A rude millionaire who believed money could buy anything demolished a poor old man’s house to build a mall. While checking the ruins later, he accidentally found his childhood photo among the rubble.
Can a person’s greed for riches blind them so miserably that they destroy someone else’s dreams to build theirs? In July 2021, Florida-based real estate tycoon Elliot Morris happened to shatter a poor old man’s dreams to fulfill his pursuit of wealth.
Elliot was looking for a perfect landscape to build a deluxe mall in the city when his eyes fell upon old Joe Brooke’s land. The young builder loved the location and fixed his mind to raising his new mall there.
He decided to tear down the old man’s house on the plot. When old Joe objected to it, Elliot saw him as nothing more than a thorn in his way that was easy to get rid of…
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“Please, I beg of you. I don’t have anybody, and this house is the only treasured memory I have of my late wife,” Joe begged Elliot, who had visited with his men. “I have nowhere to go. Please don’t make me homeless.”
“How did you get my mom’s photo?” the man asked old Joe. “That’s me with her. Do you know my mom? What is your relationship with her?”
But Elliot turned a deaf ear to the poor old man’s pleas. “Look here, old man. I already talked to the mayor, and he is on my side. I’m bringing this thing down in two weeks. All you’ve got is 14 days to pack your stuff and leave with whatever money I give you. Is it clear?”
Poor Joe was worried. He refused to accept a dime in exchange for his beloved house and kept crying. But Elliot was far from kind and walked away, grinning. “Two weeks and I’ll be back,” Joe heard the rude rich man’s faint voice from outside.
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Joe’s house was a bit farther away from his clustered neighborhood, so nobody stepped forward in his favor. The two weeks were nothing short of nightmarish for the poor old man. He hoped something would happen and change the rich man’s mind. He anticipated a miracle and never packed his things. But before he knew it, the day for the demolition had arrived.
“Please, I beg you! Please don’t destroy my house!” old Joe pleaded with Elliot and his men, who arrived two weeks later with heavy machinery outside his house to tear it down.
“Didn’t I tell you to pack your things?” Elliot retorted. “It’s not my problem anymore. Here, take this check and leave. I don’t have time to listen to your silly, old stories.”
Elliot ordered one of his men to take old Joe to the nursing facility. He handed out the check for the house, but the old man refused to take it.
Before leaving, a teary-eyed Joe looked at Elliot and said, “You’ve changed a lot, young man. Money has blinded you and ruined your soul…You cannot buy everything with money.”
“What rubbish! Take this old man from here,” Elliot ordered. He brushed Joe’s words as nothing and walked further to watch the house being torn down. Joy filled his heart as he saw the bricks and roof chipping away from the building, crashing onto the ground.
“I’ll be back in a while. Keep working, and do not touch anything until I arrive,” he said, driving past the dusty house in ruins.
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That evening, Elliot returned to the demolished spot to celebrate his feat. “Getting rid of that old thorn was so easy!” he exclaimed as he walked over the broken bricks.
Just then, he stumbled upon the broken glass of a photo frame. He looked at the photo and gasped in shock.
“Mom? What is her photo doing here?” he said, picking up the picture. Elliot dusted it and realized it was an old photo of his mom with a baby.
“That’s me,” he exclaimed again. “But what is our photo doing in this old man’s house? I have to find out,” he said and immediately drove to the nursing home to see Joe.
“You? Why have you come here? Aren’t you happy yet?” the old man cried after seeing the young builder. “What more have you come to destroy?”
Joe refused to look at Elliot, who held his hand and showed him the photo he’d recovered from the demolished ruins.
“How did you get my mom’s photo?” he asked. “That’s me with her. Do you know my mom? What is your relationship with her?” Elliot was furious. He had known that his mother was a single parent, and finding her picture in Joe’s house raised many questions in his mind. “Tell me…how do you know my mother?”
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Joe, who remained silent, finally spoke out, revealing something Elliot never knew.
“I found your mother Samantha on the road with a baby in her arms 30 years ago,” Joe said. “I was on my way home from my wife’s funeral and found your mom hopeless and drenched in the rain while trying to protect you.”
As Elliot heard this, tears slowly started to fill his eyes. “Then what happened?” he curiously asked.
“I took her in and gave her shelter. Her boyfriend, your dad, had kicked her out for another woman,” Joe narrated. “Samantha lived in my house for five years, and I treated her like my daughter.”
“But if she lived with you, why did she move out? We had a bigger house,” Elliot asked, still doubtful of old Joe’s revelation. “Is there something I’m missing?”
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“I bought her a new house and helped her start a small business from my savings. She grew into a successful businesswoman but never forgot this old man. Samantha often visited me until she died ten years ago,” Joe explained. “I had also been to her funeral, but who would notice this poor, old man. You had grown into a successful, rich man, and I was happy to see how she raised you.”
At this point, Elliot’s heart broke. He recalled his mother once telling him about a loving father who was behind her success. But all this while, he had no idea that she had been talking about old Joe.
Guilty and heartbroken, Elliot decided to mend his mistake. The next day, he put up an “Under Construction” board on Joe’s property and ordered his men to build a new house there. In less than four months, a beautiful home replaced the one he demolished.
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Elliot gifted this house to Joe and apologized to him for being so ignorant and forgetful of his past. He also promised to do his best to return the old man’s kindness. But the humble man he was, Joe forgave the young builder and refused any form of help.
“You are my grandson, and I will accept only this house from you, and nothing more. I do not expect any material help from you other than your love,” Joe said, creating a massive impact on Elliot. “You are always welcome to visit this old man as my grandson, not as a wealthy man filled with guilt. Even your mom wanted to help me, and I had told her the same!”
Joe happily moved back to his new house and lived a modest life. He inspired Elliot and taught him that money perishes but not compassion and love.
In the end, Elliot built a couple of retirement homes for older adults in the city. He helped people in need and never tore down another house that belonged to someone else unless they were willing.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
What can we learn from this story?
- Do not ruin someone else’s happiness to build your dreams. In Elliot’s efforts to build his mall, he destroyed old Joe’s beloved house. He did not consider the old man’s pleas and ruined his happiness to fulfill his own.
- Create something useful for others when you get a chance. When Elliot realized his mistake, he apologized to Joe and built a house for him. And because he had the resources, he did his best to help the needy.
Millionaire Mocks Poor Woman with 3 Kids on Business Class Flight until Pilot Interrupts Him
A mother-of-three is criticized by a millionaire for traveling in business class, but all of his grievances are forgotten when the pilot greets them and makes a special announcement only for her.
“Aww! You can’t mean business! Is this where you’re forcing her to sit? You had better take action, Miss! A mother-of-three was approaching his nearby seats with a stewardess’s help, and Louis Newman moaned.
The stewardess apologized and showed him the tickets in her kind reply. We are unable to change the fact that Mrs. Debbie Brown and her kids have been given these seats. I would ask that you please assist us.
“Miss, you’re not understanding! I have an important meeting with investors from overseas. I can’t afford to lose this contract since her kids will keep talking and creating sounds!
“Sir.” Debbie cut the stewardess off just as she was getting started. “Everything is OK. If the other people are willing to switch seats with my kids and me, I can sit somewhere else. For me, that is not a problem.
“That’s not at all, ma’am!” the hostess exclaimed. “You have the right to be here because you paid for the seat you’re in! It doesn’t matter if someone loves it or not, and mister,” she said, turning to face Louis, “I would like it if you could wait for the trip to be over.”
Rich businessman Louis Newman was displeased that the waitress had turned down his request, but he was more displeased that he had to take a seat next to a woman dressed cheaply on the aircraft, who didn’t seem to belong in business class.
After helping her kids firmly settle into their chairs, the mother sat next to him. He turned his face away and put on his AirPods to avoid being forced into conversation.
The flight took off as soon as the boarding procedure was over and everyone was seated in their designated seats. The kids started chirping with excitement as the plane took off because it was Debbie and her kids’ first time traveling in business class. Stacey, her daughter, exclaimed, “Mom!” “Look, we’re taking off at last! Happy!
Some of the other passengers on the plane turned to stare at Stacey, smiling at her naivety, but Louis’s attitude was disdainful. He turned to face Debbie and whispered, “Listen.” Would you kindly ask your kids to keep quiet? I’m attending a meeting from here since I missed my last flight. I’m not looking for any form of interference.
Debbie graciously apologized and gestured for the kids to keep quiet. Debbie learned from Louis’s frequent mention of fabrics and the fact he carried a guidebook containing designs that he was a businessman primarily involved in the fabrics industry during their nearly two-hour encounter.
Debbie came up to Louis after his meeting was over and said, “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Although Louis didn’t want to talk to her, he was relieved that his meeting had gone well and the investors had approved the agreement, so he swallowed his haughtiness. “Well…Yes, please proceed.
“I saw that you have a handbook with patterns and samples of fabrics. Do you have a job in the apparel sector?
“Oh, yeah…Indeed, that is a valid point. I run a clothes business in New York. A deal had just closed. It worked, even though I hadn’t really hoped it would.
Oh, how beautiful that is. Best wishes! Actually, I’m a Texas small-business owner. It is mostly a family event. My in-laws in New York started it. We just launched a location in Texas. I was quite amazed by the designs you were showcasing.
Louis laughed sarcastically at her. “Many thanks, dear! However, my company hires some of the top designers, and we recently struck a contract with the best design firm in the world, so the designs we produce are not like something from a little local or family store! A BRAND NEW? Really? He smirked and said enough to make fun of Debbie.
Debbie was embarrassed by his remark and said, “Oh, well,” but she remained composed. “I – I recognize. It must be a really significant issue for you.
“Something enormous?” Louis shook his head and grinned. It was a million-dollar deal, but a poor woman like you would never comprehend! He paused for a moment, then said, “Let me ask you this again.” “I mean, I saw all of your tickets.” You may be traveling with us in business class, but you don’t seem like the kind of person who should be here! Perhaps the next time, try economy and see who else has stores similar to yours.
By now Debbie’s patience was wearing thin. “Listen, sir,” she admonished. “I know I’m getting ahead of myself; it’s my first time flying in business class, and I had trouble figuring out the check-in procedure and everything,” the person said. Although he is traveling with us, my husband
Before Debbie could say anything further, they arrived at JFK as announced over the intercom. But after making his announcement, Captain Tyler Brown, the pilot, had more to say before shutting off the intercom.
Additionally, I want to express my gratitude to each and every person traveling with us, especially my wife Debbie Brown. Debbie, my love, words cannot express how much your help means to me.
When Louis saw that Debbie’s husband was a pilot on the flight, his face flushed with shame and his heart missed a beat.
I was anxious because this was my first time piloting an A-class aircraft. I am grateful to my spouse for reassuring me that everything will work out and choosing to come along even though she is afraid of flying to soothe my concerns. I returned to work today after a protracted period of unemployed. Debbie has never complained about her circumstances, despite the fact that my wife and I have never had it easy and have faced many challenges in our life. I would thus like to pop the question to my wife once more on this flight on this day, which also happens to be the day we initially met—a date I think she has forgotten. Debbie, sweetheart, I adore you!
At this point, Tyler defied convention and exited the pilot’s cabin, popping the question to Debbie and putting a ring on her finger. “Mrs. Debbie Brown, would you like to spend the rest of your life with me again?”
Now Debbie and her kids had been the center of attention for everyone on the plane; they looked like the most gorgeous family imaginable. The passengers cheered as Debbie nodded yes through crying eyes, while Louis stood confused and ashamed. Debbie, nevertheless, would not stand by and let him get away with it. “A materialistic man like you, who only thinks about money, would never understand how it feels to have a loved one around you,” she stated to Louis as they were getting off the plane. Indeed, my spouse and I lead a modest life, but we take great pride in it!
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