Waitress Serves Grumpy Pensioner for Years, One Day He Leaves Keys to His Home as Tip

Jessie dedicated several years to her role as a waitress in a bustling local restaurant, skillfully managing the demands of her job while also fulfilling her duties as a mother to five children. Each day was a test of endurance, yet she persevered to provide for her family.

On her very first day, she was assigned a task that her colleagues were eager to avoid—serving the notoriously irritable Mr. Norton at Table 13.

“It’s just an old man,” she remarked, confused by her coworkers’ hesitance.

Mark, a seasoned waiter, merely chuckled. “Oh, dear. He’s dreadful. No one enjoys serving him. But since you’re new, you get the privilege.”

Jessie dismissed the caution. She believed she could manage one cantankerous old man.

However, she soon realized how mistaken she was.

As she approached his table with a cheerful demeanor, he scoffed at her. “Who are you?” he demanded, as if her presence were an affront.

“I’m Jessie. What would you like to drink?” she inquired, maintaining a courteous tone.

“I always order the same thing! Iced tea! Not too cold, not too sweet, with two lemon wedges and a straw. And not one of those ridiculous paper straws!” he snapped.

Jessie nodded and set to work, but regardless of how meticulously she adhered to his specifications, he always found something to criticize. Too sweet. Too cold. Insufficient lemon juice. The straw was too flimsy.

“We only have paper straws now,” she explained as patiently as possible.

“Soft, foolish generation,” he grumbled. “Fine. I’ll have the lasagna.”
And thus it continued. Each day, he discovered something to fault. No matter how well she attended to his needs, there was always an issue.

At the end of her shift, she sighed. “I should have heeded your warning,” she confessed to Mark.

“Indeed,” he laughed. “But someone has to handle him.”

Over the years, Jessie became that person. She was the only one willing to serve Mr. Norton, and although his grumpiness never diminished, she developed a strategy for managing him. She learned his routines, tolerated his temperaments, and even uncovered small details about him.
Despite his constant complaints, he consistently left a generous tip of 15%. However, one day, there was no tip at all.

Instead, Jessie found a key and a note on the table.

A frown crossed her face as she picked them up; something felt amiss.

She unfolded the note and read the message:

“Dear Jessie, I appreciate your patience with this old curmudgeon for so long. I am now heading to a specialized hospice facility, so I will not be returning. This key to my house is now yours. I have included my lawyer’s card for you to handle the official arrangements. Farewell, dear. P.S. My tea was overly sweet, but I refrained from complaining. See? My time is drawing near.”

Jessie’s hands trembled. His house? Why would he bequeath it to her? She was aware he had a family. Why not leave it to them?

With her heart racing, she contacted the lawyer mentioned in the note to inquire about the hospice. She needed clarity.

Upon seeing Mr. Norton at the hospice, her breath hitched. He appeared far more fragile than she had ever perceived. The cantankerous old man who had vexed her for years now seemed diminutive and delicate.

“Why would you do this?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes. “What about your children?”

He chuckled softly, his voice frailer than she had ever heard. “My children despise me. I haven’t spoken to them in years. I was cantankerous to everyone around me. You were the only one who tolerated me—with a smile. So, keep the house. It’s spacious. It should belong to a family that understands how to be patient with old things.”

Jessie wiped her tears away. She had not realized how much she had come to care for this old man, but the thought of never seeing him again was overwhelming.

That weekend, she brought her children to visit him. For the first time in years, she witnessed something she had never thought possible.

Mr. Norton smiled.

A true, heartfelt smile.

Weeks later, he passed away peacefully.

As promised, the house became Jessie’s. His lawyer informed her that his estranged family had declined to claim any inheritance, leaving his entire estate to her.