Make it right

Martha opened the diner early in the morning, like she had been doing for the last six months since she bought it from an old couple, she felt it was a day like any other. She had two waitress's and a cook, serving breakfast to the usual customers she noticed this particular young man wearing a blue t-shirt who had been coming in everyday for the past one week.

 Ordering the usual egg sandwich and coffee. He sat politely as always at the corner reading his books for two hours, when he walks out and comes back in the evening. She had heard her employees gossip about the young, how he wear's the same clothes but she didn't bother inquiring since he had never failed to pay his bill's, she asked them to go on with their work but she was curious.

 The day was uneventful but she couldn't get the young man out of her mind. Walking from her office she saw the young man in blue, he was having his food at the same corner he was at in the morning. "That is his favourite spot, he sits there every time he comes in." Lucy one of the waitress explained when she saw her boss looking at him. 

 "Do you know where he lives?" Martha asked concerned.

 "No, he doesn't talk much." Martha nodded her head and went on to check the cash register before closing for the day.

 Since it was the end of the month she was the last to leave when it starts raining heavily. Driving slowly due to the rain she saw several people standing along the street waiting for the rain to stop but what caught her eye's was a man in blue spreading down cartons at the side walk. She stopped the car, after looking closely she realised it was the same young man at the diner, she watched him as he lay down and placed his head on his bag pack.

 Two security men come, kicked him sent him away and threw his cartons in the rain. Feeling sorry Martha got an umbrella and walked to the shivering man. "It's not safe to sleep out in such cold weather."

 "Ma'am." He stood up abruptly holding his bag.

 "Come, before those men come back and kick you again." She walked back to her car after instructing him.

 "Thank you." He said sitting in the back seat.

 "What your name, why are you sleeping out in the cold?"

 “My name is Joshua ma'am, I was kicked out of the place I was living in and lost my part time job. The little money I have left I use to buy food."   

 "Are you in college?" She asked while driving. 

 "Yes but I'll have to drop out since I can't pay my tuition." She looked at him through the rearview mirror but said nothing.

  She packed the car and walked to the house through the back door. "This is my house, you can stay and go to college from here." A maid showed him to the guest room and some dry clothes to change.

 "Your home late."

 "Mum, why are you awake?" She walked to the kitchen table where her mother was.

 "You brought in another stray." Her mother said raising her eye brows as she drunk from the cup. 

 "I couldn't let him sleep out in the rain, he's my customer and yes I know what you think mum, he's a good boy."

  "That what you said about Sidney who she stole from you and run away."

 "Mum not everyone is a thief, I'm going to bed. Please don't interrogate and run him off."

 Martha had spent most of her time at work not caring about having a family until one day her husband asked her for a divorce. He had asked her to have children for years but she was so invested in her career to spare time caring for a child. When she got the partnership in the law firm, she took an early retirement from to be the wife he wanted but it was too late. Her marriage was over and with no job to go back to she bought the diner. Having someone in the house other than her mother comforted her.

 She paid Joshua's tuition fee and let him live in her house. She treated him like her child and her mother warmed up to him.

 "Is Joshua back?" She asked one of the maid's.

 "Not yet. Just then she got a phone call.

 " I have to go mum, Joshua is at the police station."

  "What? Has he been arrested." Martha took her bag and car keys not listening to her mother's complain.

  She was able to bail him out but no lawyer accepted to take his case. After explaining how his step mother drove him out of his home after his father's accident and how she made it difficult for him to get a place to live, Martha felt sorry for him and decided to defend him.

 She had worked in the firm for twenty years, took an early retirement to save her marriage but she had to go back to save the young man's life. He was accused of theft and assault but after investigation Martha found out his step mother had planned to get rid of Joshua when his father started asking for him.

 Defending her client, Martha felt the same thrill she felt whenever she stood at the court. Joshua's father had married his wife's best friend after her death hoping she would take good care of him since she had been with him since he was born but after the accident he become paralysed and lost his memory giving his new wife power of attorney to manage and control all his assets. When he fell from the stair and hit his head, his memory come back. Fearing Joshua would come and tell everything to his father, his step mother called him to his father's company and planted some expensive jewelry on him. Got someone to beat her and accused Joshua of assault.

  With all the evidence Martha got, she was able to free Joshua and send his step mother to jail. Uniting the father and son after three years, Martha felt the emptiness of not having her own children. Work was her priority for years, looking at the happy father and son she understood why her husband left to start a new family. 

 After the experience, Joshua asked Martha to be his teacher, changed his course to study law and become his mother when she got married to his father after a year. They opened a law firm and worked together to help appeal the wrongly accused inmate's. They were able to free several of them who had been convicted for year's. Having helped Joshua changed her life, she got a family and kept doing what she had always loved.