went back to the office. He decided to pay Christopher his $2 million and be done with this but found the company’s money was tied up in assets or allocated to monthly expenses. Brandon was helpless.
He returned home, dejected, where another trouble awaited him. As he opened the front door, he found his kids’ nanny tied to a chair and gagged.
“He took the kids! He said to tell you that this should be your wake-up call!” she cried as he freed her, and Brandon knew who she was talking about.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Brandon called Christopher and agreed to hand over the company, begging him not to hurt the children. They decided to meet at noon. But Brandon also called the police, and in the next half an hour, he was sitting with an FBI agent.
“Just follow my instructions, and we’ll have your kids back…” Agent Bates assured him.
That noon, Christopher was chilling by the poolside of a hotel he’d rented out. He’d locked Brandon’s kids in a closet and dismissed all hotel staff except the manager, whom he had paid handsomely.
“Excuse me, sir,” the manager interrupted him. “You have a package.”
When Christopher checked the envelope, he grinned. He strode to his room and signed the paperwork he found inside the envelope. The company was finally his! Then, he freed Brandon’s children. “I’m sure a bunch of ragamuffins like you four can find your way. Now, get lost!”
]Christopher finished getting ready. Suddenly, he heard a click behind him. Although soft, Christopher instantly recognized the sound of a gun’s safety selector.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“FBI! Put your hands in the air! You’re under arrest.”
Meanwhile, Brandon held his children close on the sidewalk. Thanks to Agent Bates’s idea of putting a tracker in the documents, Christopher was caught.
Brandon took the children home, ready to make everything right. And when the FBI’s fraud division showed up with a warrant, he handed over the evidence—the copy of the company’s records and the ledger he’d found in his office—to the agents, knowing that by the time the investigation was over, he wouldn’t have a penny to his name. But he’d be free.
“Daddy, are we going to leave our home…just when Mommy died?” Kelly asked him.
Brandon got down on one knee and hugged his kids.
“Listen, you four, we’re going to be okay. You want to know why?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Kids looked at him earnestly and nodded.
“It’s because the most valuable thing we have is right here, in my arms. So long as we stick together, we’ll always be rich in the most important way: love.”
Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed reading this story, you might like this one about a gang who mocked a plus-size woman at a beach. Little did they know she would teach them an unforgettable lesson.
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.
Why don’t airplanes fly in a straight line to save fuel?
Have you ever looked at a flight path on a map and wondered why airplanes take curved routes instead of flying in a straight line? Wouldn’t flying in a direct line be more fuel-efficient and faster? At first glance, it seems logical that a shorter distance would result in less fuel consumption, but in reality, aviation is far more complex.
Several factors determine flight paths, including the Earth’s shape, jet streams, weather conditions, and air traffic regulations. Let’s break down why airplanes rarely fly in a straight line and how their curved paths actually make flights more efficient.
The Earth’s Shape and the Great Circle Route
One of the biggest reasons airplanes don’t fly in a straight line is the Earth’s curvature. While we often view flight maps as flat, the Earth is a sphere, and the shortest path between two points is actually an arc called the Great Circle Route.
If you take a globe and use a string to connect two distant locations, you’ll notice that the shortest route often curves rather than follows a straight path. This is why flights from New York to Tokyo pass over the Arctic region rather than flying directly west across the Pacific Ocean.
Using the Great Circle Route helps planes save both time and fuel, even though it appears curved on a flat map.
Jet Streams and Weather Conditions Impact Flight Paths
Another key factor affecting airplane routes is jet streams—high-altitude wind currents that move at speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h). Pilots strategically plan routes to take advantage of these strong winds when possible.
Video : Why Airplanes Don’t Fly Straight
Flying with jet streams allows an airplane to get an extra push, helping it move faster while burning less fuel. Flying against a jet stream can slow down the plane significantly, increasing fuel consumption. Pilots often adjust routes to avoid strong headwinds, even if it means flying a longer distance.
Additionally, storms, turbulence, and severe weather conditions also play a role in determining flight paths. Airplanes may adjust mid-flight to bypass dangerous weather zones, thunderstorms, or areas with extreme turbulence.
Air Traffic Control and Flight Regulations
Air traffic isn’t a free-for-all where planes can just fly wherever they want. There are strict regulations set by aviation authorities and air traffic control (ATC) that dictate flight routes.
Some of these rules include restricted airspace, where certain areas, such as military zones, national security locations, and political zones, prohibit commercial flights from entering. Predefined flight corridors exist to avoid mid-air collisions, ensuring flights follow established air traffic lanes. Major airports handle hundreds of flights daily, so ATC ensures safe and efficient arrivals and departures.
Due to these regulations, airplanes cannot always take the most direct path and must follow designated routes instead.
Avoiding Air Turbulence for Passenger Comfort
Turbulence can make a flight uncomfortable, and pilots actively adjust routes to minimize rough air conditions. There are different types of turbulence, including thermal turbulence caused by warm air rising from the ground. Flying at higher altitudes helps avoid this.
Mechanical turbulence happens near mountains and rough terrains where wind patterns shift unpredictably. Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT) is sudden, strong air currents in high altitudes that are difficult to predict.
To ensure a smoother ride for passengers, pilots may deviate from the shortest path to avoid these turbulent areas.
Why Do Airplanes Sometimes Ascend Before Landing?
If you’ve ever been on a flight where the plane suddenly climbs just before landing, you might have felt a bit concerned. This maneuver is known as a go-around and is actually a common and safe aviation practice.
Some reasons why pilots perform a go-around include runway clearance issues. If another plane hasn’t cleared the runway in time, pilots must abort the landing and circle back. Poor weather conditions, such as poor visibility, strong crosswinds, or sudden gusts, can make a landing unsafe. If a plane is too fast, too high, or not properly aligned with the runway, the pilot will ascend and try again for a safer landing.
Go-arounds are standard procedures in aviation and ensure passenger safety above all else.
The World’s Longest Non-Stop Flight
While most flights follow curved paths, some routes push the limits of non-stop travel. The longest direct commercial flight in the world is from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey, USA.
This flight covers a distance of 10,400 miles (16,700 km) and takes approximately 18 hours and 45 minutes. It follows a carefully optimized path to balance fuel efficiency, wind conditions, and passenger comfort.
Video : Does Earth’s Rotation affect the Airplanes Speed & Flight Time
What Happens If a Plane Suddenly Loses Cabin Pressure?
A sudden drop in cabin pressure is often portrayed as a dramatic event in movies, but in reality, pilots are well-trained to handle it calmly.
When this happens, oxygen masks automatically deploy, and passengers should put them on immediately and breathe normally. The plane will descend to a safe altitude where oxygen levels are sufficient for breathing. The flight crew will assess the situation and communicate with passengers.
Losing cabin pressure doesn’t mean the plane will crash—pilots follow strict safety protocols to handle such incidents efficiently.
Final Thoughts: Why Curved Flight Paths Are More Efficient
While it may seem counterintuitive, airplanes take curved routes instead of straight lines to optimize flight efficiency, fuel usage, and passenger safety. Factors such as the Earth’s shape, jet streams, air traffic control, and weather conditions all play a crucial role in determining flight paths.
So next time you’re on a plane and see the route map displaying a curved flight path, remember there’s a lot of science and planning behind it to ensure you reach your destination as safely and efficiently as possible.
Leave a Reply