"But Dad, I can't really do that! That's totally impossible. What would my friends say?" pleaded an embarrassed Reonna. She couldn't imagine that her own dad would put her through this tormenting task. Reonna was getting furious.
No matter what she said or how much Reonna pleaded, Randy, her dad, wouldn't buzz. "Bullying your classmate? I expected better of you Reonna!" exclaimed Randy. His daughter needed a lesson, and he was about to teach her one.
Randy Small from South Carolina
Randy Small lived in South Carolina with his small family of four. He had two daughters with his college sweetheart who he married almost a decade back.
Randy lived a simple life with strict moral and ethical principles, which he wanted to teach his daughters. He was never a strict father and was always against any kind of punishment. However, one day his daughter's action made him change his opinion.
His Two Daughters
Both his daughters were very different from each other. While the younger one was into books and reading, his elder daughter, Reonna, was a fashionista.
She spent a lot of her time experimenting with fashion trends and posting them on social media. Randy never had a problem with this until one day, when he heard some disturbing news about Reonna.
Ryan Reese
Ryan Reese, like Randy’s daughter Reonna, was a seventh-grader at Berkeley Middle School in South Carolina. Ryan was consistently being bullied by Reonna and her friends for the clothes she wore and the fashion trends she followed.
After suffering for a long time, Ryan told her mother about that. Her mom, Richuana Reese, decided to make things right for her daughter, as the constant bullying affected her daughter's emotional, mental, and physical health. She came up with one solution.
Richuana Reese ask Ryan What Is Wrong
One day Ryan got back from school and her mom was working in the kitchen, preparing lunch. Ryan walked in, kept her bag in her room, and returned to the kitchen to eat her lunch.
The moment the daughter walked into the kitchen, Richuana could see on her face that something was wrong. She asked Ryan if everything was alright to which Ryan just nodded her head meekly and started eating her lunch. However, Richuana was not going to give up.
Richuana Asks Again
Richuana noticed this sadness in Ryan for more than a week. Every day when Ryan came back from school, she looked extremely sad and depressed.
She could not take this anymore and decided to confront Ryan. One day when Ryan came back from school, she called her in the kitchen directly and asked her sternly what was wrong. Her daughter's answer was something she wouldn't expect.
Ryan Breaks Down
The moment Richuana asked her sternly, her kid broke down. She continued to cry, and it took Richuana a lot of effort to calm her down.
Once Ryan calmed down, she told her mother that she is bullied at school regularly because of the clothes she wears. Richuana was shocked to learn about how mean some teenagers can be. She was furious and ready to get revenge for the unfairness her kid had to face.
Ryan Tells Her Mother About Reonna
At first, Ryan was hesitant about telling her mother who bullied her. She thought once she told her mother, Richuana would complain about the girl in the school, making things worse for her.
Her classmates would then not only bully her for fashion sense but also because she complained to her mother about the bullying. However, Richuana was adamant about knowing who bullied her and Ryan told her about Reonna.
Richuana Reese Calls Randy Smalls
The moment Richuana heard Reonna’s name from Ryan she was utterly surprised. She was good friends with Reonna’s mother and this was unexpected.
She hence decided to call the Smalls family rather than complain about Reonna to the principal. The next day after Ryan went to school, she called the Smalls household and Randy picked up the call.
Richuana and Randy Have A Discussion
After greeting each other, Randy asked how Richuana and her family were doing, especially Ryan. She recently lost her father, grandfather, and aunt and she was suffering from non-epileptic seizures because of the grief and stress.
Richuana told Randy that Ryan’s condition had not improved and she was doing worse. When Randy asked why Richuana told him about the bullying Ryan is experiencing at school and Reonna is the one bullying her.
Randy Couldn’t Believe It
When Richuana informed Randy about his daughter he could not believe it. But after listening to Richuana and knowing the whole truth, he was very disappointed with his daughter. He apologized profusely for Reonna’s shameful behavior and assured Richuana that this will stop immediately.
He will have a word with Reonna the moment she is back from school. He promised that Reonna will apologize to Ryan the next day itself.
Randy Sits Reonna Down
Randy decided to skip work that day and be at home when his daughters return from school. The moment they came back, he summoned both the daughters in the living room.
He wanted to make sure his younger daughter also learns the truth about her elder sister and never makes the mistake herself. Randy sat Reonna down and told her he has received a complaint about her and is extremely disappointed with her.
Randy Reprimands Reonna
Randy told her about the call he received from Richuana and it was because of her that Ryan is suffering emotionally and even physically. Reonna was very surprised initially about how her father managed to know this but when Randy continued to tell her about Ryan’s condition, Reonna started to feel guilty.
She told her father, she and her friends never realized when they took the bullying so far, it only began with the intention of some teasing.
Randy Asks Reonna to Apologize
After hearing her out, Randy reprimanded his daughter for her extremely cruel and immature behavior. However, after scolding her a little he made her promise she will never do this again.
After Reonna promised her father, she called the Reese household to apologize. Once she called, she not only apologized to Ryan but also to Richuana.
Randy Thinks It Is Not Enough
The entire day Randy kept thinking about how rude his daughter has been to Ryan. Ryan was a teenager and had been through extreme emotional trauma already after losing important members of her family.
He kept thinking that an apology from Reonna is not enough and he should do something else for the young teenager. He then came up with an idea that will not only make Ryan happy but teach Reonna one more important lesson.
Randy Calls the Reese Household Again
Before leaving for work, Randy called the Reese household and put forward his offer. He wanted to take Ryann shopping and get her all the things she wanted.
However, he made sure this is not because he thinks she needs a makeover but just because he wanted to do something nice for Ryan which genuinely makes her happy. A shopping spree can indeed make a 13-year-old teenager extremely happy.
Richuana Resse Takes Up the Offer
Initially, Richuana was a little hesitant to take up the offer but then she thought about her daughter. Ryan has been finding it extremely difficult to cope post her father's death, if a simple thing can provide her some happiness and moment of relief then she should not deny that.
After some deliberation, Richuana agreed and a time and place were decided. Richuana was excited to share this with her daughter after she came back from school.
Randy Informs Reonna
After Reonna returned from school, Randy again sat her down and shared with her his plans. Believing that Reonna is truly sorry, Randy did not expect a tantrum.
The same thing happened, Reonna agreed instantly even though Randy was taking Ryan shopping with the money he saved for her. As a gesture to truly show how disappointed she was with herself she offered to go on the shopping trip and help Ryan and also use the opportunity to bond with her.
Shopping Trip
The next day both the families gathered at the decided time and place and began the shopping spree. Initially, Ryan was a little hesitant thinking she is making someone spend money on her, but the Smalls made her feel comfortable gradually.
She could see that Reonna was truly sorry and was making genuine efforts to make things right. She never expected this day would come but she was having a nice time with Reonna and her family.
Clothes And Much More
Both the families went around the shopping mall for more than two hours buying all the latest stuff for Ryan. Reonna did not buy a single thing for herself and devoted all her energy to finding the latest clothes for Ryan.
However, the surprise did not end and Reonna’s dad had one more exciting offer. He had booked a salon session for Ryan where she could get a hair makeover.
Ryan Looking Stylish
The next stop on the itinerary was the salon where Ryan had the time of her life. The stylist there pampered her hair and gave her a trendy haircut which left Ryan looking very stylish.
While Ryan was getting her haircut, Randy was making small talks with the owner and told her about the objective behind giving Ryan a haircut. The owner was greatly impressed by Randy’s gesture and offered free salon trips for Ryan over the next few months.
Ryan Breaks Down
After the hair makeover session, Randy told Ryan about the free salon sessions she could avail over the next few months. Ryan couldn’t believe her stars that day and how much pampering she got.
She was struggling with depression after having lost her father, aunt, and grandpa and the shopping trip helped her immensely. She was not expecting it to be such a success.
Richuana is Also Overwhelmed
The shopping trip not only left Ryan overwhelmed but also her mother. It was very difficult for Richuana to see her daughter battle depression alone with the added pressure of bullying at school.
When she saw the smile on Ryan’s face after the shopping trip, Richuana was overwhelmed. She had never seen a parent take such a strong stance on bullying.
What Did Richuana Expect Initially
When Richuana called Randy, she just expected a brief apology. Usually, it is very difficult for parents to realize their child is wrong.
However, Randy’s response and how he handled the whole situation impressed Richuana. She believes all parents should take such a strong stance on bullying and reprimand their children if needed.
Randy Reveals Something to Richuana
Richuana wanted to personally thank Randy for his grand gesture and tell him how impressed she was with him. The day after the shopping trip, she decided to stop by the Small’s household.
Once she reached them, they were sitting in the living room having coffee, Richuana thanked the Smalls couple and asked Randy how he managed to think of such a grand gesture. It was then Randy revealed that he has been a victim of bullying himself, hence he realized how hurtful it can be to undergo something like that.
Richuana Is Surprised
When Richuana heard this, she was utterly surprised but the more she thought about it the more it made sense. It was clearly being reflected in Randy’s gesture that he was not just sympathizing with Ryan but rather empathizing.
When Randy was a teenager, he also went through extreme depression because of constant bullying at school. He was very disappointed when he learned that his daughter was acting like some of his harassers.
Reonna Learned A Lesson
It was not only Richuana who was surprised to learn about Randy’s past. When Reonna got to know about this she felt more guilty. She vowed never to repeat the mistake and disappoint her father.
She also made it a point to talk to her classmates and be vocal about bullying in school. It was a good thing Randy took appropriate measures and acted as a parent and not a friend.