Salesman Embarrasses Old Man, Then Realizes Who He Is

Single Mother

She worked in hospitality and owned her very own bakery. It was enough to make ends meet and to support her child – Dominique. But with her daughter’s father out of the picture, it wasn’t always easy.

They had divorced right after she was born, and even though the child support cheques came in, she found they didn’t even cover her daughter’s education. But she had no idea that someone important would appear in her life without warning.

A Good Outlook

Mary still kept a good attitude even with the hardships in her life. She knew a lot of people in the city had it worse than her. Recently she noticed a man staring at her as she walked past him every day. 

He was clearly homeless but smiled at her through the dirt on his face. She could see a familiar spark in his eyes. Like he had hope even in his position. How could she stay pessimistic when he wasn’t? But she had no idea just who this man really was.

Trying To Talk

Mary walked to walk every day and decided to talk to the man. He seemed friendly enough but not very talkative. There was a quality about him, though, like the kind that she knew him from somewhere.

She chalked it up to his friendly face, which always felt familiar. But she was wrong. If only she knew that she should have trusted her gut instinct about where she had seen him before.

An Extra Lunch

Mary knew what she had to do – she decided to pack an extra lunch for the day. One was for her daughter, and one was for the man. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a healthy salad roll with a slice of cheese.

She smiled to herself, thinking she was doing the right thing. But she wished she hadn’t tried giving him the lunch bag once she learned the truth about his identity.

Trying To Give It To Him

She spotted him on her way to work and offered him the lunch bag. But without a word, he waved it away. Did he not want to accept this kind gesture?

She didn’t think too much of it while she lay in bed that night. But if only she knew the real reason why he didn’t accept her kind gesture. 

Strange Look

This morning Mary was running late for work, so she was moving at a busier pace than usual. But as she got to the corner where she saw the cheerful homeless man every day, she noticed something different.

He looked gravely concerned about something, almost on the verge of tears. What had happened? Then she saw a scrap of paper in his hand.

Crumpled Paper

He seemed distracted, he was looking around. Were they back again? It was clear that he was being watched, but what was the truth behind it all? 

She approached him to ask if he was alright, but he wouldn’t say a word. All he did was hand her a crumpled piece of paper and nod. Something clearly wasn’t right, and the piece of paper held the answers.

 The Rest Of The Day

Mary didn’t want to read the note while she was at work. But the entire day, she couldn’t help but look down at her handbag where it was.

Questions raced through her mind. As soon as she got home after work, she put her things down and pulled out the piece of paper. But what was written on it would turn her world upside down.

The Note

She felt her hands shake as she looked at the note in her hand. What could he have written inside a scrap of paper before handing it to her?

She had only been nice to him; were there things he was hiding that he couldn’t say out loud? Was he being watched?

Richard Gere

It turns out that the homeless man was actually Richard Gere! The note explained that he was shooting his new movie and that’s why he was dressed up as a homeless person.

She had no idea that the sweet man she walked past every day and even offered food was worth millions!

Time Out Of Mind

Gere was actually on set being filmed for his role as a homeless man that’s trying to fix his relationship with his daughter. The movie is called Time Out of Mind and is an American Drama.

His get-up must have been very convincing if it fooled Mary and probably many other New Yorkers.

Going Back

Mary went back to visit Gere after realizing who he really was. She understood that he couldn’t talk much to her because they must have been filming him for the movie. It was now obvious that he didn’t want to waste her precious food on him when he already had so much money.

She just smiled at him, and to tell her he knew she knew, she gave her a wink back. He had fooled many New Yorkers, but he let her in on the secret because of her kindness. 

An Experience

Mary felt touched and took it to heart. She knew that no one else would have an experience like that, especially with such a well-known actor! And on the set of his movie as well! 

She would still see him every time she walked to walk until one day he was gone. Presumably, they had gotten enough shots. She still thinks of him when she walks past that corner every day, with a smile on her face.