Philipp Hansen had problems with his memory, so he asked the driver if it was the right stop, but the driver angrily kicked him out for no reason. The elderly man got lost trying to find his house and suddenly he heard a person calling him.
“Is that the bus to Weinbergstrasse?” 76-year-old Philipp Hansen asked the bus driver, a man he had never seen before, although he always took the same route. Unfortunately, Philipp had trouble remembering basic things like his own address or how to get home. Usually people were always helpful. Not today.
“Weinbergstrasse? What are you talking about?” the driver asked angrily.
“I’m sorry, sir. Did I get on the wrong bus?” Mr. Hansen asked.
“I’m sorry, sir. My memory doesn’t work that well,” Philipp said apologetically – and cocked his head to emphasize how sorry he was.
“What? I don’t know. That’s not my problem. Get out right now or sit down!” the driver yelled, and the older man couldn’t understand why he was being treated so hostilely. It was a simple question that could be answered with understanding. But this man was rude and angry at the world for no reason.”
“Sir, I just ask one question-”
“Old man, get off my bus! I don’t need the hassle. I must continue with my route. GO!” the driver turned to Mr. Hansen with hateful eyes. The older man was surprised by the look on his face so he got out. He couldn’t believe he’d just been kicked out like that. Worst of all, none of the other passengers said anything.
The bus doors closed as soon as he got off and he sped away. Philipp looked around this area of Berlin without knowing where he was. He sat at the bus stop and thought for a long time.
“Jesus, come on. Memory, help me,” he begged and prayed at the same time to remember where he was going. His bedridden wife, Lucinda, needed her medication, which was why he had left the house that day in the first place.
He thought it would be easy, but his brain was giving up and it was now difficult to move around on his own. What would you do? They had no children and there was no family nearby who could help them.
For many decades as a teacher, he had considered his students his children, and he had thought that was enough. But maybe they should have tried harder to conceive or adopt so they wouldn’t be so helpless now. Maybe it was time to call social services. You could help out.
But those were solutions for another time. For now, he had to find a way to get home, and he thought maybe a walk would refresh his memory. But as he got up from the bench, he heard a man’s voice yell, “Mr. Hansen! I haven’t seen you for a long time!”
The man said this in an almost desperate and surprised tone. He was 50 or older and Philip frowned, trying to recognize him. A woman stood next to him with a polite smile, but he couldn’t make out who she was either.
“I’m sorry, sir. My memory doesn’t work that well,” Philipp said apologetically – and cocked his head to emphasize how sorry he was.
But the man was not offended. Instead, he smiled broadly at Mr. Hansen and stepped closer. “Mr. Hansen, it’s me, Hugo Schmidt! I was one of your students… oh I don’t know… maybe 30 years ago.”
“Hugo? Is that really you?” asked Philipp, shocked and pleased. His memory might have troubles, but there were some students he could never forget. Hugo was one of them. He wasn’t the best academic, but he was one of those teenagers who cared about what teachers had to say and always sought his advice.
“Yes sir!” he said, wrapping his arms around the teacher. Philipp patted him on the back several times. “This is my wife Wanda. Darling, this is the man who has inspired my entire career.”
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you!” Wanda said, and Mr. Hansen smiled as they shook hands.
“Same to you. I’m so glad things went well for Hugo, but I don’t know if I inspired his entire career,” joked Mr. Hansen.
“Yes, it is true! 30 years ago everyone told me not to study technology. They said I wasn’t smart enough for the world of algorithms because it was too much math.” He used his fingers to quote the last three words. “But you were different. They told me that technology is the real future and that it would be so big and so amazing that I could probably excel anywhere even if I wasn’t good at math.”
“Wow, I don’t even remember that,” complained Mr. Hansen.
“It is in order. Because I remember it, and the way you treated me meant so much to me. I raised my kids so that they can make a name for themselves anywhere, even if nobody believes in them. I did it. I hope that I can also awaken this in my grandchildren”, Hugo finished, his voice almost breaking at the end, “thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hansen.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Philipp replied and a tear escaped him. While his schooling had been among the best of his life and he had adored many of the children, he had no idea he had had such an impact on any of them and he was so grateful for the younger man’s words after such a difficult one Day.
“So what do you do now?” asked Hugo, and Mr. Hansen was ashamed to tell him his predicament, but he told them anyway. Turns out he took the wrong bus and landed on the wrong street. That’s why he didn’t recognize anything.
Hugo and his wife, who lived in the area and were out walking when they saw Mr. Hansen, offered to drive him and he was grateful. They got their car and set off. Later they found out about the condition of Mr. Hansen’s wife and how they were doing alone, which made Hugo frown.
Philipp’s former student decided at that moment that he would help his teacher and his wife during this challenging time. He hired a caretaker for her and took care of her as best he could.
When Lucinda died, Hugo transferred Mr. Hansen to a private assisted living facility because his memory had almost completely disappeared. But the younger man would never forget the teacher who believed in him.
What can we learn from this story?
Elderly citizens need our help, not our contempt. It is unfortunate that the bus driver kicked out the lost Mr. Hansen instead of helping him and none of the passengers stepped forward. The elderly deserve to be treated with kindness, not with contempt or indifference.
Teachers are instrumental in inspiring students, even those who are not academically inclined. Mr. Hansen considered himself a humble professor, but discovered that at least one of his students remembered him fondly and had achieved his dreams because his teacher had always believed in him.
Share this story with your friends. It could brighten their day and inspire them.
If you liked this story, you might like thisdiese story about an old lady who lets an orphan boy from a gang live in her house and soon no one recognizes her house.
This story was inspired by the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names and locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Tell us your story; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story with us, please send it to info@amomama.com .