A ten-year-old child with a big heart chooses to wash cars to generate money for his elderly neighbor’s surgery. When someone decides to reward him, he is shocked.
The death of Max Weaver’s father at the age of five caused his life to fall apart. His mother was unable to make the mortgage payments two years later, forcing them to vacate their home.
Max’s mother made the decision to relocate the family to Arizona so they could live with Moira, Max’s grandma. As a result, Max lost not just his father but also his friends and all ties to his former carefree and joyful existence.
Max’s boyhood might have come to an end, but Mr. Kelsey saved the day. Grandma Moira’s next-door neighbour was Mr. Kelsey.
Max was taken aback when he first met him. He had never seen someone so elderly before. His skin was so thin that the veins and bones could be seen through it, and what little hair he did have stood out in bunches on the sides of his head. Max then observed his eyes. Mr. Kelsey had fresh, bright, and curious eyes.
After spending a week at Grandma Moira’s, Max first encountered Mr. Kelsey. He brought his ball outside and kicked it around. Max began attempting to smash the fence slats on his grandmother’s property because playing by himself wasn’t very enjoyable.
A good deed will always be acknowledged.
The ball flew high and high and over the fence into the adjacent yard when he kicked it. Max sprinted over to the fence and climbed it. He could make out his ball close to a deck chair in the centre of the lawn.
The oldest man Max had ever seen was sitting in that deck chair. He was gazing up at the sky and holding what appeared to be a fishing reel.
Max said with courtesy, “Excuse me, Mister. “My ball entered your yard,” I said. Could you please toss it over? Slowly rising from his chair, the man dropped the reel.
He was extremely tall and skinny, and Max saw that his hands were large, bony, and had bulging joints. Greetings, the man said. “You must be the grandson of Moira.”
Yes, sir,” Max kindly replied. “I’m Max. That’s Max, not Maximillian, for Maxwell.
“Nice to meet you, Max,” the man said. John Kelsey here. Grab your ball and come over.
Max climbed the fence and entered the yard of Mr Kelsey. When he took up his ball and put it under his arm, Mr. Kelsey’s kite came into view. Never before has Max seen a kite like that. It had terrifying devil eyes painted on it and was a bright yellow colour.
“Wow!” said Max. That kite is cool.
“I appreciate it,” Mr. Kelsey remarked. The best one I’ve ever created, she said. Too bad I’m no longer able to battle.
Max was perplexed and inquired, “Fight?” “What does that mean?” you ask.
I used to fly for a living, Mr. Kelsey remarked. “And after I retired, I couldn’t bear the thought of being confined to a stationary position.
I made and flew fighting kites, and I was pretty good at it. That is a kite that fights. You’ll notice that it only has one string. If you’re skilled, you could cut the string from another kite because it is coated with glue and powdered glass.
“Cut the string?” Max questioned. “Like in a dogfight?”
“Exactly,” Mr. Kelsey replied. “A kite-dogfighting contest. You must be very skilled at controlling your kite and interpreting the wind. Do you wish to try?
In an effort to make the kite swoop and swerve through the air, Max quickly snatched up the reel. He said, “That’s way cool!”. Do you mind instructing me, Mr. Kelsey?
Making your own kite is a good place to start learning, Mr. Kelsey advised. But first, get OK from your mother.
Max could not stop talking about Mr. Kelsey and his warrior kites at supper that evening. With his eyes gleaming, Max exclaimed, “Mom, it’s SO cool.” He promised to teach me. Can I visit that place tomorrow?
His mother told him, “I don’t know, Max.” The dude is quite senior. Are you certain you won’t annoy him?
“He said he wanted to teach me,” Max remarked. “Please?”
“Deidre,” Grandma Moira uttered to Max’s mother. “I believe it to be a fantastic idea. The nice man Mr. Kelsey is. He will benefit from the company of a youthful person. Additionally, Max will benefit greatly from having a pastime unrelated to computers or video games.
Max spent every afternoon after school at Mr. Kelsey’s place from that point on. He began studying the craft of making the delicate, feather-light kites. Max was astounded to watch how Mr. Kelsey’s sluggish, arthritic hands delicately adhered the thin sticks to the fragile paper.
By contrast, his own hands appeared clumsy, as he consistently smeared the glue onto the paper and got it all over himself. Max persisted despite this.
His father had always advised him to never give up. “There’s always a way, Max,” would be his father’s catchphrase. “Go ahead!”
Max persisted until he was nearly on par with Mr. Kelsey. He mastered kite flying, but Mr. Kelsey consistently prevailed in dogfights six out of ten times. Then, something altered the summer before Max turned ten.
When they were building the kites, Mr Kelsey started making mistakes all the time and would occasionally put the sticks in the wrong spot and even rip the paper.
Max worriedly enquired, “What’s wrong?” The question “Are you OK?”
Mr. Kelsey covered his eyes with his palms. Max, I’m sorry,” he said. “As you can see, I’m 95 years old. I look…I’ve got cataracts. I’m becoming blind.
But you can get surgery, right? said Max. The answer is, “Grandma Moira did!”
Mr. Kelsey responded, “I can have surgery.” But the doctor warned me that it would be challenging given my advanced age. Medical insurance will contribute in part, but I’ll still need to come up with at least $3,000 on my own. You see, I might need to stay in the hospital, and with my pension, I simply cannot.
Mr. Kelsey was the subject of Max’s return to his mother and grandmother at home. “Mom,” Max said. Please let us assist him.
“Honey,” Max’s mother remarked. We’d like to, but you know how expensive it is! I’ve been putting money up for months to get you the bike you desire, but I still need another $100.
Max sobbed, “I don’t want the bike,” when he stated this. “I’d much rather give Mr. Kelsey the money for his surgery,”
“Max,” his mother kindly said. “That only costs $150. How about the remainder?
Grandma Moira remarked, “I can give $100.” But there is still $2750 to pay.
Max said, “I’ll raise the money.” On weekends, I’ll wash cars in the parking lot of the mall.
And Max actually did just that. He offered to wash cars for one dollar each when he went to the mall parking lot with his bucket and sponges. To make up the money, Max needed to sell a lot of cars, but he was persistent.
Because Max did such an excellent job, people occasionally gave him an additional dollar, but he only made around $20 a weekend.
What was worse was that some customers would order Max to wash their cars and then leave without paying. A client of Max’s once questioned, “What do you do this for, kid?”
Max has never been questioned before! My neighbour, Mr. Kelsey,” he retorted. His cataracts require surgery. I’m collecting the funds for him.
The man appeared shocked. How much is required?
“I have $620,” Max declared. I still need perhaps $2400 more, but my mother gave me the money she had saved for my bike.
Was that what you had in mind? The man enquired. “A bike?”
Yes, Max replied. However, Mr. Kelsey’s eye operation is far more crucial.
You’re a good boy, the man kindly remarked. The question “Where do you live?”
The man thanked Max for telling him where he lived and offered him $20! Max was in awe of his good fortune. “Thanks, mister!” he exclaimed.
Don’t thank me yet, the suspiciously grinning man murmured.
Max was unaware that the individual he met was adamant about helping him. After returning home, he shared Max’s tale on Facebook. Then he created a GoFundMe page and posted Max’s story there as well. How this ten-year-old had sacrificed his desire to purchase a bicycle in order to assist his friend in paying for his eye operation. To assist Mr. Kelsey and thank Max, he requested that people send in their money.
The contributions came slowly at first, but as word of the story spread, more and more people began to contribute. The goal of $2,500 for the procedure was quickly attained.
But the funding didn’t end there! The man who had met Max had other plans in mind, and they were somewhat unexpected. He knocked on Max’s door one day.
He said, “Hello,” and gave Max an envelope. This is for Mr. Kelsey, your friend. When Max peeked inside, he saw a cheque for more than $3000!
He exclaimed, “Wow!” That’s really fantastic! Thanks to you, he will be able to get his surgery.
He turned his head. “Not thanks to me, Max,” he replied. ‘Thank you,’ I say.
The man gave Max a wink before leaving. The child took the money he had collected inside the home and delivered it to Mr. Kelsey along with the envelope.
“But…” Mr. Kelley exhaled. “Where did you get all of this money?”
Max related his tale of the check-bringing odd man, the bike, and the mall car wash. He exclaimed, “It’s so cool!” You can now have your procedure, and your vision will be improved.
Mr. Kelsey was crying, as well. “Max,” he said. “I’ll never see a kinder heart than yours, even if I live to 1000 and have 20/20 vision until the day I die!”
At that point, Max’s mother sprinted over. She shrieked, “Max!” “You’d better head home right away!”
Max became worried. Is Grandma Moira alright, he inquired.
His mother was simultaneously crying and smiling. “Max, go home! Please return home right now.
“They just delivered it,” Max’s mother stated. It’s for you, I say.
As Max opened the package, his hands began to shake from anxiety. The fact that it was a bike—the greatest, most gorgeous bike he had ever seen—astonished him.
He questioned his mother, “Is it mine?”. “Are you certain? Mom, the bike is really expensive! We cannot afford it.
It’s a gift, Max,” his mother reassuringly said. “Many people want to honour your generous and loving heart!”
What can we take away from this narrative?
The needs of people we love come first for a good person. Max believed that helping Mr. Kelsey was more crucial than owning a bike.
A good deed will always be acknowledged. Max’s desire to acquire a bike ultimately became a reality as a result of his decision to assist Mr. Kelsey.
