My grandpa was the stingiest man in the world.
After he passed away, I inherited a $30 gift card.
I was going to give it away, but for some reason, I decided to use it. My life split into ‘before’ and ‘after’ that moment.
The cashier’s face went pale when I handed her the card.
Cashier: This can’t be, where did you get this??
Me: Uh… It was my grandpa’s.
Cashier: “ STOP EVERYONE! IN FRONT OF ME IS A HOLDER OF THE CARD! ”
Everything in the store seemed to freeze. The music cut off. Other employees stopped mid-task. Shoppers stared.
Me: “Uh… what’s going on? It’s just a $30 gift card…”
Cashier: (whispers) “That’s not just any gift card. That’s his card.”
Me: “My grandfather’s?”
Cashier: “Your grandfather… he was The Benefactor.”
Me: “…I think you’re mistaking him for someone else. He was just a stingy old man who reused teabags and made me pay for my own birthday gifts.”
Cashier: “That’s what everyone believed. He had to live like that.”
She stepped out from behind the counter, holding the card with both hands like it was sacred.
Cashier: “This card is linked to an account that has unlimited funds. It only activates when passed to someone chosen. And now it’s yours.”
Me: “There’s no way. He never spent a dime if he didn’t have to.”
Cashier: “Exactly. Because the money wasn’t meant for him. It was meant for you.”
My heart started racing. “Wait… you’re telling me this man who wouldn’t buy name-brand cereal… was secretly rich?”
Cashier: “More than rich. He created this system. Every store like this across the country — they’re part of it. He helped thousands of people anonymously. Hospital bills paid, houses saved, lives changed. All through this card.”
I stood there, stunned. Suddenly, it all made sense. The cryptic notes he left in crossword books. His long ‘walks’ with no destination. The locked drawer he never let me open.
Cashier: “You should check the back of the card.”
I flipped it over. On the bottom corner was a tiny engraving:
“FOR THOSE WHO THINK I GAVE NOTHING.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I had misunderstood him my whole life. That day, I walked in with a $30 card… and left with a new purpose.