A noisy teenager caused trouble for the school janitor and later felt guilty. He learned about the janitor’s life and decided to do something special for him. That’s when he realized something important.
“Wow!” Holden exclaimed when he saw the mess he had created on the floor. He and his friend were just trying to play a prank on another student by painting his locker. However, he accidentally dropped the paint can in the middle of the basketball court, which would definitely be noticed.
“Come on, Holden! Let’s go! Let’s go!” his friend, Andrew, shouted, and they both left everything behind and ran away.
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A noisy teenager caused trouble for the school janitor and later felt guilty. He learned about the janitor’s life and decided to do something special for him. That’s when he realized something important.
Holden and his friend were not bad kids, but they often skipped classes and liked to play pranks on others. They didn’t mean any harm; Holden just didn’t like school and wanted to have fun like many teenagers do.
“Wow. That’s terrible,” Holden said when he saw the mess he made. “Sorry. That was rude.” Luckily, no one found out about the incident, but later, he walked by the basketball court and saw the old janitor cleaning up. He also heard the principal, Mr. Figgins, yelling.
“We have the pep rally tomorrow, and scouts from all over are coming! This needs to be cleaned up right away!” the principal shouted at the poor man, who was trying to scrub the floor. The paint was oil-based, making the job hard.
Yes, Mr. Figgins. I’ll make sure it’s ready for tomorrow,” the janitor replied, still scrubbing. The principal waved his arms, yelled some more, and stormed off.
Holden felt awful watching the janitor clean the mess caused by his prank, so he did something surprising. He walked onto the court, grabbed a rag, knelt down, and started helping the janitor.
The old man looked at him and said, “I guess you did this, right?” He continued to scrub the floor.
“Sir, I’m really sorry. It was a mistake. I didn’t know you would get in trouble for it,” Holden said sincerely. “Please don’t tell the principal. My mom would be really mad.”
The janitor sighed and replied, “I won’t tell anyone, but you have to help me until this floor is clean.” Holden quickly agreed.
As they worked, they talked. The janitor’s name was Fred. At first, they chatted about basketball and football since the school had some of the best teams. But then Holden asked why Fred was still working at his age. He looked to be over 60.
“Well, I need to pay my mortgage,” Fred said with a frown. “I’m 76.”
“Wow, you still haven’t paid it off? That means I can’t even think about having my own house,” Holden said.
“Things are tough right now, kid. I never really wanted a house. I bought that house for my daughter because she needed a place to live,” Fred explained, wiping sweat from his forehead. “I helped her with the mortgage for years, but then she died in a car accident, and now it’s all my responsibility.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” Holden said quietly. They were silent for a moment. “Why not sell the house now?”
“Where would I go? With rent these days, I’d be homeless. I need to keep working to eat,” Fred said realistically.
“But you might never retire!” Holden added.
“That’s true. I just hope I can pay the mortgage before I die,” he continued.
“How much do you owe?” Holden asked.
“Well, it’s a little under $30,000,” Fred replied.
“Wow. That’s terrible,” Holden said, then widened his eyes. “Sorry, that was rude.”
But Fred laughed. “Let’s just keep working, kid.”
They finally cleaned up the paint, but it took a long time, and Holden went home late that night. He couldn’t sleep, thinking about how to help the old man who didn’t get him in trouble.
A few days later, he told his mother everything that happened and asked her how they could raise money for Fred. Maybe if they paid off his mortgage, he could retire.
His mother suggested that Holden mow lawns in the neighborhood. It was the right season, and many people needed help. So he got his dad’s lawnmower and started working hard.
But after a few days, he realized it was going to take a long time to earn the money. So he talked to his neighbors whose kids went to the same school. He took a picture of Fred from the school’s website and posted it online, sharing his story and creating a crowdfunding link to help the janitor.
To his surprise, the donations started coming in, and they raised $30,000 in just a week.
Then Holden and his mother spoke to the school principal about having a special ceremony to honor Fred and surprise him. Holden also had to tell the principal about the paint on the court, and Mr. Figgins agreed.
The whole school heard the story and gathered at the basketball court to cheer when Fred arrived. The old janitor had no idea what was happening since he didn’t use social media. Holden presented him with the money, and many people in the crowd cried as the two hugged. Fred officially retired that week.
Holden later learned that Fred had a granddaughter named Erin, who was only a few years younger than him. The janitor wanted to pay off the house for her to have when he was gone. Erin and Holden became good friends, and he started visiting Fred after school to help out.
He stopped hanging out with Andrew and began taking his classes more seriously. The whole experience taught him that you have to work hard for everything.
Holden changed completely and graduated at the top of his class a few years later. The school staff was shocked and happy with his turnaround, as they rarely saw such changes. And it was all because of Fred and that afternoon spent cleaning up paint.
What can we learn from this story?
You should apologize and do your best to fix your mistakes. Holden got the janitor in trouble but sincerely tried to make it right.
It only takes one experience or person to change someone’s life. After meeting Fred, Holden changed for good, learning that life is tough, and only hard work can lead to happiness.
Get Ready to Activate Your Brain Cells With These 12 Mind-Boggling Detective Riddles
Indulging in puzzles daily isn’t just a fun pastime — it’s a brilliant way to keep your brain in tip-top shape! Not only do they enhance your memory, but they also give your problem-solving skills a fantastic workout. Visual puzzles, especially, might seem like a piece of cake, but mastering them demands keen attention and observation.
1. Which one is pretending to be rich?
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2. Who stole a watermelon?
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4 people are waiting in line to pay for their items. However, one of them has stolen and concealed a watermelon. Who is that person?
3. How did the boss know that Mason lied?
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Mason took some time off from his job to go on an expedition in Antarctica. His boss was okay with it as long as he was sending him pictures every day as proof. Mason would send photos daily, but when he returned to the office, his boss fired him. How did the boss know from Mason’s pictures that he wasn’t actually in Antarctica?
4. Who is the woman’s husband?
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Susana is suffering from temporary amnesia and can’t remember who her husband is. Can you help her?
5. Which door is the safest?
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Atlas has been trapped in the attic of an old and frail house. There are only 3 doors, but they all hide different dangers. The windows and floor behind the first door are all made of magnifying glass and the sunlight will probably burn him if he enters.
The second door hides a room full of poisonous gas, and a hungry lion is behind the third door. What should Atlas do?
6. Why did the police arrest Dylan?
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The police knocked on Dylan’s door late in the evening to conduct a search warrant. They said that money from a bank was stolen and that he was a suspect. Dylan said that he didn’t leave the house all day, while one of the policemen searched around his living room. What evidence could the police have found that led to the man’s arrest?
7. Who stole a pair of green pants?
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3 men are in a store when Susan, the assistant, notices that a pair of green pants is missing. Which one of the 3 men stole the pants?
8. Where is the money?
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Kimberly discovered 3 bags in an old attic along with a note. The note said that in one of the bags, there is $1,000,000, while the others are empty, and she can only open one of them. The only clues she has are the messages written on every bag. If only 1 message is true, which bag has the money?
9. Which one of these 3 should Dylan pick up?
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Dylan is driving on a rainy day when he sees 3 people waiting at a bus station. There is an old lady who looks frail, a doctor who has saved many lives, and a woman that Dylan has a crush on. However, his car has only 1 extra seat. Which one of the 3 people should he pick up?
10. Who stole the emerald?
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Jane wanted to host a party for her friends after she came back from her trip to Egypt. She found an emerald and she wanted to show it to her friends. However, after they left, she realized that her stone was missing.
She called the police and showed them the pictures she had taken that night. The police officer had a pretty good idea of who the thief was. How did they do that?
11. Did someone from outside break the window?
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Ashley came back from work and found the living room window broken. She immediately suspected that her husband must have been playing soccer inside again. However, he said that some kids were playing outside and their ball broke their window. How did Ashley know that her husband was lying?
12. Who is cheating?
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How many correct answers were you able to provide? If you enjoyed these puzzles, be sure to check here for more and give your brain another workout.
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