Something Very Odd
His groceries were nowhere to be found. The note was the only thing that was left. He looked at his colleagues as he slowly opened the note. But then he realized something very odd about it.
It turned out that there was no note after it. It was something else entirely, and it brought a tear to his eye. He couldn’t believe that the old woman had done this. Now it was just a matter of getting his groceries.
New York’s Finest
When people think about New York’s finest, they often think of police officers. But Bill only thought about his comrades in his fire department. They risked their lives every day to make sure that others were safe.
Between mother nature and human stupidity to just plain freak accidents, fires could erupt anywhere in the city at any time. And it was up to Bill and his team to make sure that they contained them and saved anyone that needed it.
Bill Lewis
Bill Lewis knew exactly what he was going to be when he graduated from high school. He would follow in the footsteps of his uncle, who was a captain of the New Jersey Fire Department. He passed the training and the exam with ease and soon found himself as part of the New York Fire Department.
Over the next three years, Bill quickly flew through the ranks and became a captain just like his uncle did. He knew he would have been proud. The job was just as he had dreamed, but he had to give up certain luxuries.
No “Free” Time
The biggest thing about being a firefighter was that Bill often didn’t get many breaks. Even when he was on a lunch break or had to leave, the phone could call at a moment’s notice. After all, if they weren’t around to stop a fire, who would?
Bill didn’t mind that much, though. If it meant saving lives and making sure a fire didn’t spread, he was happy to sacrifice a bit of his spare time. But once a day, he would be caught off guard, not by a call, but by what he returned to.
Midday Grocery Shopping
Halfway through a shift on a Monday morning, Bill and two of his best firefighters decided to go out for a spot of grocery shopping. They wanted to stock up the kitchen in their department. They knew they wouldn’t be long.
They got to the store, picked out the essentials that they needed, and waited in line. There was a friendly elderly lady behind them with whom they started chatting too. But unfortunately, before they could even check out their goods, they got a call.
A Call
Bill checked his phone and saw that it was the Fire Department. He knew they had to be quick if they wanted to get there in time. They put their grocery basket down and rushed out of the store. They were ready to help.
But even though Bill wasn’t caught off guard by the call, he would be caught off guard by something very different. He wasn’t ready for what he would find when he and his team returned to the store.
Doing Their Job
Even though it wasn’t a dire situation, they still had to answer the call. They were investigating a report of smoke in an apartment. They rushed to the apartment and knocked on the door. The woman who answered clearly wasn’t humored by the report.
It ended up just being smoke from an indoor fireplace - an illegal one. But thankfully, the apartment was fine. They had to file a report for the incident, and then they could head back to the store.
Report
Thankfully, they kept everything they needed in their truck and could file the report on site. It only took 10 minutes to fill in the paperwork, and then they could get back to what their shopping.
After it was all done, they decided to get back to finish off their shopping. But that’s when Bill found something quite peculiar. He couldn’t find their groceries anywhere in the store. What’s more, there would be something left behind for them.
Getting Back
Bill got back to the grocery store with his buddies and looked for the grocery basket they had left on the ground. It had only been 15 minutes, so they were sure that it would still be there. Only it wasn’t.
They looked around the store but couldn’t find their basket anywhere. They went to the girl behind the counter and asked her if they had seen their basket. Her eyes went wide. She clearly knew what was going on.
A Note
All she said to them was, “That elderly woman behind you took them. But she left this note.” Bill felt confused as ever. He grabbed the note and looked at his fellow firefighters. They hated the idea of having to re-shop for everything when they could be called at a moments’ notice.
The elderly woman behind them seemed friendly enough. Why would she take their groceries? Maybe she put them back? He expected the note to chew him out about leaving the items on the ground. But it was very different from what he imagined.
Nowhere To Be Found
His groceries were nowhere to be found. The note was the only thing that was left. He looked at his colleagues as he slowly opened the note. But then he realized something very odd about it.
It turned out that there was no note after it. It was something else entirely, and it brought a tear to his eye. He couldn’t believe that the old woman had done this. Now it was just a matter of getting his groceries.
Not A Note At All
What Bill noticed about the note was that it was actually a receipt. He was still confused as ever as he read the items and noticed that they were, in fact, the ones he had! And the receipt had a note scrawled on it in pen.
He read the note and couldn’t believe what it read. He showed it to his friends and coworkers, and they were just as stunned as he was. They knew that they had to do something about it.
Bought For Them
The note on the receipt read, “Hey, I picked up your groceries for you. I hope you don’t mind! I just wanted to think of a way to say thanks for doing what you guys do! Ask the girl behind the counter, and I’m sure she’ll give you your groceries.”
As sure as the note said, Bill checked with the cashier again, and she pulled out all of their groceries from behind the counter. They were already paid for and could be taken right out of the store.
Anonymous Kindness
Bill and his team couldn’t believe the kindness that the women that barely knew them showed them. She wanted to give more and show appreciation for the work he and his team did. He even felt tears well up in his eyes as he was moved by the gesture.
But he still had no idea who the woman was. He wanted to thank her for the kindness she showed them. But it wouldn’t be so easy to figure out who she was or where they could find her.
Public Announcement
The note never explained who she was or how they could contact them. So Bill decided to do the only thing that he could think of. As the Fire Department captain, he could pull a few strings.
He decided to get in touch with a news crew and share the story with the public. He openly thanked the woman, whoever she was, and implored her to step forward so she could take the credit. But it seems that she wanted the kind act to just be a kind act and stay anonymous.