Jack found joy in sharing his lunch with a homeless girl, and he didn’t pay heed to the group of boys who mocked him for it. A few weeks later, something amazing happened that left the boys in shock.
Jack could eat the most nutritious and delicious sandwich you can find for lunch. Like many ten-year olds, Jack’s favorite sandwich would be a peanut butter-jelly sandwich.
It was so loved that his mother would always pack it for him along with his lunch. He saved his favorite sandwich for the end of school, and enjoyed small, savory bites as he walked home.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
Jack saw a scene in the road on one such afternoon and it broke his happy, carefree bubble.
Jack saw a young girl, about Jack’s age, sitting on the sidewalk just a few feet ahead. The cold weather was so cold that the girl sat down from head to foot. Her hair danced in the wind.
“Hi, my name is Jack,” The boy spoke up and reached out to shake his hand. “Are you okay?”
The sincere handshake made her smile despite her sadness.
Your children should be kind to one another.
“Hi, I’m Lisa. My friend’s mother usually brings me some food from the kitchen where she works. But she got fired two days ago, and since then, I’ve barely eaten anything…” Lisa said the words, trying not too look at Jack’s sandwich. Jack saw this and was moved by the girl’s situation.
Jack wasn’t usually one to share his food. This sandwich, which had two layers of strawberry jam, peanut butter, and crunchy peanut butter, was a rare exception. Lisa was unaware that Jack extended his hand towards Lisa and offered him the snack.
“Here, you can have this. I only took two bites,” Jack replied.
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Lisa hesitated, but Jack saw it as politeness.
“Try it; it’s a peanut butter jelly sandwich. You’re going to love it! And besides, my tummy is already too full,” Jack lied.
Lisa took a bite and almost closed her eyes as she hummed with satisfaction and gratitude.
Jack sat with Lisa as she finished her sandwich slowly. While he was happy to help, he also knew that Lisa will not be able to eat half of the sandwich.
Jack decided to skip lunch during recess on the next day. Jack took a walk around school to distract himself from the growls in the stomach and drank large sips of water.
“Jelly Boy here has a new friend, guys!” Jack returned to class with a mocking comment from one of his backbenchers. “I saw him sharing his sandwich with some girl on the street.”
“That’s right,” Another mocking voice was heard. “Nobody in school wants to be his friend, so he’s making friends with random people off the street now!”
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“Will you be my best friend, pretty please? I’ll give you my sandwich!”The boys made a mean joke about each other and couldn’t stop laughing.
Jack was not as hurt as the boys had hoped. They kept on teasing Jack, hoping to lose their cool.
Jack would always meet Lisa on the sidewalk to share his leftover lunch, despite all of the mocking. They quickly became close friends and Jack discovered the story of her mother’s death that made her homeless.
Lisa was living in an old garage with a friend’s mom, who wasn’t caring at all. Jack was hurt to see the hard life Lisa lived and would pray for her before going to sleep.
Jack’s teary-eyed prayers were stopped by his mother one night.
“Baby, what’s wrong? Whatever is going on, Jack, you can tell me.”
Jack shared with Sylvia his new friend’s story. He told Sylvia how she was homeless, hungry, and how he ate lunch with her every day. He didn’t mention the fact that he was bullied at school. His mother didn’t have to worry.
Sylvia was moved to tears by her son’s good intentions and so she packed an extra lunch for the little girl the next day.
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“Your mom is a very kind person. You’re so lucky, Jack!”Lisa was amazed at the kindness shown by the woman, who had never met Lisa.
Jack’s classmates at school were stunned that the mockery hadn’t had any effect on Jack and that he now had plenty of food for Lisa.
One of the boys was so happy to see Jack, he decided to steal Jack’s lunchbox and hide it.
“Please, tell me where my lunchbox is. I’m hungry, and Lisa will be waiting for the food after school. Please, friends, tell me where you’ve hidden my lunchbox.”
The boys smiled and winked at each other, but they denied ever knowing anything about Jack’s lunch.
Jack felt like Lisa had failed him that day. He couldn’t stop the boys bullying him and he didn’t find the lunchbox.
“That’s alright, Jack. Go home. I’ll be alright today.”
Jack wept and tried to walk away but couldn’t. He knew Lisa would need to go to bed hungry so he could not leave.
“No, it’s my fault. You shouldn’t go hungry because of my mistake. Walk with me. We’ll eat together at my home today.”
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Lisa was thinking about it and, more than the food, she was excited to meet Jack’s amazing mother.
“She’s amazing!” She is so kind and makes the best lasagna. She sighed and made a wish for …’ Lisa.
Sylvia fed the children, and then listened to their stories. She gave Lisa a place to rest her head. She said goodbye and looked into the eyes of the girl.
“So, Jack, you don’t have to worry about Lisa anymore.” The next morning, his mother sounded excited over breakfast.
“I’ve already spoken to my friends who work at the best children’s shelter in the city. They’re willing to take Lisa in!
“Lisa, darling, you will be in excellent hands. You don’t have to worry anymore.” Sylvia kissed the girl on the cheek and smiled.
Sylvia also thought that Jack looked a little upset, but she didn’t understand why.
It was true. Jack was upset, even though he knew that Lisa was now living a much better life at the shelter. It had been a week since Lisa was taken in. That also meant that it had been a week since Jack had seen Lisa. The little boy wanted the best for her, but he missed her terribly.
‘Should I tell mom I miss Lisa? Should I ask to go meet her?’ Jack thought to himself but did not have the heart to ask Sylvia, who had already done a lot for the girl. But Sylvia had observed her son’s gloominess closely enough to know what was in his heart.
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On one of the dull afternoons after school, Jack was dragging his feet towards the school exit gate. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel like eating the peanut butter jelly sandwich that was neatly packed in his bag.
Just then, he saw a familiar car pull up at the gate. It was a black SUV, and he recognized it as his mother’s car.
‘Why would mom come to pick me up from school today?’ Jack thought as he paced towards the car.
“Oh no! Jelly Boy’s mom will be here to pick her up. Someone is in serious trouble!” Jack’s classmates hooted mockingly and laughed.
Jack was so focused on trying to read his mother’s expression from afar that he jolted when he saw the passenger seat door open suddenly.
Jack and his classmates were curious to see who was going to get out of the car. And none of them expected it to be—
“Wait… isn’t this the same girl from the street? The homeless girl?” One of the boys muttered to the others in shock.
“Lisa! Oh my God, Lisa! What a lovely surprise! I missed you!” Jack was delighted to see his best friend. She looked amazing in her new, well-combed hair.
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Sylvia met with Jack and shared her most shocking news later in the evening.
“I sensed you were upset with Lisa gone. And when I went to check in on her, I thought she would be happy there. But it turns out she was missing you terribly, too. And you know all I want is for you kids to be happy. So…” Sylvia stopped for dramatic effect but Lisa couldn’t stop sharing the news.
“So your mom decided to adopt me!” The little girl was overcome with excitement.
Jack couldn’t believe his ears.
“It’s true! I’m your sister now! I’ll be living with you from now on. Don’t worry, you’ll still have your bed. And I won’t sneak a bite from your sandwiches anymore…” Lisa giggled as she hugged her family.
Jack and Lisa bonded stronger and Lisa was admitted to the same school. The story of Jack’s adoption and Lisa’s kindness was shared and received love and appreciation by many teachers. However, the boys who mocked Jack were left speechless and filled with shame and guilt.
Illustration only.Source: Getty Images. Jack finally accepted the boys’ apology. | Source: Getty Images
“We’re sorry for bullying you and teasing you about helping Lisa, Jack! We were really mean to you,” the boys finally apologized to Jack one day.
“That’s alright,” Jack smiled. “Come, join us for lunch!”
What lessons can we take from this story?
- Your children should be taught to be kind to one another. We could all use more little Jacks to show kindness and care for those less fortunate than ourselves. Even when faced with criticism and mockery, we need to choose kindness.
- There are many ways you can be kind. Jack was a little boy who found a simple way of helping a homeless girl. Jack didn’t find a way to help her, and she wouldn’t be a part a happy new family.
This story is worth sharing with friends. It may brighten their day or inspire them.
This story is about a young boy who had lunch with a girl and got a surprise the next day.
This piece was inspired by stories from our readers’ everyday lives and is written by a professional author. Any resemblance to real names or actual locations is only coincidental. Images are used only for illustration. Send us your story. You might make a difference in someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to [email protected].