Cold, Winter Morning
The soft rock music played from the jukebox as he leaned back in his seat. He was grateful that he was able to sit back in his booth with a hot cup of coffee on such a cold, winter’s morning.
He had inhaled his breakfast that morning, and after he paid the bill, he gathered his things and got up to leave, but just thin, a little boy ran up to him and handed him a piece of paper. What he read on that piece of paper stopped him in his tracks.
Officer Eddy Macintosh
Officer Eddy Macintosh served as a deputy in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. He was a native of New Orleans and Eddy had been an officer for over a decade now.
Because of this, he had seen everything his county had to offer. He always thought he had seen it all, but he was wrong. What he saw that very morning would blow everything out of the water.
Tuesday Morning
The morning began like any other for Eddy. It was a Tuesday morning in January, and it was plagued by a light downpour. Just like any other day, Eddy got up and went for a run around his block before he returned home and took a hot shower.
After that, he got dressed and made his way to work. He decided not to have breakfast at home, knowing that he’d grab a quick bite at midday after checking in at the station. But he had no idea that this day would be unlike any other.
Clocking In
When Eddy clocked in at the station, it was nearly empty. The sun had only just begun rising and most of the other officers were yet to report.
Eddy quickly checked through the day’s objectives before getting into his cruiser, ready to start his daily rounds around the parish. As long as everything went to plan, he would usually have some time to himself between eleven and noon. That’s when he would have his breakfast.
Everything Ran Smoothly
The patrol went down smoothly, just as Eddy had hoped. By ten, he had cleared most of the parish, and as it grew closer to eleven, he knew he would be able to have breakfast as he had planned that morning.
Eddy made his way to his favorite diner, his stomach grumbling. When he got there, he greeted the owner with a friendly hug, as usual, before taking a seat at a booth next to one of the windows. As he scanned through the menu, something caught his attention.
Quieter Than Usual
Although it was almost noon, the diner was almost completely empty. Eddy frowned, this was odd because this was one of the most beloved eateries in the neighborhood. He was used to the place being crowded by customers.
He glanced at one of the diner’s corners, watching a woman and a little boy enjoying their breakfast. Beside them and Eddy, a group of bikers sat around a table, enjoying pints of beer with their breakfast. But there was more.
Group Of Bikers
There was something about them that made Eddy’s eyebrows rise. They had patches on their jackets that depicted a fist against a red oval. Around the red oval were blurred words. Eddy couldn’t read them from where he was sitting, but he knew exactly what they read.
During his time as an officer, he had run into many biker gangs in the parish. He had met all different kinds of them, from benevolent bikers to others who only wished to cause trouble. But which group did these bikers belong to?
Bikers Against Child Abuse
“BACA,” Eddy said softly to himself as a waitress placed his breakfast before him This acronym stood for ‘Bikers Against Child Abuse’, which was a charitable worldwide motorcycle organization. Eddy had worked with these guys many times before.
He began eating his eggs and pancakes, thinking of the days when he would dust off his motorcycle and join the bikers in raising awareness against child abuse. Eddy didn’t even realize it, but he had a wide smile on his face as he ate his food. He had no idea what was about to happen.
Another Round
As the bikers got up and left, Eddy greeted them with a smile on his face. He had almost cleared his plate, but he was still hungry. He gave the waitress a knowing look and requested another round of coffee and pancakes, asking for some bacon on top.
When he received his second meal, he dug in, savoring the exquisite breakfast. No one made pancakes as good as this diner. But as he was clearing his plate, he realized something about the table with the woman and the boy.
Heather Jennings
He recognized the woman, and he even knew her name. Her name was Heather Jennings, and just a few days ago, Eddy had given her another ticket for illegally parking outside the cemetery.
She was furious when it happened, but he was just doing his job. He could never have imagined that that last parking ticket would send Heather over the edge.
Something Was Going On
The woman was busy talking to her son while keeping eye contact with Eddy. The boy's eyes had a glimmer that Eddy couldn't identify. There was something going on.
Eddy was done with his food and asked for the bill. The waitress hurried to the woman's table before giving him the receipt.
Anger
Eddy had no idea how conflicted the kid was who was sitting at the table with his mom. He had seen the officer right away and understood that he was the one who had made his mother's life as a single parent more difficult financially.
The boy was only nine years old, but he wanted to confront the police officer about the parking tickets his mother had received. He knew how difficult things were for his mother, and the police officer just piled on.
Tough Circumstances
Circumstances had not been kind to Heather Jennings, a single mother with two children. She had only recently learned the heartbreaking news of her own father's death.
Even though planning the funeral amidst the pain and attending the service was difficult, things took a turn for the worst when she received a parking ticket from a police officer as she was leaving the cemetery.
Things Were Only Worsening
That fatal parking ticket couldn't have come at a worse time for Heather. She couldn't afford to pay it, so she phoned the police and tried to have the case dismissed in court.
Nevertheless, she received another parking ticket as she left the courthouse, which turned out to be an ironic turn of events. The situation only deteriorated from there.
There Is No End
Heather didn’t things could get worse from there, but they did. As she arrived home, she noticed that her landlord was standing outside of her apartment. He told her that she and her children were being evicted, and she was stunned.
Heather had also attempted to resolve her housing situation in court, but all she had managed to bring home was yet another parking penalty.
A Losing Battle
Heather was doing her best, but it felt like she was fighting a losing battle. This was now her third parking ticket she received all while dealing with the loss of her father.
But Heather's struggles weren't close to being over. She learned that her son was ill the day after her father passed away.
All She Had Left
When Heather took her son Donald to the physician, she was astonished by the price of his care.
The poor mother had only $15 left after paying off parking charges, going into debt to cover her son's medical expenses, and scrambling to come up with a deposit for a new rental. At her lowest point ever, she made the decision to buy Donald breakfast at Denny's with the remaining fifteen bucks.
The Cause Of Her Problems
Heather was eating at Denny's with her son when she glanced across and gasped in disbelief at what she saw. One of the main causes of her suffering was the officer who had issued her all those parking fines, who was seen there peacefully enjoying breakfast.
Funny enough, Donald aspired to work as a police officer. However, he realized the man was the one who had hurt his mother so badly and decided he had to take action.
Doing Something
The waitress who had given the kid and woman the receipt that Eddy was certain belonged to him was having a conversation with them as Eddy observed with wide eyes.
He sat back to take it all in because he wasn't sure what to make of the scenario just yet. Was the boy in trouble or did the mother require assistance that he could provide? When Eddy noticed the kid approaching him, he was lost in thought.
Paid For
The kid quietly approached Eddy, handed him his receipt, and then took a few steps back as the boy's mother watched.
At first, Eddy wasn't sure what to make of the odd gesture, but he soon understood that his tab had already been paid. There was however more. The boy had scrawled a note over the receipt. As he read it, Eddy's jaw dropped.
What Did It Say?
“I want to be you when I grow up,” the message started out nicely enough.“Thank you for your service, Donald.” Eddy was in awe.
The officer's chest tightened as he inhaled. He had to take action. His first thought was to do something to repay the courtesy, but then he realized who the boy's mother was.
A Kind Gesture
The message stunned Eddy, who knelt down and accepted the boy's embrace. Eddy welcomed him, "Hello," and the young man smiled back.
“I’m Deputy Eddy Macintosh, and you must be Donald!” he said. Donald's mother grinned brightly. Eddy's eyes started to tear up when she disclosed next.
A Sweet Boy
“He’s always talking about how he’ll be a great deputy when he grows up, he saw you and insisted on paying for your breakfast.” Heather shared.
But she said more than just that. Less than a week remained until Little Donald's birthday, so he spent the money he had been saving for the event to pay for Eddy's food. At this realization, Eddy's eyes welled up, and he immediately did the only action he could.
He Looked Up At Him
Eddy asked the server to take a photo of him and Donald before he had a chance to talk with Heather. In addition, he told his family and fellow cops about what had occurred.
Donald was happy to receive an opportunity to talk to one of his idols, irrespective of the fact that the cop was partly to blame for his mother's inadequacies. But Eddy's next action was going to completely alter the situation.
Popularity
Additionally, Heather published the image of her kid and Eddy with the caption on her Facebook page: “One proud Momma. When your child asks if we can pay for an Officer’s Breakfast!!!! Writes him a message on his receipt.”
However, Heather had no idea how popular her one picture would become. Her post quickly became a viral sensation.
Positve Responses
The responses to Donald, Heather, and Eddy's Facebook post were overwhelmingly positive. Donald was praised for his thoughtful action toward the law enforcement officer.
The young kid understood the wider picture despite the fact that he was to blame for his mother's struggles that week. Although Donald made an effort to get in touch with the policeman, everything he did was part of a larger scheme.
She Did A Good Job
The now-viral post received nothing but favorable comments. Most people could see that Heather had brought up her son beautifully despite her struggles.
But things didn't start to get out of hand until the message traveled its way around other police. When Eddy shared the image on his private social media profile, the police force was in uproar.
He Had To Do Something
“Well Noah you touched all of our hearts today,” LakeLand PD shared on Facebook. “Your support means so much to all of the men and women who put on the uniform every day. We wish you the happiest of Birthdays!”
But Eddy wasn't through yet. Eddy understood her predicament now, and he felt terribly awful. He was aware that he owed Donald's poor mother something in return.
Making Things Right
Eddy pleaded with the Lakeland Police Department's captain to waive some of Heather's outstanding parking fines.
Naturally moved by the tale, the captain made the decision to excuse Heather from paying all of her penalties. But not just the captain was moved by what had occurred that day in Denny's.
Words Of Encouragement
It didn't take long for Donald's touching note to reach law enforcement stations in nearly all states.
Police officers from all across nation thanked the child for his deed of generosity on social networking sites and assured him that he will make a great officer in the future. But Eddy's journey was far from over.
A New Outlook On Life
When Donald presented the message to Eddy, the action profoundly altered his outlook on life. “It meant everything,” Eddy shared.
“It meant that I’m supposed to wake up every morning and put on this uniform and go out there and do what I do. You know? It means that I need to keep trying to be a good example to all these young guys.”
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
