Teen Steals Old Lady’s Phone, Gets Voice Message from Own Mom on It — Story of the Day

Fourteen-year-old Zach struggles to fit in with the wealthier children at his private school because of his old phone. One day, he makes a rash decision: to steal a phone from an old lady on the subway.

“I’m going to beat all of you losers,” Shane said.

Zach clenched his teeth as he watched his friends playing a multiplayer game together on their phones. He wished he could join in, but they had the latest model smartphones while all he had was his mom’s old phone.

Still, he pulled it from his pocket and opened an app he’d downloaded. He was sure it would impress his friends. As the match ended, Zach played a victory sound from a popular meme for Jake, who won the game.

Jake laughed and raised his arms in a dramatic victory pose. Shane glared at Zach.

“Oh wow, Zach found something that can actually run on his stone age phone.”

Zach felt his cheeks turn bright red. All the others laughed at Shane’s jibe, except Jake.

“Don’t be such a sore loser, loser,” Jake teased Shane.

“Picking on the poor kid is a weak move.”

Zach wished the ground would swallow him whole. Jake and Shane were arguing now, and Zach took the chance to slip away. He walked to the corner where Mom always picked him up from school and sat on the curb to wait for her.

Some days, it felt like fitting in with the other kids at his private school might kill him. How could he make any real friends if he couldn’t play games on his phone with them? He couldn’t even invite anyone home because they lived in mansions, and he lived in a cheap apartment.

Mom’s red sedan rattled up to the corner while Zach was still brooding over the differences between him and the other kids at his school. He wondered if Mom would give him the claptrap car when he turned sixteen and how much worse the teasing would get if she did.

“What did you enjoy at school today?” Mom asked as Zach climbed in the car.

“It was great having all the kids laugh at me because my phone is an ancient relic,” he replied sarcastically.

Mom frowned at him. “I’m sorry the other kids are still giving you a hard time. I’ll talk to the principal again.”

“Is he going to buy me a new phone?”

“He should be keeping control over his students to prevent bullying,” Mom replied.

“What did you think was going to happen when you sent me to that school, mom?” Zach turned to look at her. “If you would just buy me a decent phone, then everything would be great.”

“You’re there to get a good education, Zach. That is the key to your future and the best way to guarantee you’ll always have enough money to buy the things you want.”

Zach rolled his eyes and looked out the window. Mom didn’t understand anything. “I need a new phone now, mom, not at some indefinite time in the future.”

Mom sighed. “Well, I can’t get you a phone now, Zach. You need to be patient.”

They rattled to a stop outside their apartment building. “I won’t be able to fetch you from school tomorrow,” Mom said. “I need to get this car to a mechanic. I’ll give you money to take the subway instead.”

“Whatever.” Zach slipped from the car and ran inside.

He didn’t understand his mom at all. She obviously had money if she could afford to send him to private school, but she insisted on driving a junky old car and living in a tiny apartment. Zach was sure she could afford to get him a good phone but refused because she didn’t want to.

Zach was about to reach into his coat, but the policeman shoved him against the wall.

The next day, Zach’s classmates talked about a new game. Everybody had downloaded it by the end of the day. Once again, Zach was the odd one out since he couldn’t get the game and play it with his friends.

He was sick of being the only person in class without a good phone! If Mom refused to buy him a phone he could play games on, he’d take matters into his own hands.

A few moments later, Zach felt his prayers had been answered. He entered the subway station and saw an older woman holding the phone he wanted!

Another commuter jostled the older lady, and the phone almost fell from her hands. Surely this was a sign. This lady was too old to appreciate the phone, and Zach doubted she used even half the features. He would put that phone to much better use.

Zach pulled his cap down low over his face. He checked the time and studied the people milling about on the platform while they waited for the train. Zach pushed forward and grabbed the phone from the woman’s hand.

“Hey! Give that back.”

The old lady hooked his elbow with her walking stick.

Zach paused to untangle himself. He didn’t want to hurt the old lady, but when she snatched at his cap, Zach pushed her down and ran. There were shouts behind him: the old lady was calling for help, and people in the crowd were shouting for the cops.

Zach fled into the street. His heart pounded as he ducked into an alley and hid in a pile of empty cardboard boxes. He barely dared to breathe as he listened for the sounds of pursuit.

The phone started ringing. Zach pulled it from his pocket to end the call but found himself staring at the caller image on the screen in shock.

Why was his mom calling that random old lady? How did they even know each other? Footsteps pounded past the entrance to the alley, reminding Zach of his dire predicament. He fumbled with the phone to end the call, but his mom hung up first.

Zach breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to peep out from his hiding place when the phone let out a chirp. It was a new voicemail message from his mom.

He stared at the notification. Zach’s mind was buzzing with panic and confusion about what he should do next. He’d stolen a phone! The police were probably tracking it already, and his mom was calling it. This was all starting to feel like a terrible mistake.

Zach started feeling along the side for the sim card slot so he could remove it and throw it away, but curiosity got the better of him. He pressed the voicemail notification and played the message his mom had left.

“Hi, Mrs. Clarke,” his mom said. “I’m sorry to bug you on your lunch break, but I want to ask you a huge favor.”

“I know your son works at a cell phone store, and Mandy said you were meeting him for lunch today. I want to surprise my son with a new phone for his birthday and hope you can ask your son which models are best for a young teenage boy.”

Mrs. Clarke? That was mom’s boss! Zach lowered the phone and stared in shock at the boxes surrounding him. His mom had planned to buy him a phone all along! However, he’d gotten into a huge mess because he didn’t have faith in her.

He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid! Zach got up and dusted himself off. There was only one thing he could do to make this right. He hoped it would be enough.

Zach jogged back to the station. He scanned the people on the stairs and then searched the platform, but the old lady was nowhere to be seen. He was considering what to do next when a hand closed around his bicep.

“You’re coming with us,” the policeman said as he guided Zach toward the stairs.

“You don’t understand,” Zach said. “I came back to return the phone. Look, I’ll give it to you right now.”

Zach was about to reach into his coat, but the policeman shoved him against the wall. He barked out an order to his partner to search Zach as he handcuffed him.

Zach was quiet on the ride to the police station. All he could think about was how stupid he’d been to believe stealing would solve his problems and how disappointed Mom would be when she found out what he’d done.

And to think he’d gone to such ends to impress his so-called friends! They would never let him live this down if they knew he’d stolen a phone. It dawned on him then that his lack of a good phone was never the problem.

Jake, Shane, and the other kids he’d been hanging out with were just plain mean. They mistreated each other when they played together and joked about being toxic to other players. Even if he’d had a good phone from the start, they still would’ve teased him.

“Zach?”

Zach had kept his head down as the officers escorted him into the station, but his mother’s voice made him look up. She was standing beside the old lady, Mrs. Clarke, with an expression that broke Zach’s heart.

“I’m so sorry!” Zach shifted his gaze from Mom to Mrs. Clarke.

“I shouldn’t have taken your phone. I went back to the subway to return it; I swear I did.”

Mrs. Clarke turned to Zach’s mom. “Your son stole my phone?”

Zach saw his mom blush and hang her head in shame.

“Please don’t be mad at her, ma’am,” Zach pleaded. “I’m the only one to blame here. I should’ve listened to my mom and been patient about getting a good phone. Instead, I made a huge mistake.”

Tears were running down Zach’s cheeks now. “I don’t deserve a phone after what I’ve done. I just want to go home.”

“You’re quite right,” Mrs. Clarke said. “You don’t deserve any kind of treat after this. You know, your mother has always spoken highly of you, Zach. She’s always been so proud of your good marks and your acceptance to private school.”

The old lady shook her head.

“I find it hard to believe that the young man I’ve always heard praised so highly is the same person that stands before me now.”

“All those things I told you were true, Mrs. Clarke,” Zach’s mom said. “Please, give Zach another chance. I believe he truly regrets what he did, and I’m begging you not to press charges.”

“I have always trusted your judgment before.” Mrs. Clarke put her hand on Mom’s shoulder. “Because of that, I will give your son the benefit of the doubt. I will not press charges.”

Zach cried even harder as relief washed over him. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Clarke.”

“I just hope you’ve learned your lesson, young man.” The old lady came closer. “Your mother works hard to provide you with the best opportunities in life, and you’ve caused her a lot of pain with your actions.”

Zach did learn his lesson that day. He stopped hanging around Jake and Shane and soon made friends with a new group of classmates who didn’t care about what possessions he owned or where he lived. Zach’s new friends enjoyed spending time with him because they valued his personality.

That summer, Zach got a job at the grocery store. He’d realized that his mom spent most of her salary on his tuition and wanted to help her. He used the money he earned to buy groceries so she could afford to buy a new car.

Once, Zach’s mom asked him why he didn’t save some of the money he earned to buy a new phone.

“I’ll get my new phone one day,” Zach replied. “Right now, there are more important things to focus on, and helping you is the most important thing of all.”

What can we learn from this story?

• Selfish choices will never lead to a happy outcome. Zach didn’t want to wait for the phone he wanted, and his impatience led him to make a foolish choice.
• True friends don’t care about your possessions. A real friendship is formed when people have compatible personalities and interests, and it has nothing to do with material possessions.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a group of guys who receive a nasty shock when they invite an ‘ugly’ girl to a party to mock her.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

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